February, 2005
Inside this issue---
United we found a way!
The 2004 County of Orange United Way Campaign came to a close in January. This campaign proved to be a very special one, as it marked the 25th anniversary that the County has partnered with United Way to help raise funds for programs for those less fortunate in the community.
The combined dedication and generosity exhibited by County Agencies, employees and local community partners was expressly evident when more than $1 million dollars was raised for 2004, surpassing the original ambitious goal.
Thanks to an eleventh hour donation of nearly $20,000 from the Sheriff-Coroner Department, the grand total raised was $1,001,535. The final donation came from Sheriff Mike Carona's Project 999 Fund that includes money from various special events held by the department.
"The 2004 campaign set several new records. The figures indicate that the County family raised the highest amount ever raised by the County," said Julie Poulson, 2004
The new HCA Proposition 63, Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) web page recently debuted online at www.ochealthinfo.com/prop63, offering visitors the opportunity to learn about the proposition that was approved statewide by voters during the November 2004 election.
By visiting the website, individuals can view MHSA final documents and
decision letters from the Department of Mental Health, as well as download
a copy of the Planning Process Application for those interested in participating
in MHSA workgroups or the steering
committee.
Planning and implementation of Prop. 63 began recently when it became law on Jan. 1. Several public events were held to discuss MHSA guidelines, and to outline a proposed planning process that will allow maximum participation by mental health consumers, families, providers, key agency partners, advocates and other stakeholders.
Prop. 63 provides a unique opportunity to transform the public
mental health system in Orange County. Through MHSA, counties will
receive funding to expand mental health services and develop innovative programs
for
mentally ill children, adults and older adults.
For more information about the MHSA, call (714) 834-6023 or send an e-mail to prop63@ochca.com.
continued from page 1
United Way Campaign Chair and HCA Director. "This amount includes a record $174,261 raised through special events. Clearly, United we did find a way. Great job, everyone!"
To honor the County family and community partners for their fundraising endeavors and contributions, a reception and Awards Ceremony was held at the Hall of Administration on Jan. 20.
Agency Director Julie Poulson joined her Co-Chair, Integrated Waste Management Department (IWMD) Director Jan Goss in presenting County agencies with awards, which were divided into five categories based on number of employees. Awards were given to the department in each category for greatest dollars raised per capita in special events and for most increased participation.
Agencies acknowledged for greatest dollars raised included Clerk of the Board, Clerk-Recorder, IWMD, Child Support Services and Sheriff-Coroner. Most Increased Participation Awards were presented to Clerk of the Board, Orange County Vector Control District, Public Defender, Child Support Services and Health Care Agency.
During the ceremony, Supervisor Tom Wilson, OC Chief Probation Officer Stephanie Lewis and Colleen Sandrin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Orange County's United Way, shared their thanks to Orange County agencies for their efforts in contributing to the success of the 2004 Campaign.
"My heart-felt thanks go out to every one of you who supported this effort," said Julie Poulson. "I am proud of what we accomplished and am privileged to be associated with such a fine group of professionals."
This year, the 2005 United Way Campaign is already well underway with Jan Goss, IWMD Director serving as United Way Chair. Stay tuned for upcoming events and opportunities to contribute to this worthy cause.
On October 2004, the Orange County Health Care Agency signed a contract with Los Angeles County to be part of LINK, the Los Angeles-Orange Immunization Network. LINK, the Immunization Registry being deployed throughout Los Angeles County, the City of Pasadena, the City of Long Beach and the County of Orange, is an internet-based computerized database system using the California Automated Immunization Registry (CAIR) application. The registry will ensure rapid access to complete and up-to-date immunization records and significantly improve immunization rates for children less than 6 years of age. Immunization Registries are a nationwide project. LINK is one of 10 Regional Immunization Registries in the State of California. All 50 states have or are developing immunization registries, and Healthy People 2010 has set a goal of enrolling 95% of children from birth through age five in a fully functioning registry.
Background and Need
Immunization registries are confidential, computerized information systems that consolidate and maintain computerized immunization records across multiple providers. These systems, which have been shown to be cost-effective, enable providers to track and update the immunization records for patients, assess which vaccinations are due at each patient visit, and identify patients who should be sent reminder notices. An increasingly complex childhood immunization schedule can make it difficult for health professionals to assess patients' vaccination needs and as families move or change providers, immunization records are difficult to keep up-to-date. By maintaining updated immunization records, registries can decrease rates of under-immunization and over-immunization, and increase vaccination coverage rates within a community.
