issue 03-05
issue 03-05
May, 2003
Love of animals leads to ACS career
Sharon enjoys spending time with one of the dogs at Animal Care Services.
Being able to train community volunteers on the various programs that Animal Care Services (ACS) provides is something that Sharon Turgeon, ACS Community Resource Coordinator, clearly enjoys. Sharon oversees the ACS volunteer program where she educates volunteers on animal foster care, training and socialization for cats and dogs, and shows them how to become public greeters and bite prevention educators.
In her position at ACS, Sharon's multi-task responsibilities include integrating the department's programs to involve and integrate volunteers and clients with the services that ACS provides. Her position also gives her the opportunity to be in a variety of different situations from helping a teacher create a program for at-risk teens to being outside at a park with volunteers promoting positive pet care.
"I was fortunate to also work with our volunteers at an ACS pet adoption event at the Block of Orange. Thanks to them, we staged a successful dog fashion show and helped adopt some of the animals into new, loving homes," said Sharon.
As an avid animal enthusiast, Sharon was first introduced to ACS while working in a local pet store and has since been with the Health Care Agency for the past 13 years. Her career interests in the animal care field first began when she took an Animal Care Regional Occupations class in high school, through which she worked for several veterinarians at Lion Country Safari. Another motivating factor was Sharon's mom, who helped instill the value of helping others and pursuing a career that she loved.
"My employment at ACS has given me the wonderful opportunity to meet folks who are truly concerned about the
In celebration of the diversity of the field of nursing, health care professionals from Orange and Los Angeles Counties gathered on Thursday, May 1st at the Irvine Marriott to participate in an annual health conference for nurses and allied health professionals.
More than 450 people in attendance joined Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona and HCA Director Julie Poulson in congratulating the nurses for their outstanding dedication in the many services they provide to the community. The luncheon further recognized "Nursing All-Stars," who were honored for their commitment to excellence, integrity and service in the field of nursing.
This year's theme, "The Community of Nursing Captures the Spirit," featured a presentation by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as a variety of vendor displays that provided educational information to attendees. An interactive component of the conference featured emergency response vehicles including the Orange County Sheriff's "Samantha I" Command Post Vehicle, a Mobile Laboratory presented by the California National Guard, and the Disaster Medical
Active for Life participants from the 405 W. 5th Street building attended the program's closing event on April 23rd and learned how to eat healthy while dining out. With statistics showing that, on average, Americans eat out 4 to 5 times a week, guest speakers from "Healthy Dining" educated attendees on how to detect the hidden calories and fat found in most restaurant foods.
After taking a healthy dining quiz, participants were able to sample food items from El Pollo Loco, Soup Plantation, the Santa Monica Seafood Co. and the Health Emporium Market & Grille. Attendees were also given a copy of the Orange County edition of "Healthy Dining," which includes a listing of health-conscious food items available to order from various restaurants.
An HCA project formed in partnership with the American Cancer Society, Active for Life is a 10-week physical activity program designed to help employees lead active, healthy lives. Since the program began on March 3rd, participating employees have recorded more than 100,000 minutes of physical activity.
In celebration of National Public Health Week from April 7 to 13, HCA employees were given the opportunity to participate in a nutritional crossword puzzle included in last month's issue of the newsletter. The response was overwhelming, and 5 lucky winners were randomly selected from those who submitted correctly-answered puzzles.
A special thanks to the Health Promotion staff and the Orange County Coalition for Health Education for donating the wonderful prizes for the quiz winners. Prizes included three Starbucks gift certificates for $10, one $20 Ralphs gift certificate and a $10 Target gift card.
Public Health Week is a nationwide health promotion that focuses on the many programs and services that protect and enhance public health. This year's theme focused on overweight and obesity, and sought to educate Americans about the health risks associated with overeating and inactivity, and to encourage healthy eating and active living. Congratulations to the following Public Health Week crossword puzzle winners!
Christine Alden
Patrick Clark
Patti De Collibus
Travers Ichinose
Carrie Robles
Improving customer service is one of the goals of a new intranet page for HCA Facilities Support & Real Estate Services, which can be found at http://balsam/intranet/facilities/default.asp.
According to Manager Mike Hansen, the information included on the intranet emphasizes increasing awareness of the services provided by Facilities Support and offers complete information on how to access those services. "We hope that making this information available over the intranet will provide another avenue for HCA staff to use in requesting services," said Hansen. Visiting the intranet page will introduce you to Facilities Support/Real Estate Services staff, their roles, and contact information. The department is responsible for supporting the 135 county-owned, leased, donated and rent-free facilities utilized by HCA. This includes overseeing and providing maintenance and improvements for these facilities, as well as offering safety training programs and evaluations. The intranet site also provides users with the forms necessary to request new lease space, improvements to existing facilities, and consideration of potential rent-free space.
"If everything on earth was rational, nothing would ever happen." Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Assistance Team (DMAT) presented by Orange County Communications.
Congratulations to Medical Institutional Health Nurses, Pat Monroe and Susana Rangel who were also acknowledged as "Nursing All-Stars," as well as all HCA and SSA's "Nursing All-Star" nominees. Special thanks to all who submitted nominations, and to the conference committee in helping to make this year's event a huge success!
