Issue 01-3 March, 2001

March 2001

Issue 01-3 March, 2001

Keeping up with contracts requires creativity Employees honored for service

T he February 2001 HCA Employee Recognition Ceremony may not have included as many people achieving service milestones as past events. However, it did include the largest group of 30-year employees honored in recent memory. Interim Director Julie Poulson presented 30-year Service Awards to John Iagjian, a Senior Staff Analyst with HCA Real Estate; Linda Malchow, a Public Health Nurse; and Rosann Welsh, Office Supervisor for Behavioral Health Alcohol and Drug Services. John Iagjian started his county career in 1971 with the County Administrative Office and later served with the Social Services Agency, where he helped to greatly expand the Operation Santa Claus pro-gram. He joined HCA in 1990 as a Program Manager II with Behavioral Health Children and Youth Services and has also served as a Manager in HCA Administration. Words such as inclusive, team-oriented, supportive and upbeat were used to describe John's management style.

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It may sound a little funny coming from someone about to enter the peak season for their job, a time when hectic schedules and long hours bring additional pressure. But when Melissa Tober, the Interim Division Manager for Contract Development and Management says "I am very fortunate I have a job I love," you know it is said with great sincerity. Melissa's career with HCA began in September 1987, when she started as an intern for Medical Services program sup-port. "I had an interest in health care ad-ministration and was assigned to work with the Emergency Medical Services budget. It gave me the opportunity to learn the budget process and I grew to like the job. When a full-time position be-came available, I interviewed for the job and was hired as a Staff Analyst I," Melissa remembered. After almost three years with Medical Services, Melissa decided it was time to expand her knowledge of the Agency

and transferred into Contract Ser-vices. "When I left budgets, I wasn't sure I'd would ever like something so much. However, everyone was very supportive and although I later had an opportunity to go back to program support, I really loved it here," stated Melissa. Among the memories Melissa took from her experience with Medical Services is a unique collection of Post-It Notes featuring cartoons and catch phrases. After being given several pads of the humorous notes as a going away gift, others soon noticed her "collection" and began to send more. Soon, the collection grew to cover two large frames that proudly decorate the walls of her office, with enough left over to fill several more frames. After spending several years handling contracts for health care services to in-custody clients, Melissa moved to working with Mental Health contracts. New

programs and funding opportunities greatly increased the number of Mental Health contracts, so Melissa says she was "fortunate to grow up with the job." When she started with Behavioral Health, the staff consisted of her and one other analyst. When she left, the job had grown to require four additional analysts to keep up with the program's contracts. The Deputy Agency Director for Behavioral Health Services, Doug Barton, says Melissa's contributions to the service have been considerable. "While Melissa's forte is con-tract negotiation and management, she has evolved into a 'program person' as well, with a comprehensive understanding of the nuances of service provision across a broad continuum of care. She is a creative problem solver and has provided invaluable assistance over the years with budgetary issues related to the contracts she manages. Her quick wit and great sense of humor make her a pleasure to work with," Barton proclaimed. Another noting Melissa's contributions is David Riley, HCA's Chief Compliance Officer. "Melissa is an exceedingly dedicated, bright, and creative manager, who has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic, natural interpersonal skills and enthusiasm. County government is quite fortu-.

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HCA Interim Director Julie Poulson offers thanks to 30- year employees Rosann Welsh, Linda Malchow and John Iagjian.

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Issue 01-3 March, 2001

nate to have her. She is definitely one of our best and brightest! Part of the 80/ 20 management principle— one of the 20% who get 80% of the work done," Riley explained. Many people would find working with pages and pages of legal requirements to be quite constraining. On the contrary, says Melissa. She finds contracting an opportunity to exercise great creativity. "We are responsible to ensure the county's money is spent appropriately and that services are delivered appropriately. However, we have the chance to seek creative solutions and to draft contracts that will help to obtain the desired results for the client, the Agency and the contractor," said Melissa. By partnering with programs, Melissa and her staff of about twenty people have the chance to not only hear but be a part of the Agency's success stories that result in the delivery of needed services to county residents. As much as 50% of all agency services are contracted, repre-

senting over $200 million dollars annually. To ensure the Agency's needs are met, Melissa said "Our contract administrators meet regularly with program staff in all four service areas" in an effort to keep current. Melissa was promoted to the Interim Division Manager position in October 2000 and says she still gets to have a hand in the contracting process, although from a slightly different perspective. "I'm more involved in other programs, rather than just Behavioral Health, so I'm learning more about those other areas and I'm enjoying the opportunity." The challenges faced by the Agency will give Melissa and her staff the opportunity to exercise the creative aspects of the job she values so much. "Contracting has become performance based in terms of the overall impact of the individual contract on the system of care. We are developing performance outcomes and indicators for the contracts and as our Agency Compliance Program develops, we are also looking at how to work with our contractors to implement compliance requirements," described Melissa. Another challenge is

