OAA 3rd Regional Conference – Report by Ken Aukett Chile 2019

BEST WESTERN HOTEL, VINA DEL MAR, CHILE

20 – 23 OCTOBER 2019

• Overview:

Unfortunately at the time our Conference was convened the country of Chile was experiencing a period of unrest. Periodic marches of members of the “Middle Class” numbering well into the tens of thousands were held protesting the economic conditions they were experiencing.  In addition to the noise associated with the beating of pots and the rhythmic honking of automobile horns, fires were set in subway stations and highway toll booths, in food markets and newspaper buildings in Santiago and its suburbs including Vina del Mar and Valparaiso.  Confrontations with police and military forces resulted in the firing of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets into the ranks of the protesters.  A dusk to dawn curfew was imposed. Tragically 20 lives were lost.

• Federico Cisterna Ortíz, , President of CORAO V Region Chile, Jessica Cardenas’ partner, presented a moving tribute to Jessica and did an excellent job in serving as the Conference Chair.  The passing of OAA VP, Francisco Miguez was also recognized.

Thanks were given to the Conference sponsor, ConvaTec, for underwriting the lodging and meal expenses of 18 association leaders together with the provision of a translator for Monday’s medical workshops and the conference related hotel expenses.

• The programming scheduled for Monday the 21^st, which provided for the training of local nurses in the care of ostomy patients and ostomy patient education workshops was held, but most of the nurses and patients were no shows. Airline flights in and out of Santiago disrupted many of the attendee’s travel plans and the curfews prevented many local patients from attending. 
  • Educational workshops held on Monday included: Colon Cancer Prevention; How to Set Up an Ostomy Clinic; Complications of an Ostomy; Psychological Profile of Ostomates; Nutritional Contributions in the Recovery of an Ostomate; An Introduction to, and Goals of the IOA 20/40 Focus Program; The Purpose of the FOW-USA Ostomy Supply Distribution Program and How to Access It; and workshops targeted for the Patient and Caregiver audience included: Ostomy Care; Diagnosis and Treatment of Peristomal Dermatitis; Ostomies and Their Reality; Ostomy Patient Testimonies.
  • ConvaTec described their latest innovations in ostomy care.

The conference did, however, provide an opportunity for members of NCACOA and ALADO, the two sub regions that comprise OAA to network and get to know one another which was a positive feature for the Regional leaders.

• Three House of Delegates Meetings were held … The Ostomy Association of the Americas and its two sub-regions, the Association of Latin Americans with Ostomies, or ALADO, and, the North and Central America and Caribbean Ostomy Association, or NCACOA.  In addition to country reports the major function of each HOD Meeting was the election of Officers for a term extending from the end of this 3^rd OAA Regional Conference, 24 October 2019, until the end of the 4^th OAA Regional Conference in October, 2022.
  • Newly elected ALADO Officers:
    • President, Izaac Fernandes, Argentina, Fegest
    • Vice President, Mariela Acero de Romero, Colombia, ACDO
    • Secretary, Vilma Franco, Argentina, ADOC
    • Treasurer, Marcelino Merlo, Argentina, ADOC
  • Newly elected NCACOA Officers
    • President, Susan Burns, USA, UOAA (Note: as the former President Elect Susan Burns automatically became the new President)
    • President-Elect:  Maria-Jose Bouey, Canada, TO
    • Secretary:  Di Bracken, Canada, TO
    • Treasurer:  George Salamy, USA, UOAA
    • Director at Large:  Ana Restrepo, BWSN, RN, CWON, USA, UOAA
  • Newly elected OAA Officers
    • President, Martha Velez de Nieves, Puerto Rico, AOPR
    • Vice President, Mariela Acero de Romero, Colombia, ACDO
    • Secretary, Teresa Antequera Pena, Bolivia, ABO
    • Treasurer, Kenneth W. Aukett , USA, UOAA
      • A legal associate of Ken Aukett, Diane MacWilliams, mactarts@gmail.com , is serving as an understudy and has access to the OAA checking account in case of an emergency.

Note:  The OAA Constitution provides that the OAA Executive Committee is composed of the President; Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer; President of the ALADO, Izaac Fernandes; and, President of the NCACOA, Susan Burns.

