Issue 01-11, November 2001
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issue 01-11 November 2001
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HCA physician learns from NY experience
The term "Ground Zero" has become all too familiar to Americans since September 11th, as we watched rescuers combing through the debris of the World Trade Centers in New York. But what we may not have known is that one of those on the scene was an HCA staff member, sent to New York by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide expert assistance.
Ken Miller, M. D., the Assistant Medical Director of HCA Emergency Medical Services, was aboard an airplane headed to New York hours after the September 11th disaster as part of an Urban Search and Rescue Task Force Incident Support Team. During his three weeks at the site, Dr. Miller was part of the effort to support task force members combing through the debris of what were once the world's tallest buildings.
Arriving in Manhattan before 12 Noon on September 12th , a command post was established at the Convention Center and efforts started to provide survivor recovery assistance. However, no survivors were discovered in the wreckage after the morning of September 12th and the mission of the task force changed to caring for the rescuers and helping to ensure their safety. "The void spaces in the buildings were few and the injuries sustained by the victims were dramatic," Dr. Miller recalled. "Our job changed from helping with the medical management of survivors to what was called the toxicology of building collapse."
Within the buildings and the World Trade Center were many materials and chemicals that posed unique hazards to the rescuers. "We were dealing with asbestos, freon refrigerant, fire and the gases produced by combustion and many other dangers." With information provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, the support team was able to assess the site for the survivability of victims and provide guidance for the search strategy. Much was made in the media of the decision to move from a rescue effort to a recovery effort in the search for victims. According to Dr. Miller, that transition never officially took place. "Because of their training the FEMA rescuers knew that surviving such a catastrophe was not likely." In spite of the dangers of searching through the mass of twisted steel and rubble, the rescuers were able to stay free of serious injuries. "Only one rescuer had to be taken to a hospital for a rescue related in-jury. There was also one dog handler who suffered chest pain and needed emergency medical attention." Minor injuries were much more common, including burns, blisters, muscle sprains and strains, lacerations and foreign bodies in the eye. "They estimated that half of all of the rescuers sustained some type of injury," said Dr. Miller.
While the FEMA incident support team
(Photo) Indescribable destruction awaited rescuers dispatched to the site of the World Trade Centers in New York following the September 11th terrorist attacks. These pictures provided by EMS Assistant Medical Director, Dr. Ken Miller, show the extent of the destruction, as well as a visit by President Bush to meet with those involved in the rescue effort.
HCA physician learns from NY experience . . . continued on page 2
California Association of Counties Challenge Award
(Photo) The Board of Supervisors honored HCA for capturing the California Association of Counties Challenge Award for the Animal Care Services web site. The award recognizing the most creative county programs was one of only 12 given statewide and the only award received by Orange County this year. Participating in the Board presentation were (l-r): Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Third District; Mike Spurgeon, Deputy Agency Director, Regulatory Health Services; Julie Poulson, HCA Director; Ralph Huff, HCA Information Technology; Kathy Francis, Animal Care Services; and Kerry Wilson, HCA Public Information and Communications.
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Where has the year gone?
We know that the year is fast coming to a close when we've set our clocks back, we're planting bulbs, football is in full swing and we're counting the shopping days left until the holidays are upon us.
It's also the time of year when we think of giving thanks and that's just what the folks at HCA Human Resources want to do. We want to thank all the supervisors and managers for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend the Supervisory Forums that were presented this past year. Topics presented by HCA/ HR included the PIP Final Review Process and the Fundamentals of Progressive Discipline. We also presented a PIP Breakfast Forum in partnership with CEO/ HR which highlighted the roles and responsibilities of supervisors in the PIP process.
These forums are for you. We want to make them meaningful, educational and fun. So, if you have any suggestions for topics that will assist you in your supervisory roles or help to hone your skills, please submit your suggestions to Pam Skow via email or by phone at 834-5001.
Correctional Medical introduces new scanning technology
HCA's Correctional Medical Services (CMS) is using a new document management program to revolutionize the storage of medical records for county jail inmates who have been released from custody. CMS staff are scanning the medical records of released inmates into the document management system, allowing the charts to be quickly retrieved for future reference.
According to CMS Program Manager Mike Ross, the system is part of new technology being implemented to improve patient care and services. "The process of scanning released inmate medical records will permit faster, more efficient future retrieval of these records. Ultimately, when scanning is incorporated into the Enterprise Health Care Information System, physicians will be able to view and print released medical records on their personal workstations. Currently, requesting medical records may take up to one week for retrieval from off-site long-term storage. With the new system, retrieving a medical chart will take place in a matter of seconds."