helping contractors feel like a part of the HCA team. "They are part of a continuum of care that begins and ends with the county. Our expectations of them are the same as with our own staff and programs." As Contract Development and Management enters the time of the year when contract renewals are under consideration, many exciting developments are still unfolding. Melissa anticipates the availability of funding from the Tobacco Settlement will provide opportunities to expand existing programs and develop new services. A recent change in reporting responsibilities has placed Purchasing under Contract Development and Management, providing her the chance to learn more about another important area. It is not hard to imagine that with these new opportunities to learn and be creative, it won't be long before someone hears Melissa say, "I'm very fortunate to have a job I love."

Who’s Who in HR (Part Two)

T he Health Care Agency Human Resources Division (HCA/ HR) team includes: Employee Relations Analysts, Office Support, Professional Development and Training, Recruitment, Volunteer Services, and HR Operations. HCA/ HR provides personnel services to over 2,400 employees who are part of HCA's team. Recognizing that our employees are the key to the success of our organization, the HCA/ HR team strives to create a working environment that encourages excellence. They endeavor to recruit and retain employees who are professional, knowledge-able and skilled; provide them with ongoing career development and training; assist them with technical/ operational advice, and support; and supplement the workforce with dedicated volunteers. Here are some key HR contacts:

Administration

Employee Relations Analyst . . Debbie Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-5033

Records Support . . . . . . . . . . . Celia Nguyen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-6713

Recruiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daryl Chamberlain . . . . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-5136

Professional Development & Training

Pam Skow . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-5001

Marco Anzar . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . (714) 834-5958

Volunteer Services

Lee Boon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-6620

Amber Hannigan . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . (714) 834-6620

Sylvia Valles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . (714) 834-6620

HR Operations

Recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vicki Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . (714) 834-7419

Gerry Heard-Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-7511

Diana Perez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . .. . . . . . . . (714) 834-3687

Nurse Recruiters . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara Bohlig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . (714) 796-0241

Tuoi Tran (Part Time) . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-7524

Position Management . . . . . . . Karen Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . (714) 796-0314

Customer Service/ Reception . . Patty Ruezga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-3101

Special Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Caudill (Part Time) . .. . . . . . . . (714) 834-4055

Dan Lucas (Part Time) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . (714) 834-3035

Gold Star continued from page 1

HR on the electronic track

According to Webster, one meaning of the word track is "to search for until found." Well, that process sounds like it could take more time and energy than many of us have to spare. So when HCA Human Resources (HR) thought of a method to track and notify supervisors of upcoming employee evaluations, they thought, "let's go electronic." With the rollout of the electronic evaluation notification PowerPoint pro-gram in January, HR had several goals in mind. Make the program user friendly, provide easy access, include information on the various types of evaluations, pro-vide HR contact information and, of course, a HELP button. Each month, supervisors and managers receive the PowerPoint program, an employee listing of those folks with evaluations due in the month identified and an employee satisfaction survey. The new system is fast, efficient, and simple to use. HR has eliminated sending a lot of paperwork and has reduced the distribution time. For those of you who do not have e-mail access, have no fear! They're still sending hard copy notifications to you and hoping that soon you will be part of the cyberspace family. Let HR know what you think of the process. E-mail HR at pskow@ochca.com or manzar@ochca.com.

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Issue 01-3 March, 2001

New ACS program fosters hope for the homeless

Orange County Animal Care Services (ACS) will launch a new program this month aimed at giving a special group of animals a greater chance of finding a caring home. ACS staff members hope their Foster Care program for orphaned and abandoned newborns, special needs animals and mother dogs and cats with litters will commence in mid-March. Senior Animal Care Specialist Tammy Osborn is one member of a committee that has been developing the program, which will expand on existing ACS efforts. "We have ten or so people who have been fostering animals for some time. However, our new program will provide a base of trained volunteers who will be available when these animals come in," Tammy said. "We'll try to match the preferences and abilities of our volunteers with the animals to give them the best chance for success." Recruitment for the Foster Program will begin with existing volunteers and will be open to those not currently working as ACS volunteers. However, there will be several requirements for participants. "All prospective Foster Program volunteers will have to complete the Training and Orientation Class required

for volunteers. We will also have a Foster Care training program and will require that participants complete a minimum of twenty hours of volunteer service before they foster animals," stated Tammy. While the opportunity to care for puppies and kittens may sound very inviting, it is also hard work, requiring a definite commitment. New-born kittens can re-quire around-the-clock feedings and some of the animals have special medical needs. "Volunteers in the Foster Program need to be able to dedicate the time necessary to ensure the animals receive proper care," Tammy stressed. Once the Foster assignment is completed, the animals will be returned to ACS and will be made available for public adoption.