Immunization Registry Development in California, Los Angeles and Orange Counties
The California Department of Health Services is responsible for coordinating immunization registry development statewide. The California Health and Safety Code (Section 120440) gives local health officers the authority to establish immunization registries. Deployment of LINK began in the Los Angeles and Pasadena jurisdictions in October 2002 and in Long Beach in July 2004. The Health Care Agency officially joined LINK in October 2004 and began implementation in January 2005.
LINK is staffed by individual coordinators from each of the four
participating health departments, a centralized
information services team, and a Regional Manager, Ms. Robyn Davis, who
coordinates the work of the four jurisdictions. For more information, please
contact Linda Scott, LINK coordinator for
Orange County, at (714) 834-8095 or by e-mail at
Liscott@ochca.com. Visit the California Immunization Information Systems
at www.ca-siis.org or the LINK website at
www.immunizela.org.
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/newsletters/
We will keep current issues on line for a year. Let us know how you like the convenience!
"Never be afraid to ask a question, especially of yourself. Discovery is the mission of life. "— Brian Kates
HCA welcomes Patricia Lenard as the new Bioterrorism Planning & Preparedness Program Manager, who began her new role with HCA in January.
Pat brings to her new position extensive knowledge and experience in disaster-related project planning and implementation. In her new role, Pat will work closely with HCA programs and other County departments to ensure that all necessary bioterrorism planning, coordination, training and material acquisition takes place.
Prior to joining HCA, Pat's early County career began working with the CEO's office and also serving as a consultant to HCA, where she assisted the Agency with the development of the Biohazard Detection System Plan, the Metropolitan Municipal Regional System Plan, and the Comprehensive Strategic Local Bioterrorism Preparedness Plan. She has additionally worked for the State of California and the Federal Department of Health and Human Services on various disaster-related projects.
Donna Fleming, the new Program Manager for HIV Planning and Coordination, began her role with HCA on February 14 and is responsible for Ryan White CARE Act services, HIV Prevention Services, and HIV and AIDS Surveillance activities.
Before joining HCA in her new position, Donna served as Executive Director of Camp Fire USA Orange County Council. From 1988-2001 she worked with the AIDS Services Foundation (ASF) of Orange County. During her tenure with ASF she served in the positions of Social Worker, Director of Social Services and Deputy Director. Donna holds a master's degree in Social Work and a doctorate in Public Administration.
HCA would also like to thank Irene Tyrell for serving the past 18 months as Interim Program Manager for HIV Planning and Coordination, at the same time serving as Supervisor for the Special Diseases Clinic. Irene has done an extraordinary job of balancing both roles over the past year, and will be returning to her role full-time as the Supervisor for the Special Diseases Clinic.
Congratulations to Jody Spellmeyer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for Children and Youth Services (CYS) West Region, on receiving an Exemplary Service Award from the Orange County Mental Health Board (MHB).
As an LCSW for the past four years at CYS-West, Jody provides treatment and mental health services to behaviorally, emotionally and mentally disordered children, adolescents and their families. Jody additionally volunteers her time working with CYS Project Together as the West Region Liaison for their mentoring program, where she works with a group of mentors who provide support and mentoring to Project Together's adolescent clients.
Jody is acknowledged for her outstanding level of care to her clients in the treatment setting, and for consistently providing exceptional advocacy and linkage to community resources for the families of CYS. Her exemplary service is best embodied in her quick response to families who are experiencing multiple crises.
She has received feedback from several parents who noted that they have experienced positive support and direct, non-judgmental guidance while working with her. A poignant example is that of a client who succumbed to a devastating disease. His parents wrote in his obituary that, "The family would like to thank his therapist, Jody S. for her many years of outstanding assistance to their son and the rest of the family. Her kindness and caring were invaluable and will forever be appreciated."
HCA's Office of Compliance has welcomed Linda Le to the staff, and since Linda may be the first person you speak with when calling the Office of Compliance, we thought you might like to know a little more about her.
