VIRGINIA WIC Program - Office of Family Health Services

VIRGINIA WIC Program
Retailer Advisory Meeting
(9/23/2010)
Ephraim Ewing, facilitator
Presenters: Anne Massey, Acting Division Director, Sylvia Henshaw, Crossroads Project
Coordinator, Sheila Brewer, Vendor Compliance Manager, Meghan Garrett, Nutrition Liaison,
and David Mikelson, Mikelson and Associates Consulting.
Attendees:
Norfolk (site facilitator – Freda Bolling) - Matthews Market, H & H Grocery, DECA-Little
Creek, Farm Fresh Supermarkets, Fresh Pride Supermarkets
Richmond (facilitator - Ephraim Ewing) – Burkeville Supermarket, Community Supermarket
and S & K Supermarket
Christiansburg (site facilitator – Sheila Brewer) – Slaughter’s Supermarket, Grants Supermarket,
Triplett’s Grocery, and Wades Supermarket
Conference call participants - DECA Commissary Headquarters, DECA Dalghren, Farmers
Foods Corporate office, Food Lion Corporate office, Giant Foods of Maryland, Giant Foods of
PA, MDI, Oldtown Market, Reids Supermarket, Safeway Corporate office, Save-A-lot Corporate
office, Shoppers Food Warehouse Corporate office, Star Value, Super Kmart Corporate office,
SuperValu Corporate office, Virginia Retailer Federation, Virginia Retailers Merchant
Association, and Wal-Mart Corporate Office
Acting Division Director Update – Anne Massey
• Introduced to the Retailer Advisory Meeting
• Provided a brief update on Abbott Labs and Similac Advance Earlyshield formula Recall
• Retailers always have access to the WIC office and do not have to wait for a meeting
with the Commissioner to share their concerns/comments.
E-WIC Update – Sylvia Henshaw
Request For Proposal (RFP) status – VITA and USDA have received, reviewed and responded to
the RFP. VDH integrated the comments and the RFP has been resubmitted to both of the
agencies for final approvals. Upon the final approvals the RFP will then be posted to e-VA and
then the bidding for the Processor can initiate.
A draft of the EBT Technical Implementation Guide is available and under review. This
document is responsible for the standardization of the X9 standard. The draft document is being
reviewed by the USDA FNS committee who published it. If anyone would like to obtain a copy
of the draft document they should contact Bonnie Howard Belza at: bhowardinaz@cox.net

VIRGINIA WIC Program
Retailer Advisory Meeting
(9/23/2010)
WIC Staff Introductions, included:
• Lonnie Bell – Point of Service (POS) Specialist
• Natasha Miller – EBT Coordinator
Lonnie is proceeding to gather data and is open to input from retailers on the best way to solicit
information about their technology.
Meeting with the Commissioner of Health - Sheila Brewer
Donna Seward, former Division Director and representatives from Kroger and Wal-Mart met
with the Commissioner to discuss various issues, including holding an annual retailers meeting
with the Commissioner. Current considerations for future or potential meetings include the form
of media to use, location, etc. Open to suggestions or agenda topics.
NEXT STEP - the Division Director will follow up with Commissioner to determine when in
2011 this type of meeting will be held. Retailer Advisory meeting attendees were asked to
consider the individual(s) in their respective companies that might benefit or be interested in
attending a meeting with the Commissioner of Health. Contact Shelia or your vendor liaison for
additional ideas and/or suggestions on possible topics.
It was recommended that the venue allow interested parties to attend/participate in this type of
exchange with the Commissioner via conference call, since many of the corporate stores are
located outside of Virginia.
Peer Group Analysis Study – David Mikelson, M&A Consultant
Highlights:
• David was asked to contact representatives from the vendor community to get feedback
on the current peer group structure.
• Current peer group structure will remain intact until EWIC is launched.
• Made contact with 19 independent vendors, 12 corporate vendors and 3 trade associations
• In general, retailers and representatives are relatively unhappy with the current structure
• Many retailers were concerned with the impact that much larger stores have on smaller
stores
• Business Economic Areas (BEAs) is too broad
• Some retailers felt forced to lower prices (at a loss!) in order to compete
• Criteria to be developed for new peer group will be determined based upon this analysis
• Some suggestions for criteria include basing peer groups on food sales volume, number
of registers, looking at WIC sales volume exclusively, using criteria that is geographic,
urban vs. rural, the number of unique clients and more
• In other states there was no change in peer group after implementing e-WIC. What
changed was the maximum reimbursement level.