Newborn puppies and kittens are just some of the animals to benefit from the ACS Foster Care program. A Siamese cat named “Tripod” lost his leg following a car accident and is recovering through the help of a foster caretaker. For more information on the program, contact Kathy Francis at (714) 935-6301.

HCA to honor agency nurses in May

Celebrating the Versatility of Nursing" is this year's theme for HCA efforts to spotlight the variety of health services offered to the community and the HCA nurses who de-liver, coordinate and augment those services. HCA will honor the more than 400 nurses employed by the agency at a luncheon and program on May 8 at the Hyatt Regency Alicante in Garden Grove. Nurses play an important role in the behavioral, correctional medical, emergency medical, public health, maternal child, special diseases, epidemiology, pulmonary and employee health services delivery systems here in Orange County. HCA's Nurse Recognition Committee, comprised of volunteer HCA nurses, plans and raises funds to produce the Nurse Recognition Luncheon. Each year, the chair of the committee rotates to a different HCA service. This year's co-chairs, Christine A. Ford and Sharon Wilson, are from Behavioral Health Services. Registered Nurse, the largest health

care profession, was listed as the most honest profession among Americans in The Gallup Organization's 1999 "Honesty and Ethics" poll. Today, nurses are found in every aspect of the U. S. health care delivery system from traditional bedside nursing to the halls of Congress, research facilities to long term care facilities, schools to aerospace. "I firmly believe that nurses can do anything," says HCA Interim Director Julie Poulson, herself a Registered Nurse. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually beginning on May 6 in recognition of National Nurses Day and ending on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession.

Plans for the 2001 HCA Nurse Recognition Event are reviewed by Christine Ford, HCA Interim Director Julie Poulson and Sharon Wilson. Ford and Wilson are co-chairs of this year’s planning effort.

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Issue 01-3 March, 2001

Jail Medical Programs are reaccredited

The hard work of HCA Correctional Medical Services( CMS) and Correctional Mental Health (CMH) personnel has resulted in a two-year accreditation renewal of the programs from the California Medical Association Institute for Medical Quality. A team from the California Medical Association (CMA), consisting of eight professionals from a variety of back-grounds, spent two days at the five jail facilities in early December. The combined efforts of HCA staff and the Orange County Sheriff's Department resulted in the successful attainment of a two-year accreditation renewal, allowing the Orange County correctional system to re-main the largest California county jail accredited by the CMA. CMA reviewers spent time at each jail interviewing HCA and Sheriff's Department staff as well as inmates in an effort to evaluate the quality of medical care provided for inmates on a daily basis. The surveyors also inspected the medical areas of each facility, reviewed inmate medical records and policy and procedure manuals. CMS/ CMH also recently received honorable mention recognition from the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) for achieving the initial accreditation status in 1998.

Jail medical programs are reaccredited

A major investment on the part of the County of Orange and the Health Care Agency will soon be producing returns for HCA clients and programs as implementation of the new Agency-wide enterprise health care information system begins. HCA Chief Information Officer Ken Hohla says the new system acquired from Cerner Corporation stems from the Agency's vision to have an integrated health care information system. The effort began a year ago, starting with the need to replace the Behavioral Health system. It soon grew to include the needs of other programs including Correctional Medical Services, Correctional Mental Health and Public Health as it became clear that one vendor could provide a system to meet a variety of the agency's needs. Information Technology (IT) Systems Supervisor Manny Mkrtichian says the change to an enterprise-wide approach will provide economies of scale for the Agency and ensure different portions of the system will be able to properly communicate with each other. It also provides a system that is scaleable and can grow with HCA over the years. The Cerner system was selected through a rigorous evaluation process conducted by a committee with representatives from all HCA services. A final agreement with Cerner was reached in December and the Board of Supervisors approved the multi-million dollar purchase in January. Everyone involved is excited about the capabilities of the new enterprise sys-tem, which will handle medical records, scheduling and registration, billing and financial systems and records storage. The state-of-the-art system will have security and confidentiality features, yet will allow contract providers to access patient information through the Internet. According to Doug Barton, Deputy Agency Director/ Behavioral Health Services, the system will benefit everyone. "The new electronic medical record is expected to increase quality of care for the consumers we serve while at the same time providing a valuable tool and reducing paperwork for our hardworking clinical and support staff," Barton said. The future is also exciting to Dr. Mark Horton, Deputy Agency Director/ Public Health Services. "The core elements of an integrated Public Health Data System (Client Registry and scheduling, Immunization Data System and County Wide Registry, Public Health Nursing Case Management Data System and the Laboratory Information System) are anchored into the agency-wide long term