Linda started her career with the County of Orange in October 2000, going to work for the District Attorney's office. Previously, she had worked as a Victim Advocate for CSP, Inc., and she continues to volunteer as a Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Counselor. In her role as staff assistant for the Office of Compliance, Linda will coordinate compliance training programs, manage the employee training database, coordinate the Agency's sanction screening process, assist with compliance investigations and special projects, and provide staff support to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Linda has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information
Technology/Database Management, and she hopes some day to attend law school. Linda's hobbies
include outdoor activities like camping, swimming, biking, and soccer; reading; watching
sports; eating; and spending time with friends!
HCA has teamed-up with the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University and NAMI Orange County to bring HCA's Behavioral Health professionals an exciting new training opportunity called "True North—What Professionals Need to Know About Families."
The yearlong training set sail last month and consists of a series of five 90-minute training modules designed to improve recovery outcomes for HCA's Behavioral Health clients. The course aims to enhance the clinical team's ability to understand, engage, provide information, and empathize with the client's family.
By participating, professionals embark on a series of training classes, which include: the Family Experience of a Family Member with a Psychiatric Disability; Changing Family Roles; Family and Practitioner Needs for Information, Skills and Support; Family/Professional/ Consumer Collaboration; and the Role of Family Members in Recovery.
The nautical/navigational course theme is derived from Donald Berwick, who proposes that in planning for reform, the experience of consumers, families and communities must serve as "true north" -- accurate, legitimate and trustworthy signifying of an absolute reality rather than something apparent or assumed.
Behavioral Health authors Allen and Daniels further advance the true-north theme by stating that in reinventing mental health care, nothing is more important in the end than maintaining focus on the experience of the recipients of care and their families. This commitment must set the compass and serve as the true north on the roadmap for change.
Classes are held in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Mission Viejo, Santa Ana, and Westminster with morning and afternoon sessions available. True North classes will be held through December 2005 and participants can receive 7.5 CEUs for attending. Registration is required at least 10 days prior to the class you wish to attend.
For more information about True North or to register, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/nuestrafamilia/. A training session brochure detailing each of the five courses, times and locations is also available. Contact Dane Libart, HCA Family Advocate at (714) 796-0265 or by e-mail at dlibart@ochca.com for any questions about the training or to obtain a brochure.
What is a compliance issue and how do I go about reporting one? These are questions that are frequently asked of HCA's Office of Compliance.
More than half of the issues reported to the Office of Compliance are not really compliance related, but are Human Resources or program-related issues that are best handled through the program's chain of command or through HCA Human Resources. As a rule of thumb, compliance issues are generally those that are violations of law, regulation or policy. Following are a few examples of what are and what are not compliance issues. If you have a concern that you feel may be compliance related, you are encouraged to speak with your supervisor or manager, someone in your chain of command, Human Resources, or call the Office of Compliance for guidance.
Compliance Issue?
YES
• Local, federal or state laws and mandates
• Billing/reimbursement regulations
• Conflicts of Interest policy
• Internal accounting controls
• Patient rights or patient care policies
• Confidentiality
NO
• Poor communication with supervisor or manager
• Interpersonal conflicts with a supervisor or co-worker
American Red Cross Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Kidney Month
National Nutrition Month® 2005: Get a Taste for Nutrition!
Save Your Vision Month
Brain Awareness Week 14-20
National Poison Prevention Week 20-26
American Diabetes Alert Day 22
World Tuberculosis Day 24
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
continued from page 4
• Issues involving performance evaluation
• Issues related to recruitment and/or promotion
• Staffing shortages
The Office of Compliance frequently receives reports that are vague or contain limited information, making it difficult or impossible to conduct an effective investigation.
If you have a compliance related concern, please think about the specifics of the situation including names, dates, times, locations, and any other important information. Providing specific information will ensure a thorough investigation, and the Office of Compliance may not be able to proceed with an investigation if insufficient information is provided.
How do I report a compliance concern?
HCA staff and contract provider staff are encouraged to raise their compliance-related concerns to their supervisor or manager. However, if they are uncomfortable about doing so, there are alternate reporting mechanisms that include:
• Other management staff in their chain-of-command
• Human Resources
• Office of Compliance
• HCA's Compliance Hotline (866) 260-5636
Office of Compliance staff are always available to answer any
compliance-related questions you may have. You
can contact the Office of Compliance at (714) 568-5614 or by e-mail
at officeofcompliance@ochca.com.