The entire project was a team effort involving HCA Information Technology, CMS staff members and the Cerner Corporation, the contractor on HCA's Enterprise Health Care Information System. Important leadership in system design and coordination was pro-vided by Karen Schonberg, Senior Comprehensive Care Registered Nurse, with Carl Funke from HCA Information Technology serving as the implementation project manager.
The CMS document management system will serve inmates released from 5 facilities throughout the County: the Women's and Men's Jails, the Intake Release Center, Theo Lacy, and James Musick. Approximately 60,000 charts will be scanned each year, totaling an estimated 840,000 pages.
(Photo) New scanning technology is revolutionizing the way Correctional Medical Services provides care to its clients. Shown here with the new scanning technology is Marge Perez, Office Supervisor B (left), and Michele Halsted, Senior Office Supervisor (right).
Recent forum on Bioterrorism Preparedness
(Photo) HCA was well represented at a recent forum on Bioterrorism Preparedness which was held in Huntington Beach and hosted by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. HCA Emergency Medical Services Program Manager Darlene Isbell addressed the gathering about efforts to increase the preparedness of the hospital and EMS communities. County Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton, Dr. Hildy Meyers and Dr. Ken Miller also participated in the well-attended event.
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did not have the chance to use its skills and training for the benefit of survivors, Dr. Miller said they did gain valuable experience. "We had the opportunity to exercise the system of pulling together resources and that experience will be invaluable in the event of another major emergency." During a three-week period, 20 FEMA task force groups made up of approximately 1,500 people were called up. In fact, all but two of the FEMA task forces in the en-tire country were called to either New York or Washington in the days following September 11th .
What's UP is a newsletter for employees of the County of Orange, CA, Health Care Agency.
Editors . . . . . . Howard Sutter, Tricia Landquist, Anne Fialcowitz
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Phone . (714) 834-5109
E-mail . HSutter@ hca.co.orange.ca.us
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New program has a new home
Moving offices is never an easy task. But for several HCA programs, a new office location means better collaboration and effective communication. Four programs serving the needs of older adults relocated to new offices in Santa Ana on October 26.
The new offices at 1450 E. First Street in Santa Ana bring together the Senior Health Outreach Prevention Program (SHOPP), Older Adult Services (OAS), Substance Abuse Re-source Team (START) and Preventive Healthcare for the Aging (PHCA), to one central location, allowing for a better and more effective flow of communication.
"Most of the senior related and older adult service pro-grams work in tandem with one another," said Mark Odom, OAS Service Chief. "Being in the same office certainly allows for better communication and prevents duplication. Most importantly, we are now in a prime location to better serve our current clientele."
Currently, there are 40 staff members from all four pro-grams occupying the new office space. Although some of the staff members are dedicated to specific programs, others crossover to provide needed assistance and expertise to multiple programs. While still unpacking and settling into their new office space, members from the SHOPP program are hard at work providing assistance to those in need of their services. Since November 1, the SHOPP program has already handled more than 100 cases and referrals.
SHOPP is primarily funded through tobacco settlement revenue, providing the program with more flexibility as well as added responsibility regarding assessments and intervention. SHOPP provides home visitation to individuals in need of health screening, behavioral health assessment and evaluation, intervention services, linkages to community providers, case management and consultation and/ or education.
"We provide services to anyone who has an unmet health care need, with priority given to frail older adults," said Linda DePriest, Supervising Public Health Nurse. "We receive referrals from many sources such as hospitals, family members, OAS and PHCA nurses who believe the individual in need may benefit from our assistance."
SHOPP nurses and behavioral health specialists interact mainly with patients who are in need of education and consultation in areas including self-care. Once an assessment is completed with each patient, follow-up services are offered for a 60- day period. The follow-up period ensures patients are able to meet their specified needs, and if further assistance is necessary, SHOPP will continue to monitor and assist the individual until they are able to continue on their own.
(Photo) Amidst all of the unpacking and arranging, staff members from SHOPP, OAS, START and PHCA slowly become situated into their new office space. (Top row, left to right) Mark Odom, OAS Service Chief, Lisa Warner, Dan Conditt, Bill Liu, Linda DePriest, Supervising Public Health Nurse. (Bottom row, left to right) Donna Tran, Elaine Watanabe, DeeDee Kropidlowski, Nhung Nguyen, Ken Nguyen.