VIRGINIA WIC Program
Retailer Advisory Meeting
(9/23/2010)
NEXT STEP- Provide an update at the December Retailer meeting on the study results, findings
and recommendations.
WIC Approved Food List 2011 – Meghan Garrett
Highlights:
• New WIC Approved Food list implemented as of May 1, 2011
• Accepting applications through the end of October 2010 for new products
• Letters were sent to corporate stores pertaining to the application process (August 12,
2010)
• These Food Application process is for new products only. You do not have to send in a
new food application if a product is already approved by the WIC Program. A new
application is required for new items only.
• Soy milk will be added
• Blended juices will be added (must be 100% juice), both for 12 oz frozen or 64 oz liquid
juice.
• Expand the specific corn tortilla brands that are allowed (16 ounce packages)
• Expand the specific whole wheat bread brands that are allowed (16 ounce packages)
• All Food Applications must be submitted to the WIC Program by 10/31
Next Steps: Complete the review of new Food Applications and begin to make management
decisions about what changes will be made.
Grand Opening - New Store Applicants (authorization issues) – Sheila Brewer
• At the retailer’s meeting with the Commissioner of Health, the WIC Program agreed to
work with retailers to see what options exist to have new stores open up with WIC
authorization. Many retailers want to be authorized to accept WIC on a Grand Opening
day. This has not typically been the case.
• A stocking visit must be done and the store must pass before WIC Program authorization
can be granted – this is a federal requirement.
• Need to be able to identify the store’s “Grand Opening” date – currently this information
is not available during the application review process.
• The WIC staff will need to review and update state regulations, Vendor Manual
guidelines accordingly to allow for this option to exist.
• One change in work flow that would help achieve the overall outcome is that WIC could
review new store applications more frequently than once a month, i.e., 1 st and 15 th . Once
these new store applications are reviewed, then the enrollment follow through can begin
earlier.
• Existing RSMS reports may need to be changed to allow the flagging and reporting of
stores’ Grand Opening date and certified trainer status.

VIRGINIA WIC Program
Retailer Advisory Meeting
(9/23/2010)
Next Steps: Identify what system, administrative procedures and workflow changes can be made
to offer more flexibility in meeting grand opening requirements. Report back to the retailers
these decisions, when applicable.
Meeting the Conflict of Interest Requirement – Sheila Brewer
• A draft of the final version was provided by Sheila
• WIC looked at all points and implemented many of the retailers recommendations
and/or addressed their concerns
• This version seems very “work-able”
• Eliminated the requirement to complete a form
• Will rely on the retail vendors to contact the WIC office if there is a potential conflict
of interest issue
• WIC created the new policy to be as less invasive as possible
• There should be no “abuse” of privacy
• Not intended to be a “witch hunt”
• Retailers have a responsibility to identify potential conflicts as outlined in the policy
and to conduct the proper reporting and/or follow-up
• Many retailers already have policies in place to prevent this situation from occurring
• Retailers would be responsible to reviewing and adding this policy during the annual
training
• If stores do not currently have a policy in place, they should strive to do so now
• Sheila reviewed a “constituent complaint” that was received by the Governor’s office
where the customer witnessed a participant allegedly giving/offering her unwanted
WIC foods to a cashier
• This was viewed as a government funded program where abuse has occurred
• Sheila reviewed the steps that a retailer should take if this occurs such as refusal,
voiding the transaction to eliminate the unwanted foods when the decline rule applies
or reporting persistent abuse
• Guidelines will be put into place that will work for everyone
Monitoring Review Update - Sheila Brewer
• By the end of November 2010, all local health districts will be trained in how to
conduct on-site stocking visits
• A statewide local health district training schedule has been developed, the next
training session will be held 10/5 (Virginia Beach, VA)
Miscellaneous Items – Sheila Brewer
• Acknowledgements for training due to the WIC Program by 9/30/10
• Price submissions due via RSMS by 9/24/10, will give until 9/30 if needed
• New URL for RSMS will be sent to retailers in the next few weeks
• New Vendor Liaison will be announced by the next meeting

VIRGINIA WIC Program
Retailer Advisory Meeting
(9/23/2010)
• Shelf labels (WIC-designated brands) will be discussed at next meeting
Overall Benefits
• Conflict of Interest discussion and proposed revisions
• Peer Group Update
• Muffins provided by Joyce Slaughter (SW VA group)
• Blended juices added to the 2011 food list
• Meeting with Commissioner planned
Concerns
• Meeting with Commissioner- currently no topics of interest at this point
• Recall of certain Similac formulas
Next Steps
• Attend next Retailer Advisory Meeting (scheduled for Thursday, December 9, 2010)
• Stores submit updated prices to the WIC Program by September 30, 2010.
• Stores submit annual training documentation to the WIC Program by November 1, 2010.
• Stores submit Supplemental Information forms to the WIC Program by October 1, 2010.
• Follow up on Grand Opening next steps.