issue 05-03
March, 2005
issue 05-03
March, 2005
Inside this issue...
Pet adoption goes mobile (page 1)
Public Health Week Quiz (page 2)
Environmental Health celebrates a successful move to new location (page 3)
April Health Observances (page 3)
"True North" training reminder (page 4)
Important Compliance info coming (page 4)
March is National Nutrition Month (page 5)
Hoffman receives MHB Award (page 5)
Quotes (page 2,4-5)
Celebrate EMS Week 2005 (page 6)
Spotlight on Excellence (page 6)
About What's Up (page 6)
The new mobile pet adoption van will bring adoptable pets to
the community and provide an opportunity to better service adoption events
in the County. Purchased using donated funds, the van is a
state-of-the-art carrying unit capable of transporting up to nine animals.
The 2004 GMC Savanna Cargo van is certainly noticeable when driven on the streets. It's emblazoned with large photos of a dog, cat and rabbit and clearly displays the ACS website address and phone number in bold lettering. Inside, the van was transformed into a state-of-the-art animal carrying unit capable of transporting up to nine animals representative of the animals depicted on the van.
The van provides a great opportunity to bring pet adoption to the community. For more information about the mobile pet adoption van or for a calendar of upcoming pet adoption events in the County, visit www.ocpetinfo.com or call ACS at (714) 935-6848. And stop by the Animal Care Center located at 561 The City Drive South in Orange to see the many pets available for adoption.
Created by youth attending the Orange County High School of the Arts, the "Dreams" and "Red Button" PSAs were chosen from several entries in the Health Care Agency's "Tune Out Tobacco" PSA workshop project, as best at countering the positive portrayal of tobacco in the media.
Amy Dale, HCA Health Promotion Division Manager, was on hand to congratulate the authors and actors featured in the two 60-second PSAs, which were viewed by more than 20 guests attending the premiere event.
"The `Tune Out Tobacco' project plays an important role in reducing chronic diseases caused by tobacco use and second hand smoke exposure among Orange County residents," said Amy.
Public Health has established as one of its goals, to decrease risk factors for chronic disease. The reduction of tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke is a priority in meeting that goal.
The "Tune Out Tobacco" PSA workshop project works with Orange County youth in grades 6 through 12 by providing information aimed at countering the positive portrayal of tobacco in movies, television, billboards, magazines and store advertising. It is a two-part project to educate youth about the dangers of tobacco use, and the influences of tobacco advertising on television and in their community.
For more information on how you can incorporate tobacco use prevention messages into your programs, contact Barbara Brashear in the Tobacco Use Prevention Program at (714) 834-3232 or by e-mail at bbrashear@ochca.com.
National Public Health Week 2005 focuses on empowering Americans to live stronger, longer! This year, take part in adding more healthy years to your life by practicing the three Ps: Prevent, Protect and Plan.
To start your celebration of Public Health Week (April 4-10), take the following quiz and answer the 10 questions below to test your knowledge of public health facts and statistics.
Visit the Agency's Public Health Week web page at www.ochealthinfo.com/public/phweek to submit your completed quiz online by Wednesday, March 30. Those who answer all questions correctly will be entered into a drawing to win fun prizes.
Please answer the following questions and submit answers online.
1. California had the second highest number of alcohol-related traffic deaths in 2002.
True or False
2. Eight hours is the normal amount of time it takes to become sick from a foodborne illness.
True or False
3. 2,800 plastic bottles are thrown away every hour in the United States.
True or False
4. Approximately 350,000 females under the age of 19 become pregnant each year in the U.S.
True or False
5. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer in California of children aged 5 and under.
True or False
6. In the United States, an estimated 25.6 million men (25.2 percent) and 22.6 million women (20.7 percent) are smokers.
True or False
7. When bacteria (plaque) come into contact with sugar or starch in the mouth, acid is produced, which attacks the teeth for 20 minutes or more. This can eventually result in tooth decay.
True or False
8. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in U.S. women; 39,800 deaths occurred in 2003.
True or False
9. Many people with type 1 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a careful diet and exercise program, losing excess weight, and taking oral medication.
True or False
10. Two-thirds of all sexually transmitted diseases occur in people 25 years of age or younger.
True or False
For more information on National Public Health Week, visit the American Public Health Association's website at www.apha.org to find a nationwide calendar of events and a selection of informational fact sheets.
(April 4 - 10)
Public Health Week Board of Supervisors Resolution March 22
The Orange County Board of Supervisors will present a resolution during the scheduled Board meeting on Tuesday, March 22 to declare April 4 _ 10 Public Health Week in Orange County.