plan for information system development and improvement. While the details of 'how' and 'when' need to be worked out, we are assured that these Public Health data systems will be coming on line in the foreseeable future," Dr. Horton noted. As you can image, implementation of the system is a major challenge. Preparations have been underway since last summer, when work began to determine how the system can improve our work environment and make the Agency more effective. Teams of HCA employees will be involved in the design of the final sys-tem and there will be extensive training for all users. The Agency's CIO, Ken Hohla, says this is an important time to become proficient in programs like Windows and Microsoft Outlook in preparation for later training. And with as many as 3,000 users of the system, training will take some time to complete. According to Project Manager Gloria Westerfield, "HCA staff have already done an incredible amount of high-quality work on the system." During the 2nd quarter of this year, Behavioral Health work teams will begin their tasks on the registration, scheduling, electronic medical record and billing functions. During March, all needed personal computers will be ordered and the start of software training will soon follow. Communication will also be essential, with weekly meetings designed to help get current information out to key program representatives.

Dr. Mark Horton presents Western Medical Center, Santa Ana, with an award for the highest percentage of on-time birth registrations during 2000. Representing the hospital were (l-r) Marta Reyes and Margie Navarro.

OC hospitals participate in education program

Public Health's Birth and Death Registration Unit provided an example of building stronger relationships with community partners in February through an in-ser-vice training program for hospital personnel. Deputy Agency Director/ Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton was on hand to present Western Medical Center, Santa Ana, with an award for having the highest percentage of on-time birth registrations, bettering 20 other Orange County Hospitals. Of over 2,500 births at Western Medical Center during the year 2000, only ten registrations were late. Fountain Valley Hospital finished a close second, with Garden Grove Hospital placing third. Speakers for the program included Frank VanNostrand of the Social Security Administration, who addressed obtaining Social Security numbers for newborns, and Casey Aguilar of the District Attorney's Paternity Opportunity Program. Almost 40 hospital representatives attended the program, which was coordinated by Birth Unit Supervisor Virginia Navarez.

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Issue 01-3 March, 2001

MCAH dedicates new play room

January 23, 2001 was a special day for the children waiting to be seen in Public Health's Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) clinic in Santa Ana. A children's play room and memorial plaque were dedicated to the memory of Aurelia McKissick, RN— a much loved clinic staff

nurse who passed away a year ago. Aurelia had worked in the Child Health Clinic for nine years prior to her sudden death. A short program was con-ducted by Judy Davis, Nurse Practitioner from MCAH's Pediatric Ambulatory Care (sick child) Clinic. Aurelia's daughter Diana attended the dedication along with two of her cousins. She and Judy Davis unrolled a beautiful rug and uncovered a range of educational and fun wall-mounted games and toys. As soon as the ceremony concluded and the adults moved away from the area the children excitedly moved in to play. It was a special day of remembering a lovely lady. Aurelia loved working with

What's in a name? That question, posed by William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, has new meaning as the HCA Office of Compliance continues development of an HCA Code of Conduct. The committee developing the Code of Conduct has also been working on the selection of a title for the document. After much consideration, a winner has emerged: "Excellence In Action." The name is one that Chief Compliance Officer David Riley believes hits the target. "The name tracks with the motto for the program, "Committed to Excellence," and expresses that the Code is really just a statement of principles that will bring the program to life," said Riley. In selecting the name, the Code Committee tested several possibilities with randomly selected HCA employees and "Excellence In Action" was the clear-cut winner. The Code will soon be presented for consideration by the Agency's Compliance Committee. Once complete, "Excellence In Action" will be delivered to all Agency employees through training and print materials. If you have any questions about the Compliance Program, please call the Office of Compliance at (714) 834-3154. You may also e-mail questions to: David Riley, Chief Compliance Officer at DRiley@ hca.co.orange.ca.us or Ruth Zamora, Assistant Compliance Officer at RZamora@ HCA.co.orange.ca.us

Linda Malchow has served her entire career with HCA Public Health, providing home visiting nursing ser-vices to clients including families with high-risk infants, disabled children and individuals afflicted with communicable disease and chronic illness. She is considered an exceptional role model and mentor for new public health nurses who is loved and respected by her clients and coworkers. Rosann Welsh spent her first 22 years with HCA in Public Health, holding

