issue 02-12
issue 02-12
December, 2002
As an Environmental Health Specialist II with Environmental Health's Food Protection program, Shelley Dean finds that her position as an inspector allows her the rewarding opportunity and experience to apply her knowledge in proper food handling and storage techniques to educate and inform others.
Working with people and being able to come in contact with a variety of situations is something that Shelley always wanted to apply to her career after obtaining her bachelor of science degree in physiology and chemistry from California State University, Long Beach in 1997.
After first beginning her career in a laboratory environment working with chemicals and microbiology, Shelly found that being in front of a microscope everyday wasn't the line of work for her. She wanted to be in a position that would allow her the opportunity to be out in the field interacting with others. After listening to suggestions about looking into becoming an environmental inspector, Shelley soon joined Regulatory Health's Environmental Health department.
As an inspector for the Food Protection program for the past 3 1/2 years, Shelley has found that her public focused position allows her to be in a variety of different and challenging situations that are never the same everyday.
"I sincerely enjoy the fact that being an inspector gives me the opportunity to educate and work one-on-one with people in the community," said Shelley.
In addition to her regular duties as an inspector, Shelley is also responsible for converting policies and procedures and is the central point for all form conversions. She has also created and organized a team-building experience with members of the Food Protection Program and the Epidemiology and Assessment Department, which allowed people whom she was in verbal contact with to finally put a face to a name.
"Shelley not only excels in her regular duties, but she also volunteers to take on other assignments and has contributed her teamwork skills in creating several ideas to help strengthen working relationships with other departments to help streamline processes," said Dianne Martinez, Food Protection Program Supervisor.
Shelley enjoys the team-oriented atmosphere within Environmental Health and all the camaraderie the staff displays. "Environmental Health staff are very much a team. All departments here
work with each other to achieve goals and develop ideas on ways to further educate and serve the community," Shelly added.
In the future, Shelley would like to continue working with Environmental Health and hopes to progress into a more challenging position that would allow her to continue to make a difference in the community.
Almost 200 people turned out at the Hall of Administration December 9 for an orientation update for IRIS, the Agency's Integrated Records Information System, formerly known as Cerner or Enterprise.
Behavioral Health Deputy Agency Director Doug Barton welcomed the IRIS Super Users and Marcia Desrosiers of Information Technology helped to navigate the audience through a visual preview of some of the system's key features. For those who were not able to attend the meeting, or would just like more information about IRIS, the interactive tour of the system can now be accessed on the HCA Intranet at http://intranet.ochca.com/iris/default.asp. The meeting concluded with a lively question and answer session about IRIS, which will be used by HCA Behavioral Health, Public Health and Medical and Institutional Health Services.
Feedback provided by those in attendance at the meeting will help to guide the development of future educational and training sessions as the Agency approaches Iris's implementation.
When you were growing up, did you have a mentor you looked up to for guidance and inspiration? Was it a parent, a teacher or maybe a coach? In celebration of National Mentoring Month during January, the Alcohol & Drug Education & Prevention Team (ADEPT) encourages everyone to take part in becoming a mentor to a child in Orange County. Take part in becoming a special person to a child in need of your guidance, support and time.
There are more than 50 mentoring programs in Orange County, including those sponsored by the Health Care Agency bringing hundreds of volunteers and youth together in our communities. To learn more about mentoring or to find mentoring programs in your area, call Shauna Antley, ADEPT Health Education Associate and Mentor Coordinator at (714) 568-5686 or call the Volunteer Center at (714) 953-5757.
We offer our congratulations to the first recipients of awards under a new employee recognition program initiated by the Adult Mental Health Outpatient Services division of Behavioral Health. Manager's Awards were presented in November to Dung X. Pham, an office specialist at the Santa Ana Adult Outpatient clinic, and Shoshannah Hudak, an office specialist at the Anaheim Adult Outpatient clinic. Awards are presented for exceptional ongoing contributions to the programs, as well as innovative ideas to improve program services and operations.
Great News! The Supervisor Spotlight Coupon Program is once again in effect, rewarding staffers with coupons allowing them to take an extended lunch, leave an hour early and/or to come in an hour late. The coupons are presented to employees who demonstrate excellence in specific situations by their supervisors and may even be customized to identify other types of awards that are within a supervisor's ability to provide. When redeeming time-off coupons on your timesheet, be sure to charge the time to your program's non-productive job number, similar to vacation, sick and compensatory time and use the newly established payroll/timesheet codes below:
• Extra Help Employees—RPEH
• Regular Employees—LPR
Supervisors may contact Loretti Vanzetti in Corporate Human Resources at (714) 834-2857 to obtain additional coupon booklets.