Presentation of Gerald Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award
Each year as part of Public Health Week, the Orange County Coalition for Health Education honors a health care professional in Orange County who demonstrates exceptional commitment to health education. This year's award will be presented to the winner on one day during Public Health Week.
Public Health Week Display
A display depicting what Public Health does for the community will be set-up at the Hall of Administration during April 4 - 10. Careers in Public Health brochures will also be available on the display.
American Public Health Association "Faces of Public Health" Video
This video shares what Public Health Workers do and how their work improves and protects the lives of those in their communities. The video will be available for loan to the public.
For more information about the above events, visit the HCA Public Health Week website at www.ochealthinfo.com/public/phweek. A variety of other information is also available on the site including resource links and a public health curriculum and PowerPoint presentation.
With great pride in their new facility, the staff of HCA Environmental Health hosted an Open House February 23rd and conducted tours of their new headquarters, located at 1241 East Dyer Road, Santa Ana.
Each of Environmental Health's major program areas created an informative display for the tours, providing information about the services they provide to the public and offering a glimpse of Environmental Health's important contributions to the health and safety of all Orange County residents. The Open House celebrated a tremendous achievement for Environmental Health, which relocated from its former facility on Edinger after the City of Santa Ana acquired that property for redevelopment purposes. The task of finding a new location that had adequate facilities and parking, and then planning and accomplishing the move, was achieved through the hard work and dedication of all Environmental Health staff, with significant contributions by many other HCA programs, including Facilities Support and Information Technology. The new facility is spacious, providing room to grow as the Agency's responsibilities expand, and includes numerous specialized facilities for Environmental Health's unique services.
The Open House was capped with a ceremony celebrating the achievement and included words from Bill Mahoney, Deputy CEO; Dave Riley, HCA Assistant Director; Mike Spurgeon, Regulatory Health Services/Deputy Agency Director; and Steven Wong, Director of Environmental Health. Spurgeon commended the Environmental Health staff on the successful planning that allowed the move to be accomplished in a very timely manner.
Attendees at the Environmental Health open house on Feb. 23 enjoyed a tour of the
new facility, learned more about each program within the division and viewed several Haz
Mat vehicles that were on display.
April Health Observances
Cancer Control Month
Counseling Awareness Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Occupational Therapy Month
National Public Health Week 4-10
National Alcohol Screening Day 7
National Infant Immunization Week 24-30
2005 WalkAmerica 30-May 1
National Safe Kids Week 30-May 7
Classes for "True North _ What Professionals Need to Know About Families,"
are still available for those interested in registering. The yearlong training,
designed to improve recovery outcomes for HCA's Behavioral Health
clients, set sail in January and consists of a series of five 90-minute training modules.
By participating, professionals embark on a series of trainings, 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.
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 the classes or to register, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/nuestrafamilia or contact Dane Libart, HCA Family Advocate at (714) 796-0265 or by e-mail at dlibart@ochca.com.
Be on the lookout for a couple of important communications from the HCA Office of Compliance that will soon be going out to all HCA staff.
During April, the annual Compliance Survey will be conducted, using an on-line survey format that is both easy and convenient to complete. The annual survey provides important feedback about the Agency's compliance efforts, and is used to help shape training and other outreach efforts that increase the program's effectiveness. Responses to the survey are anonymous and all HCA staff members are encouraged to respond in an open and honest fashion to the survey's questions.
An important memorandum on the Board of Supervisors' policy on contract overruns will be distributed to all employees as a payroll handout. The memo will be sent to all HCA staff, not just those directly involved in contracting, and will include an acknowledgement that all employees are required to complete, certifying that they have received, read and will abide by the Board Policy. Once completed, this acknowledgement is to be returned to the Office of Compliance.
Finally, the Compliance program's Annual Training Program is almost complete, with 99.7% of all HCA staff having participated in training and follow-up contact being made with the nine employees who have yet to complete the training. Thanks again to everyone for making Annual Compliance Training so successful and please use the Annual Compliance Survey to provide your suggestions on ways to improve our training efforts.
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
March is National Nutrition Month®
Celebrate National Nutrition Month® and take part in changing your nutrition
lifestyle by making informed food choices, developing sound eating habits,
and incorporating physical activity into your daily routine.
The following tips provided by the American Dietetic Association will help jump- start your healthy nutrition and activity regimen:
Be adventurous and expand your horizons.
Variety is the "spice of life" in your food choices and is key to good nutrition and health. Choose foods based on flavor, texture and colors that are tasty and healthy. Explore the wide world of nutrition by trying a variety of foods.
Treat your taste buds.