Employees honored

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children and during the past year many staff have donated in her memory toward this play area. The clinic's Child Health Task Force members took the lead in gathering donations, going out to look at other play areas, checking on toys and making the final decision about what to include. It's a wonderful sight to see happy children at play!

positions including Secretary to the Deputy Public Health Officer. She also served as Secretary to the Chief Information Officer before moving to Behavioral Health Alcohol and Drug Services, where she is currently Office Supervisor. Rosann was saluted for her leader-ship and high level of commitment as a member of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse team. The 46 employees eligible to receive awards in February have contributed 610 years of service to the County of Orange.

HCA Interim Director Julie Poulson presents Howard Sutter of Public Information & Communications with a certificate of appreciation.

Julie Poulson, HCA Interim Director, presents service awards to 20-year employees Carmen Molina and Boupahan Channita.

Motivations There are two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. _ Albert Einstein

“Excellence in Action” named the winner!

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Issue 01-3 March, 2001

"What’s UP!" is a newsletter for employees of the County of Orange, CA, Health Care Agency.

Editors . . . . . . .

Howard Sutter

Pat Markley

Anne Fialcowitz

Your Input

Phone . (714) 834-5109

Fax . . . (714) 834-7644

E-mail:HSutter@ochca.com

Pony . . Bldg. 38-S, 4th Floor

NATIONAL NUTRiTION MONTH

March 2001 T his year's theme for National Nutrition Month is "Food & Fitness: Build a Healthy Lifestyle." This concept helps reinforce the key components to a healthy lifestyle— nutrition and physical activity. This is a call to action that challenges YOU to take responsibility for you and your family's food, nutrition, and physical activity habits. Since eating is one of life's greatest pleasures, take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Individuals submitting the correct answers will have their name entered into a drawing to win a colorful, free cookbook donated by the American Cancer Society. Simply answer questions 1 through 5 and e-mail your responses to: lrice@ hca. co.orange.ca.us by April 1 st , 2001.

Weight Management

1. The key to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight is:

a. Through proper food choices.

b. Regular physical activity.

c. Making changes in your lifestyle habits.

d. All of the above

Calcium and Bone Health

2. Most adults need ________ mg of Calcium per day.

a.1500 mg

b 500 mg

c.1000 mg

d. 800 mg

3. What is a good Calcium source?

a. ½ cup broccoli

b. 1 cup skim milk

c. 6-oz orange juice

d. Slice of bread

Fat: One of Life’s Essentials

4. Which type of fat is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and stroke?

a. Monounsaturated Fats

b. Saturated Fats

c. Polyunsaturated Fats

Nutrition For Everyone 5.

The best way to get all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you need is to take a multivitamin?

a. True b. False

The Nutrition Services Program focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and the development of sound eating and physical activity habits. As part of our effort to help HCA achieve its goal of making Orange County the healthiest place on earth, we invite you to visit our website for more information on nutrition services at www.ochealthinfo.com/public/nutrition/index.htm

We’re on-line!

You can check out the latest issues of the Health Care Agency’s newsletters by using

this URL: http://www.ochealthinfo.com/newslett.htm

We will keep current issues on line for a year. Let us know how you like the convenience!

April Health Observances

Alcohol Awareness Month
Cancer Control Month
Counseling Awareness Month
Autism Awareness Month
Child Abuse Prevention Month Occupational Therapy Month
STD Awareness Month
Youth Sports Safety Month

National Public Health Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 2-8

Kick Butts Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 4

National Infant’s Immunizations Week . . . . . April 22-28

Nutrition Forum to focus on rise in childhood obesity

Childhood obesity continues to rise in Orange County as families are confronted with hectic schedules, fast foods, TV and more. Public officials, health professionals and the community are invited to learn more about this alarming and costly problem by attending an April 3 rd forum entitled "Preventing Childhood Obesity: Changing the Rules to Favor Health." The pro-gram will be held at Children's Hospital-Orange County and is scheduled for 10 a. m. – 12: 00 p. m. Guest speakers for "Preventing Childhood Obesity" include Joel Cohen, author of the recently released legislative report "Overweight Kids: Why Should We Care?" and Harold Goldstein from the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. The program will focus on the many reasons for childhood obesity and how policy interventions can be used to address this growing health concern. Presented by HCA and the County-led Children and Weight Task Force, this forum will encourage local communities to take action and promote healthier lifestyles for children. For more information, contact Dawn Robinson, HCA Nutrition Services at (714) 834-7984.

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