Here comes the holiday season again! With all the celebrations and gatherings we attend during this time of year, some of us tend to overeat and snack more, which may cause unnecessary weight gain for many. So, how do you curb your appetite and avoid overeating? This year, instead of listing "lose weight" as your number one New Year's resolution, try focusing your time on a physical activity routine and eating healthy instead.
Exercise and physical activity should be a regular habit for everyone and contributes to a healthy heart and lifestyle. It's as simple as getting out and walking. The California Project Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition (LEAN) and the Nutrition Network recommend at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week for optimal health.
Physical activity is also a natural way to relieve the stress that is sometimes associated with the holiday season. Plan a 30-minute aerobic activity by taking a walk after lunch or at the mall while holiday shopping or taking the dog for a nice walk after work. Use this planned physical activity as a time to relax and recharge your spirits. Please be sure to consult your doctor prior to beginning a new physical fitness plan.
Along with being physically active, making wise food choices before and during holiday festivities can reduce the
chances of adding notches to your belt. To avoid expanding your waistline this season, try the following tips:
• Drink water before going to a party or celebration. Water curbs the appetite and provides adequate hydration to maintain energy levels with all the holiday excitement.
• When self-serving at buffet tables this holiday, add small portions to your plate and sit down. Avoid standing near the food tables to hinder the urge to nibble. A little bite here and a little bite there leads to huge calorie intakes.
• When preparing a holiday turkey, bake your stuffing outside of the bird. This decreases the amount of fat in the stuffing and reduces calorie content. Doing so further reduces the risk of foodborne illness that may pass form the juices of the bird to the bread in the stuffing.
• Try substituting low fat or nonfat sour cream or yogurt instead of regular sour cream as a base when creating favorite versions of dip.
• Avoid too much fruit juice intake. Recommendations from the Daily Food Guide Pyramid (aged 2 years—adult) suggest no more than 6 ounces per day. Consuming too much juice can easily contribute to unwanted weight gain. Fresh fruits and vegetables are better choices and provide a source of fiber.
• Have a small meal or snack before going to holiday parties. This will curb the appetite and cut down on overeating.
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. This will ensure adequate nutrients for energy and health. They also provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. Snacking on fruits and veggies can also curb your appetite helping to alleviate over consumption.
Below are some additional healthy suggestions and alternatives to use when cooking to help keep that waist trim and your heart healthy:
Instead of Whole milk 1% Use or nonfat milk
Instead of Sour cream Use Nonfat sour cream or nonfat yogurt
Instead of Cheese Use Low fat cheese or mozzarella
Instead of Sugar Use ½ of the sugar
Instead of Butter Use olive oil or canola oil
Instead of Butter for baking Use ½ applesauce or ½ canola oil
Every day, in locations across Orange County, HCA staff members put the ideas behind the Agency's Mission, Values and Goals to work for the benefit of hundreds of clients. This month, Mission In Action focuses on our dedication to protecting and promoting the optimal health of individuals, families and our diverse communities through Leadership in tackling a difficult issue—jail suicides. Correctional Mental Health Services, working in collaboration with the Orange County Sheriff's Department and HCA Correctional Medical Services, has a proven track record of leadership in preventing in-custody suicides. In 12 years and over one million jail bookings, there have been only seven suicides in Orange County Jails, the lowest figure of any major county jail system in the United States. Correctional Mental Health staff members have shared their knowledge and techniques with the State and other California counties in an effort to assist others with this difficult problem, which is on the increase in other counties. The program produced a suicide prevention video that is available as a training tool for all California correctional personnel. In Orange County, jail deputies also carry with them a card that provides essential guidance in spotting and preventing jail suicides. These efforts have gained national and statewide recognition, with Correctional Mental Health Services Program Manager Kevin Smith and Assistant Sheriff John "Rocky" Hewitt recently presenting the successful program to a California Forensic Mental Health Conference. Our congratulations to the staff of HCA Correctional Mental Health Services for their role in making HCA's Mission come to life.
HCA employees were recognized for their years of service and outstanding dedication at the Employee Recognition
Awards Ceremony held on November 21st at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room. In addition to the years of service
certificates and pins that were presented, several employees received awards of excellence certificates for their participation as a 2002 Red Cross coordinator. The following is a listing of the awards presented:
5 Years of Service 28
10 Years of Service 18
15 Years of Service 5
20 Years of Service 8
25 Years of Service 3
30 Years of Service 6
Proudly displaying her certificate and service pin for 5 years of service to HCA, Jennifer Bernsen of Quality Management poses with Agency Director Julie Poulson.