February is Children's Dental Health month! The Health Care Agency Children's Dental Disease Prevention Program, managed under contract by Seals on Wheels, Inc., continues to provide preventative dental services to more than 30,000 Orange County children annually.
Seals on Wheels, along with HCA's Public Health Children's Clinic at 17th Street in Santa Ana and the Nutrition Services Program will participate in a County-wide collaboration in celebration of the American Dental Association's Give Kids a Smile Day, to bring much needed services to the underserved, uninsured children in Orange County.
Other agencies, including Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County,
the Orange County Dental Society, Orange County Dental Hygiene Society,
Coalition
of Orange County Community Clinics, Children's Hospital of
Orange County, St. Joseph Hospital, Anaheim Medical, Boys
and Girls Club of Garden Grove and Crest Healthy Smiles 2010
will team together to provide oral health supplies, education and treatment at
many sites throughout the County. Treatment available will include dental
screening, sealants, fillings and even oral surgery.
This wonderful demonstration of collaboration and other on-going efforts
will help to address the oral epidemic that is the single most prevalent
childhood chronic disease of today.
In celebration of American Heart Month, National Wear Red Day and Women's Heart Day, wear the color red during the month of February and help increase awareness about heart disease—the no. 1 killer of women in America.
February 4 marked the 2nd annual National Wear Red Day for Women. On this day, the American Heart Association's "Go Red For Women" Campaign motivated millions of women to celebrate by wearing the red dress pin as a new fashion accessory, and as a symbol to support women and the heart disease movement.
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, kills nearly 500,000 women
each year. That's more than the next six causes of death combined, including all forms
of cancer. One in 2.5 women will die of heart disease or stroke, compared
with one in 30 from breast cancer.
The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable, and risk factors can be substantially reduced with a few lifestyle changes like incorporating physical activity into your daily routine, developing good eating habits, and taking advantage of preventative health screenings.
As the icon for the Go Red For Women movement, more than 5 million pins have been distributed nationwide since the inception of the program in 2004. Get one, give one and Go Red For Women. For a free red dress pin and an educational brochure with tips for reducing your risk for heart disease visit the American Heart Association online at www.americanheart.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART.
Go Red For Women gives women the power to prevent cardiovascular
disease by significantly reducing risks. Red is the color for women and heart disease.
Make red your color and help save women's lives.
What's UP is a newsletter for employees
of the County of Orange, CA, Health Care Agency.
Editors Tricia Landquist 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
In celebration of Public Health Week during April 4-10, 2005, HCA and the Orange County Coalition for Health Education (OCCHE) have partnered together to present the Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award.
We invite you to nominate an individual working in any health-related
capacity in Orange County who has proved to be outstanding in health
education, health promotion, and exceptional in
the
their delivery of services to the community.
Dr. Gerald A. Wagner was the first recipient of the award when he retired after serving 34 years as a Pediatrician and Medical Director for HCA Public Health. In the following years, a school nurse, community outreach worker and two health education associates have received the award.
To nominate an individual, please complete and return the nomination form, which can be found below, or download a copy online at www.ochealthinfo.com/public/phweek. Nominations are due by Monday, March 14 and may be sent to:
Orange County Coalition for Health
Education
P.O. Box 355, Bldg. 12 HP
Santa Ana, CA 92702
ATTN: Venus Valencia
Fax: (714) 834-3492
Pony May: Bldg. #12 HP
Email:
vvalencia@ochca.com
Name of Nominee:
Job Title:
Name of Organization / Practice:
Address:
Phone #:
Fax:
Your Name:
Contact Info / Phone #: Email Address:
How do you know this nominee? You are a…
patient / client
supervisor
co-worker
peer
employee
other:
Do you mind if we send your nomination letter to the person you are nominating after selections have been made?
no
yes
no, provided I remain anonymous
Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability.
A) In your opinion, what makes this health care professional exceptional - exceeding his/her normal job description?
B) How does this health care professional utilize health education techniques and tools that enhance his/her basic job description? (Please give specific examples)
C) Please explain how this nominee practicing
health education over and beyond the normal job description has made a
difference in your life and/or the lives of others. (please give specific examples)
(Additional sheets of paper may be submitted to answer the above questions.)
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