HCA nurses make history
October 18th was a momentous day for the Health Care Agency, as the HCA Nurses Working Group held its first meeting in the Santa Ana Police Department Community Room.
More than 60 people attended the first session with a date for the group's second meeting to be announced soon. The formation of the Nurses Working Group is an idea that originated almost two years ago and is the result of the formation of a new representation unit for Health Care Professionals. The creation of the new unit included an agreement to establish a Nurses Working Group, and representatives of HCA's nurses started meeting with Human Resources in July of this year to begin building the foundation for the group.
According to Lisa Bauer of HCA Human Resources, the purpose of the Nurses Working Group is to provide a forum to address the issues, needs and concerns of HCA's nurses. Leadership will be provided through a collaborative effort among nurse representatives from each of HCA's divisions, and both HCA Human Resources and the Orange County Employees Association will provide consultation and assistance. Every nurse who is in a nursing classification represented by the newly formed Health Care Professionals Unit is a member at large.
(Photo) HCA nurses made history in October with the first meeting of the Nurses Working Group. Future meetings will provide a forum for the discussion of issues and needs common to HCA nurses working in all of the Agency's services.
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December Health Observances
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
World Aids Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1
Patriotic project comes to 17th St.
American flags seem to be everywhere today: on cars, on bridges and overpasses and on clothing. Patriotism has likewise made a return to HCA's Public Health Clinic facility on 17th Street, where one staff member made an interesting discovery following the September 11th tragedy.
(Photo) Old Glory once again flies over HCA's Santa Ana Public Health Clinic, due to the efforts of a number of staff members who rallied together following the events of September 11th .
Senior Public Health Nurse Susan Sullivan, the coordinator of Health Education for Disease Control, was listening to a news broadcast when she heard that President Bush had requested that all flags be lowered to half-staff in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11th . Following that broadcast, Susan stopped by the reception desk of the 17th Street facility and inquired about making sure the flag was lowered to half-staff in response to the President's request. It was only then that she learned there was not a flag flown at the 17th Street clinic site and that they had not been flying the flag for many years. In fact, it had been so long that a large pine tree had grown up next to the flagpole, making it difficult to even raise a flag.
Following up on her discovery, Susan contacted Public Health Operations Chief Steve Thronson to request that a flag be restored at the 17th Street facility. Steve, in turn, worked with then-building manager Patti LaPorte to acquire a flag, no small feat at a time when renewed patriotism made finding a flag quite a challenge.
This September 11th story is one with a happy ending. A flag is now being flown daily at the entrance to the 17th Street building, with current building manager Manny Hernandez arranging for the pine tree to be trimmed enough to allow the flag to flutter in the breeze. Planned construction work at 17th Street will include relocating the flag pole to a more accessible location and Susan says she's received lots of e-mail from people letting her know how good it is to see the flag flying high above the 17th Street building once again.
Spotlight On Excellence" Award
The Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program presented the "Spotlight On Excellence" Award for October 2001 to Kerry Wilson, HCA's Web coordinator. The award is in recognition of Kerry's excellent work on a dramatic video presentation shown at the Southern California Refugee Conference held in September. The video portrayed a refugee's journey to a new home and some of the common experiences refugees encounter along the way. In addition to the award from the Cultural Competency Program, Kerry received a Certification of Recognition from Board of Supervisor's Chair Cynthia P. Coad.
TUPP fights workplace smoking
For many, smelling secondhand smoke while working or eating is a public nuisance. Not to mention that secondhand smoke can cause death and disease to healthy, non-smoking individuals. As part of its ser-vices, the Tobacco Use Prevention Pro-gram (TUPP) provides a telephone number individuals may anonymously call to report violations of the California Work-place Law.
TUPP's smokefree workplace com-plaint line is (714) 541-1444 and is avail-able 24 hours a day for people to report any violations. Violations can occur when smoking takes place in any enclosed workplace such as warehouses, private offices or commercial office buildings, conference rooms and cafeterias, company vehicles, break rooms, restaurants, bars, and taverns.
Upon receiving the telephone calls, TUPP will contact the business in violation and send them a warning to comply with the law. Local law enforcement also receives notice of the violation for possible enforcement action against the company or business in question. In many cases, businesses will contact TUPP to discuss the violation and compliance with the law. Violators can be fined in excess of $70,000 and may also be subject to Unfair Business Lawsuits from competitors.
The next time you feel offended by secondhand smoke while eating at your favorite restaurant, contact the complaint line and report the violation. By doing so, you will help keep the air safe and clean for everyone.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all others. —Cicero
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