Appointment of OAA Representatives to the International Ostomy Association – Coordination Committee (IOA-CC):

• Martha Velez de Nieves, President, OAA
• Mariela Acero de Romero, Vice President, OAA

Note:  Ken Aukett who had previously served as one of the OAA Representatives to the IOA-CC and was serving as the IOA-CC Chair, stepped down on 10/24/2019 . In a vote of the current IOA-CC , Richard McNair, President of the Asia South Pacific Ostomy Association, from New Zealand was  elected as the IOA-CC Chair.  In a subsequent vote of the IOA-CC Ken Aukett was appointed as the IOA-CC Secretary in a non-voting capacity. Inquiries regarding OAA should be sent to Ken Aukett at email: kenaukett@gmail.com

• Webmaster:    Dorothy Kent, dorothykent@verizon.net, was appointed as the OAA Webmaster and will be responsible for keeping the OAA website, www.ostomyamericas.org, updated.  Dorothy will coordinate with Rogerio Fernandes, fernandesrogeriog@gmail.com  from Argentina, the ALADO webmaster, in this undertaking.
• 2022 OAA 4^th  Regional Conference Site
• A discussion regarding potential sites for the 4^th OAA Regional Conference in October, 2022 was undertaken.   The delegates expressed an interest in meeting in the following countries:
  • Brasil, Porto Alegre
  • Costa Rica, San Jose
  • Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo
  • Puerto Rico, San Juan
  • Guatemala, Guatemala City

Early in 2020 an RFP will be sent to the leaders of the associations in these countries to determine their interest in hosting the conference and to acquire details regarding a potential conference site in their country.

Submitted by Ken Aukett

25 November 2019

MINUTES OF OAA HoD MEETINGS

Best Western Hotel, Vina del Mar, Chile

WEDNESDAY, 22 & 23 OCTOBER 2019

• On 22 October the OAA HoD meeting was convened at 11:00am and on

23 October at 9:00am.

• Members of the OAA Executive Committee in attendance included President, Jorge Morales; Secretary, Martha  Velez de Nieves; Treasurer, Kenneth Aukett

Members of the OAA Executive Committee not in attendance included Vice President, Francisco Miguez (decreased); President of ALADO, Jessica Cardenas (deceased); President NCACOA, Marcelino Trejo Gonzalez  

• Ken Aukett, OAA Organizer, Treasurer and Past Present President,

 expressed greetings, and conveyed the group’s sadness on the passing of Francisco Miguez in November, 2018, OAA VP, and that of Jessica Cardenas, ALADO President and Conference Chair in July, 2019. 

​Federico Cisterna Ortíz, , President of CORAO V Region Chile, Jessica Cardenas’ partner, did an excellent job in serving as the Conference Chair.

Thanks were also given to the Conference sponsor, ConvaTec, for underwriting the lodging and meal expenses of 18 association leaders together with the provision of a translator for Monday’s medical workshops and the conference related hotel expenses.

• Representatives from the following OAA member associations were in attendance:
  • From ALADO
    • Argentina
    • Bolivia
    • Brasil
    • Chile
    • Colombia
  • From NCACOA
    • Canada
    • Guatemala
    • Mexico
    • Puerto Rico
    • United States of America

• Election of OAA Officers to serve from 24 October 2019 thru the last day of the 4^th OAA Regional Conference sometime in October 2022.

The following individuals were nominated and elected unanimously by the delegates:

• President, Martha Velez de Nieves, from Puerto Rico
• Vice President, Mariela Acero de Romero from Colombia
• Secretary, Teresa Antequera Pena from Bolivia
• Treasurer, Kenneth W. Aukett from United States of America

• Note:  The OAA Constitution provides that the OAA Executive Committee is composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, President of the ALADO and President of the NCACOA.

• As a point of information the ALADO Executive Committee consists of:
  • President, Izaac Fernandes, Argentina, Fegest
  • Vice President, Mariela Acero de Romero, Colombia, ACDO
  • Secretary, Vilma Franco, Argentina, ADOC
  • Treasurer, Marcelino Merlo, Argentina, ADOC

• Appointment of OAA Representatives to the International Ostomy Association Coordination Committee:
  • Martha Velez de Nieves
  • Mariela Acero de Romero
  • (Note:  Ken Aukett who had previously served as one of the OAA Representatives to the IOA-CC and was serving as the IOA-CC Chair, stepped down on 10/24/2019 and was replaced by Richard McNair, President of the Asia South Pacific Ostomy Association, from New Zealand as the IOA-CC Chair.)