You decide how much and how often. Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture; it's what you eat over several days, not just one meal or one day counts. So enjoy all your favorite foods, just try eating them in moderate amounts.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Managing your weight plays a vital role in achieving and maintaining good health and quality of life. Carrying excess weight may put you at greater risk for health problems. The good news is that healthy eating and regular physical activity make it easier to achieve lifelong weight management and long-term health.
Balance food choices with your lifestyle.
Choosing the right balance of foods helps you get the right combination of nutrients. So balance your food choices with your physical activities to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.
Be active.
Be creative and enjoy a variety of ways to stay active to feel your best. There's no need for expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs. Start by making a list of physical activities that fit into your lifestyle, and then schedule one every day.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute also offers heart healthy recipes and several health assessment tools including a body mass index (BMI) calculator, menu planner, portion distortion interactive quiz and a 10-year heart attack risk calculator on their website at www.nhlbi.nih.gov to help you on your road to a healthy lifestyle.
To learn how you can celebrate National Nutrition Month® every day, visit the American Dietetic Website at www.eatright.org for nutrition fact sheets, position papers and a good nutrition reading list.
Congratulations to Karen Hoffman, Service Chief II for Behavioral Health Adult Outpatient Clinic Services and the Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) on receiving an Exemplary Service Award from the Orange County Mental Health Board (MHB).
Karen began her career with HCA nine years ago and served as a Mental Health Specialist prior to her current position. She currently works at the outpatient clinic in Santa Ana where she runs the clinic's Consumer Clubhouse, which offers mental health consumers the opportunity to enter the workforce, and provides a safe and supportive environment for socialization.
Karen works with mental health consumers and prepares them to enter the workforce by educating them in the recruiting and hiring processes, as well as providing job training. Karen also serves some of the County's most acute mental health consumers through the PACT program, and recently expanded the program's referral base to include transitional youth, a population which is in dire need of intensive services.
Karen is acknowledged for the outstanding hands-on assistance she
provides to consumers in whatever way possible. She is always available to
assist her staff or administrators in assessment at the clinic or in the field and stays
in touch with consumers' needs by attending public forums and keeping up to
date with the latest in the Behavioral Health field.
"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."
- Francis Bacon
Celebrate EMS Week 2005
HCA employees are invited to attend the Third Annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week Tailgate Celebration at Angel Stadium on Saturday, May 28 at 4:30 p.m., and join fellow County employees, family and friends for an Angel game afterwards against the Kansas City Royals at 7:05 p.m.
The annual pre-game tailgate event will again feature live entertainment and free hot dogs and beverages for all attendees. In addition, there will be many safety organizations showcasing their services, as well as displays of fire trucks, ambulances and police cars.
Field level tickets are available for only $15 and can be ordered by calling Eileen Endo from HCA EMS at (714) 834-3500 or by visiting the EMS Week 2005 HCA Web page at www.ochealthinfo.com/emsweek/ online.
Be sure to get your tickets early before they sell out and join us at Angel Stadium for fun, food, entertainment, and valuable information!
Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program presented its January 2005 Spotlight on Excellence Award to Luis Martinez, Mental Health Specialist with Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (ADAS).
In his position, Luis works with the Domestic Violence Program and sees clients at the ADAS clinic in Santa Ana. He provides drug education for Children and Youth Services' (CYS) Spanish Parent Support group and was noted for his ability to make the group comfortable in asking questions relating to this topic.
Luis additionally works with doctors in translating information so that HCA clients are able to know how to administer the medication they are taking, and has taken the responsibility to ensure that there are substance abuse prevention materials in the Spanish language available to clients. He is recognized for being a strong client advocate and for his commitment to cultural issues.
Do you work with someone who exemplifies cultural competency? Some-
one who is both sensitive and respectful to persons of all cultures, whether
colleague or consumer? If so, Behavioral Health's Cultural
Competency program would like to formally acknowledge these individuals.
To nominate an individual who you believe is deserving of the Spotlight on Excellence Award, complete the following information and pony it to Cultural Competency, Bldg. #38-P or e-mail to Veronica Kelley, Program Manager at vkelley@ochca.com.
Awardees will be honored and presented with the Spotlight on Excellence
Award at an Orange County Mental Health Board meeting held monthly. For more
information about the award and/or nomination criteria, call the Cultural Competency
Program at (714) 796-0188.
Name:
Work Address/Pony Address:
Discipline:
Why you believe he/she is culturally competent:
Examples of dedication to cultural competency:
We're online!
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http://www.ochealthinfo.com/newsletters
We will keep current issues online for a year. Let us know how you like the convenience!
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
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