Celebrating her 5 years of service, Crystal Nelson of Financial/Program Support accepted her certificate and pin from Alice Manning.
Julie Poulson, Agency Director, presented members of the Information Technology Department with certificates and pins honoring their years of service. Pictured (left to right) are Michael Pittman and Joseph Pellitteri.
Medical & Institutional Health's Petra Albert and Jack Palmer are acknowledged by Deputy Agency Director Herb Rosenzweig for their 10 years of service and dedication to HCA.
… more photos on page 6!
Public Health's Steve Thronson was on hand to acknowledge and present Public Health employees with their years of service certificates and pins. Pictured (alphabetically) are Eugenia Arzaga, Marilyn Bernaudo, Dianne Capp, Claudia Curiel, Ethel Escalante, Julie Ezaki, Julie Koga, Deborah Kwang, Jorge Lopez, Chris Martinez, Concepcion Munguia, Loralee Page-Ortez, Guillermina Ruiz, Aarti Shah, Venzila Swaroop and Joseph Vargas.
Deputy Agency Director Doug Barton presented Behavioral Health staff (pictured left to right) Diane Holley, Micaela Grant, Bruce Scott, Dorothy Ryan, Robert Ward, Frank Zelarney, Carmen Franklin and Jorge Arciga with years of service certificates and pins.
To better serve the Orange County community, Nutrition Services has expanded its outreach to include additional satellite locations. This allows more access to the resources the program provides including nutrition education, breastfeeding support and supplemental food vouchers to low-income participants of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Below is a listing of the new locations where services are offered. For more information about the program, a full listing of locations or to refer a client to one of the WIC clinics, contact Pat Chang or Rizallie Estebat at (714) 834-7952.
• Centralia Elementary School
195 N. Western Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92801
• Danbrook Elementary School
17175 Emerald Dr.
Anaheim, CA 92804
• El Modena FRC
10841 Garza Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
• Jeanne Hardy Head Start
320 S. Danbrook St.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
• Jerome FRC WIC
726 S. Center St.
Santa Ana, CA 92704
• La Independencia
18672 E. Center St.
Orange, CA 92669
By January 2003, the Health Care Agency's Human Resources Department will begin transitioning from a paper-based personnel filing system to an electronic optical imaging employee file, allowing a more streamlined approach to accessing files and information by both HR and Agency employees. The Countywide project will combine both Central and Agency/Department personnel files into one electronic document, offering employees the opportunity to view and access both files via a computer at the Human Resources office. For more information about the new filing system call HR at (714) 834-3101, or to view your own personnel file visit the Human Resources office in suite 300 on the third floor of the 405 W. 5th Street building.
HCA's Office of Compliance has assumed responsibility for coordinating HIPAA implementation, with Jody Barrera recently named the Agency's new HIPAA Coordinator. Jody will be serving as a resource to Agency programs and services as the April 14, 2003 deadline for the implementation of privacy standards grows nearer. If you have questions about HIPAA implementation, you can contact Jody at (714) 834-4082.
With the completion of refresher Compliance training, preparations have entered a new phase for the arrival of the first deadline under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA.
To help provide the most current information on HIPAA implementation, a special Intranet site will soon be available with information about HIPAA concepts, the Agency workgroups assisting with implementation and the Policies and Procedures that will provide essential guidance. The Intranet site will also contain HIPAA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).
HCA is working to implement the recommendations of the HIPAA consultant who completed our Agency's survey. The survey indicated that most, if not all, of HCA will be covered under HIPAA, further reinforcing the importance of general and job specific training that will be critical to HCA's successful completion.
While HCA personnel will be getting a "frontlines" look at HIPAA implementation, we'll also be a little better informed and prepared for the changes that begin taking place in our daily lives. Some of the early signs of HIPAA implementation in our communities will take place in our physician's offices as they begin issuing "Notice of Privacy Practices" to their patients.
The HCA Compliance Program offers a confidential telephone hotline to voice your concerns about any situation that may conflict with Compliance Program principles. You may call the hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at:
(866) 260-5636
January Health Observances
Cervical Health Awareness Month
National Birth Defects Prevention Month
National Glaucoma Awareness Month
National Blood Donor Month
Healthy Weight Week 19 - 25
What's UP is a newsletter for employees of the County of Orange, CA, Health Care Agency.
Editors
Tricia Landquist
Howard Sutter
Anne Fialcowitz
Your Input
Phone (714) 834-6644
E-mail TLandquist@ochca.com
FAX (714) 834-7644
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