• Jorge Vargas Morales, who was the President of OAA from 23 October 2016 thru 23 October 2019, was thanked for his dedication to the rehabilitation of all ostomates in the Region, his awareness and promotion regarding the needs of these ostomates and his advocacy on behalf of their rights.

• OAA Finances: 
  • Balance prior to Conference                                      $10,624.11  US
  • Withdrawal 9 October 2019                                      (   9,000.00)                        $6,000 ALADO expenses

$3,000 OAA expenses (for Jorge, Ken

and Maria-Jose with Martha’s expenses having

been previously covered)

      o  Payment of dues by ALADO                                             1,890.00

 o  Balance 11/22/2019                                                   %%EDITORCONTENT%%nbsp; 3,514.11

(Note:  ALADO expenses totaled only

  $3,264.00 with the unused funds from the

  $6,000.00 provided totaling $2,736.00 These

  funds were returned to ALADO for use to

  fund future projects as  approved by the OAA

  Executive Committee.)

• Country Reports:
  • Association reports were given by delegates from Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States of America .

• A beautiful glass testimonial was presented by the ALADO leadership to Ken Aukett in recognition of the working relationships that were developed with the ALADO member associations, since OAA was organized in 2010, in assisting them to fulfill their missions to improve the quality of life of their ostomy communities.

•  A discussion regarding potential sites for the 4^th OAA Regional Conference in   October, 2022 was undertaken.   The delegates expressed an interest in meeting in the following countries:
  • Brasil, Porto Alegre
  • Costa Rica, San Jose
  • Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo
  • Puerto Rico, San Juan
  • Guatemala, Guatemala City

 Early in 2020 an RFP will be sent to the leaders of the associations in these        

  countries to determine their interest in hosting the conference and to acquire 

  details regarding a potential conference site in their country.

Submitted by Ken Aukett

22 November 2019

Revised 25 November 2019

 MINUTES OF NCACOA HoD MEETING

Best Western Hotel, Vina del Mar, Chile

TUESDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2019

(Salon Silvio Arata II)

• In the absence of NCACOA President, Marcelino Trejo Gonzalez, the meeting was called to order at 9:00am by President Elect, Susan Burns
• Members of the NCACOA Executive Council in attendance:
  • President Elect, Susan Burns
• Members of the NCACOA Executive Council not in Attendance
  • President, Marcelino Trejo Gonzalez; Vice President, Lisa Gausman; Treasurer, George Salamy; Director at Large (Vacant)
• Roll Call of Full Member Delegates:
  • Present:
    • USA … United Ostomy Associations of America … Kenneth Aukett
    • Canada … Ostomy Canada Society … Ann Ivol
    • Mexico 
      • Colima Ostomy Association  … Jorge Morales
      • Ostomizados del Bajio A.C. … Proxy:  Jorge Morales
      • OSTOJAL A.C. … Proxy: Jorge Morales
    • Puerto Rico … Asociacion Ostomizados Puerto Rico … Martha de Nieves
    • Guatemala … Asociacion de Ostomizados de Guatemala … Alejandro de la Riva
  • Not Present:
    • Honduras … Hondurena Ostomy Association … Not represented
    • Panamá … Asociacion Panamena de Ostomizados … Not represented
    • Dominican Republic … Asociacion de Ostomizados de la Republica Dominicana … Not represented
    • Bermuda … Bermuda Ostomy Association … Not represented
    • The Netherlands Antilles … Stoma Vereniging Netherlands Antilles (ROSA) … Not represented
    • Costa Rico … La Asociacion CUCI y Crohn’s en Costa Rica junto con Osto Care CR y Osto CR … Not represented
• Voting
  • Based on number of  members
    • 1 to 2,499 members                       1 vote
    • 2,500 to 4,999 members             2 votes
    • 5,000 and up members                3 votes
• Quorum
  • Jorge Morales has advised that by proxy Colima Ostomy Association will be casting votes for
    • Ostomizados del Bajio A.C.;
    • OSTOJAL A.C.
  • With more than 50% of the votes capable of being cast represented in the House , a Quorum existed enabling  business to be conducted.
• Motion to disaffiliate 
  • Motion made by the Acting Secretary to disaffiliate the Bermuda Ostomy Association
    • Rationale: Pursuant to provision 4.E.1).a and .b … BOA has not paid dues or responded to correspondence.
    • Motion approved unanimously
• Election of Officers for a three (3) year term extending from 24 October 2019 until the close of the OAA 4^th Regional Conference in October 2022
  • Ken Aukett will conduct the election:
    • Note: The current President-Elect will automatically start serving as the NCACOA President on 24 October 2019 as will the candidates elected in the 22 October 2019 election.
    • Offices to be filled:
      • President-Elect:  Maria-Jose Bouey, Canada
        • Nominated by the Ostomy Canada Society
        • No other candidates nominated
        • Maria-Jose Bouey elected unanimously
      • Vice President:  TBD at later date … no candidates
      • Secretary:  Di Bracken, Canada
        • Nominated by Ostomy Society Canada
        • No other candidates nominated
        • Di Bracken elected unanimously
      • Treasurer:  George Salamy, USA
        • Nominated by the United Ostomy Associations of America
        • No other candidates nominated
        • George Salamy elected unanimously

