Taking minutes is one mode of documentation that health centers can use to demonstrate compliance with various state and federal requirements, including HRSA. It is important to ensure that health centers are aware of their state’s non-profit law requirements for official meeting minutes. While HRSA does not mandate HOW meeting minutes should be completed, or what type of format they should take, the following should be taking into consideration:

• First, meeting minutes should be an official record that the health center utilizes to ensure compliance with certain requirements, such as approval and implementation of the Quality Improvement/Assurance Plan, along with other requirements as described in Chapter 19-Board Authority.
• Second, meeting minutes should be utilized to drive action. Action should be based on the Meeting Agenda set forth and the meeting minutes should address each agenda item. If item(s) are not addressed, it is important to state why and indicate whether said item(s) will be tabled for a future discussion, or if additional research must be completed for the action item.
• Third, documentation within meeting minutes should provide sufficient detail of the following: discussion/update of the agenda item, the outcome of an action (e.g. if a Plan, Do, Study, Act [PDSA] was completed on a clinical measure, what was the result, and did it affect a clinical measure which was being monitored), and if an item is not informational, motions made to approve the action item. A motion should include the item that needs to be approved, individuals making the motion (1st and 2nd), if all were in favor, any abstentions, and finally whether the motion was carried or tabled. A best practice for health centers is to follow Robert’s Rule of Order which provides parliamentary procedures on motions.

While there is no single “standard” template to document meeting minutes, it’s important that attendance, whether quorum was achieved, and action of the meeting agenda items are captured. Not only do meeting minutes serve a historical purpose, minutes can serve a legal purpose, documenting a committee or Board of Director’s actions based on the approved bylaws. For more information on best practices for meeting minutes, please review the following webinar: Compliatric Webinar Series: Strategies for Effective FQHC Board-Committee Meeting Minutes