Carol Alumbaugh Jocelyn Aragme-Zoval Dan Bautista Lupe Becerra Tammy Beck Barbara Bohlig Violeta Camiling Lisa Campbell Ava Chavez Debbie Chitty Robin Clauson Felicia Cojoenian Sheryl Curl Jessie Davis Gina Denning Justine Dinh Steve Eman Cala Estrada Janelle Garza Jean Harang Bertha Hernandez Hattie Hutchinson Pal Klein Beryle Koenig Elisa Letronds Cherry Macalino Albert Maldo Florin Maracini Lynn Marshinan Mary McDonald Kelli McPhail Diana Mohrhoff Ha Nguyen-Vasquez Stacy Northcutt Hortenzia Pop Lynette Schnur Debbie Seeley Diane Skirzynski Shirley Tanigawa Bobbie Thompson Erika Van Gores Mary Jo Vincent Sally Wurth
National Aphasia Awareness Month
National Scleroderma Awareness Month
National Headache Awareness Week 1-7
National Men's Health Week 9-15
Helen Keller Deaf _ Blind Awareness Week 22-28
Eye Safety Awareness Week 27 (through July 5)
The recent implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Regulation was another prime example of putting HCA's Mission in Action. The HCA Mission expresses our dedication to "protecting and promoting the optimal health of individuals, families and our diverse communities" in several ways, including through Planning and Policy Development.
HIPAA has provided a major planning challenge for the Health Care Agency, which is in the leadership role for the County of Orange for HIPAA implementation. HCA demonstrated its leadership in Planning and Policy Development by coordinating the process with other County agencies, sharing HIPAA policies and procedures, developing training programs, and assisting in finding answers to the many questions that arose during the implementation process.
Among the other County agencies and departments involved in HIPAA implementation are the Auditor/Controller, Community Services Agency, Internal Audit, Social Services Agency, County Counsel and the County Executive Office. Each time you provide a client with a copy of the County's Notice of Privacy Practices, you are not only helping to comply with HIPAA requirements, you're also helping to put HCA's Mission in Action!
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
To honor HCA staff for their dedicated years of service and outstanding contributions to HCA, the Employee Recognition Awards ceremony was held on Thursday, April 10th at the Board of Supervisors Hearing room. The ceremony also recognized a group of employees who played a key role in streamlining Agency Payroll processes by inputting personnel information and presented them with Awards of Excellence certificates. The following is a listing of awards presented:
5 Years of Service 54
10 Years of Service 31
15 Years of Service 15
20 Years of Service 3
25 Years of Service 4
30 Years of Service 3
"Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions. " Pablo Picasso
A quarter of a century ago, the Hmong people were little known outside of their Laotian Mountain homeland, but today they are part of the growing diverse population of Orange County. To further study their unique socio-cultural features and determine if their practices and culture may complicate the delivery of health services, a survey, "Hmong Healthcare Practices in Orange County," was conducted.
The report illustrates that 30% of those surveyed were uninsured and most lack knowledge about health-promoting behaviors. Substantial language barriers also inhibit optimal medical care and many were unaware of the availability of low cost medical services provided by the County of Orange.
The survey was administered by Chongge Vang, a Hmong-speaking researcher within the community. Results from the survey support the need for health care professionals to reach out to the Hmong population in a manner that encourages their native lifestyles, while providing information and access to mainstream behaviors that promote health.
For more survey results or to view the entire report, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/public/ethnic to download a copy.
Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program named Christine Ford as the recipient of the March 2003 Spotlight on Excellence Award. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Nurse, Christine enjoys working with her staff as well as the clients she serves. She began her career with the County in 1991 and transferred to HCA in 1998 from the Social Services Agency where she worked as a Senior Social Worker. Christine is recognized for her appreciation, understanding and promotion of cultural competency.
continued from page 1
well-being of animals in our community," Sharon added. "I'll always remember the look on a child's face when he or she adopts their first dog. It's instances like these that make my job worthwhile."
According to her colleagues, Sharon effortlessly integrates volunteers with staff to complement and enhance the lives of thousands of animals in the care of ACS. Along with her team of volunteers, Sharon provides a valuable service not only to the animals of Orange County, but also to ACS staff and serves as an important link to the community.
In her spare time, Sharon enjoys spending time with her husband, seven children, six grandchildren and the family pets, which include a Boston terrier, Jack Russell terrier, two desert tortoises and some fish. Both Sharon and her husband have also taken up the hobby of trap shooting and would hopefully like to retire to the state of Wyoming one day.
You can check out the latest issues of the Health Care Agency's newsletters by using this URL: http://www.ochealthinfo.com/newsletters/
We will keep current issues on line for a year. Let us know how you like the convenience!
Editors
Tricia Landquist
Howard Sutter
Anne Fialcowitz
Your Input
Phone (714) 834-6644
E-mail TLandquist@ochca.com
FAX (714) 834-7644
Pony Bldg. 38-S, 4th Floor
|
HCA Home | Accessibility | Directory | Newsletters | What's Up ©2008 Orange County Health Care Agency |