• Director at Large:  Ana Restrepo, BWSN, RN, CWON
  • Nominated by the United Ostomy Associations of America
    • No other candidates nominated
    • Ana Restrepo elected unanimously
• NCACOA 4^th Quarter 2019 Financial Report … Susan Burns for George Salamy, Treasurer
  • See attachment for details
• Projects to be undertaken between now and the next election are, for example, the:
  • Exchange of information about the work and experiences of member associations; exchange of newsletters
    • Member activity reports will be submitted to the NCACOA President on a Quarterly basis with the 1^st submission due by March 31, 2020
  • Promotion of awareness about rights and interests of all ostomates;   WOD 2021
    • NCACOA President will appoint an OAA WOD 2021 Coordinator to promote awareness and encourage participation
      • Coordinator will liaison with IOA WOD 2021 Coordinator
  • Updating and maintaining the website in a current status
    • NCACOA President will prepare Quarterly reports based on Member input and forward to OAA Webmaster for publishing on OAA website … www.ostomyamericas.org
      • Dorothy Kent … dorothykent@verizon.net
    • Any “event” or misc. information Member Associations wish to have published should be sent to NCACOA President for approval.
  • Encouraging the formation of new associations
    • Jorge Morales will take the lead in establishing new associations in Central America and the Caribbean Basin
  • Serve as mentors for new associations
    • Any Member Association wishing to serve as a mentor for a new or developing association should contact the President, NCACOA
  • Encourage the formation of 20/40 Focus Young Adult Groups; Maria-Jose Bouey, Director, OAA 20/40 Focus Program
    • See attachment for Program Objectives
    • Member Associations are encouraged to organize 20/40 aka Young Adult groups
  • Participating as a member of the Conference Planning Committee  for the 4^th OAA Regional Conference; generating interest in attendance at this conference
  • Organize and promote fund raising activities benefiting NCACOA
    • Proposals should be sent to George Salamy for endorsement
  • Cooperate with professional, ostomy product manufacturing/distribution entities and kindred non profit organizations
    • All Member Associations
• Notes:
  • The NCACOA HoD attendees took a moment of silence to honor the memories of Francisco Miguez (Argentina), Vice President of OAA who passed in November, 2017 and Jessica Cardenas (Chile), President of ALADO and Chair of the 3^rd OAA Regional Conference who passed in July, 2019.
  • Many thanks are extended to ConvaTec, the Conference Sponsor, who covered 4 night lodging and meal expenses for NCACOA Leaders: Jorge Morales, Martha Nieves, Susan Burns, Anna Ivol, Maria-Jose Bouey, and Ken Aukett
  • The following OAA Member Associations volunteered to host the 4^th OAA Regional Conference:  Puerto Rico, Brazil, Guatemala.  Other potential countries discussed that did not have representatives at the conference included Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic
  • Unfortunately the country of Chile was experiencing a period of unrest during the time our conference was convened.  Periodic marches of protestors numbering well into the thousands, the setting of fires in subway stations and highway toll booths, in food markets and newspaper buildings in Santiago and its suburbs including Vina del Mar and Valparaiso and confrontations with police and military forces resulted in the imposition of a 7:00pm to 7:00am curfew. The programming on Monday which provided for the training of local nurses in the care of ostomy patients and ostomy patient education workshops were held, but most of the nurses and patients were no shows. Airline flights in and out of Santiago disrupted many of the attendee’s travel plans.  The conference did provide an opportunity for members of NCACOA and ALADO to network and get to know one another which was a positive feature for the Regional leaders.

 Respectfully submitted:                                                                                                   

Ken Aukett, Acting Secretary,  15 November 2019

Revised 25 November 2019