issue 05-04
issue 05-04
April, 2005
Inside this issue...
Dorman's book published (page 2)
Kevin Smith receives award (page 2)
CDC Director visits HCA (page 3)
HCA enters first patient in new Immunization Registry (page 3)
Public Health Week Happenings (page 4)
May Health Observances (page 4)
HCA Dental Assistants recognized (page 5)
April's Spotlight on Excellence (page 6)
As an Information Systems Technician with HCA's Information Technology (IT) Department, Mike Franco is responsible for triaging the Agency's Integrated Help Desk user calls to appropriate IT staff and for ensuring that employees' computer-related issues are assessed and resolved quickly.
Faced with an opportunity to take on a challenging IT project, Mike worked
alongside John Crane, HCA Help Desk Manager, in creating HCA's current Help
Desk for employees. The unit now consists of 6 members and accepts more than
2,000 calls a month.
"Mike truly personifies great customer service and he's extremely knowledgeable about all the 3,000 users he supports and actually knows most of them on a first name basis," said John Crane. "Within IT, Mike is the `go-to guy' and always goes the extra mile in everything he does."
Mike started his career with the County 11 years ago, first working with the Social Services Agency as an Eligibility Technician. After a year, he moved to HCA's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and then joined Behavioral Health's Adult Inpatient Services (AIPS) where he spent three years.
While working at AIPS, Mike completed a two-year program at Golden West College in Huntington Beach and became an interpreter for the hearing impaired. With few opportunities for interpreters, Mike soon sought a career change and went back to school to study information technology.
His studies quickly paid off, and Mike found himself working for HCA's first IT Help Desk answering calls. During this time, Mike enrolled at Santiago Canyon College and completed a degree in Computer Information Systems. Two years later, he was given the opportunity to transfer to PC Support and worked in the field, setting up computer workstations and trouble shooting applications.
After a year and a half with PC Support, Mike again found an opportunity to advance his career to his current position as an Information Systems Technician.
When asked about what he enjoys most about his position, Mike says that,
"I
never stop learning and have to be ready for change and make myself available
to help our user community. Every user is different and I need to know how to
approach and provide service to the caller's needs. My personal experience
regarding job satisfaction is to follow my work with passion and commitment, and
the rest will follow." In his spare time,
Mike likes to travel, and very much enjoys being a dad and husband.
Congratulations to Jeanie Ming, a Registered Nurse (RN) and Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP) with the Child Abuse Services Team (CAST), on receiving the 2005 Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award.
Jeanie is a 26-year County employee and has been examining abused children both at CAST and at the Orangewood Children's Home since 1984. She has become a nationally recognized expert in examining sexually abused children and plays a key role in CAST's mission by reducing trauma for child victims during the investigation of alleged abuse.
"Jeanie's amazing ability to do her job
in her unique, gentle "Jeanie"
fashion makes a positive difference every day in the ability of all CAST staff members
to do our jobs in the best way we know how," said Joan Kilgore, CAST staff member.
In addition to teaching about examining children, her presentations discuss the subject of child abuse in general - the history, population, system, effects on the child, abusers, prevention, court system, and the current picture nationally.
HCA & CAST staff members congratulated Jeanie Ming on receiving the 2005 Gerald A. Wagner Award during a presentation on April 4 at the CAST Office. Pictured (left to right) are Mubula Naku, Sally Wurth, Dr. Gerald Wagner and Jeanie Ming.
Congratulations to Casey
Dorman, Clinical Psychologist II
for Children and Youth Services on the publication of another novel,
a fast-paced thriller titled, "I, Carlos."
Casey recently attended a book signing at the Borders Bookstore
at South Coast Plaza on March 19, before he
embarked on a book tour in the Pacific Northwest. Visit
your local bookstore to find copies of Casey's new novel as well as his prior murder
mystery, "Pink Carnation."
Hats off to Kevin Smith, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Administrative Manager for HCA's Correctional Mental Health program, on receiving the Forensic Mental Health Association of California's Christine West Award.
Kevin is acknowledged for his tireless efforts in working to further the practice of forensic mental health in numerous areas including program development, administration, training, marketing, research and grants.
In addition to being an LCSW Kevin is a Board Certified Diplomate, with more than 19 years of experience in jail mental health in addition to other clinical and supervisory experience.
In his position at HCA, Kevin works closely with the Orange County Sheriff's Department to develop collaborative mental health programs and services in the jail and local community; provides lectures and in-services locally; serves as a member of the California Mental Health Director's Forensic Committee, and is actively involved in the Orange County Community Mental Health Coalition.
Kevin is also noted for editing and producing an effective
multimedia suicide prevention video called "On Your Watch," and for
co-supervising the Orange County MIOCR (IMPACT) grant program.
Saturday, May 14 - Bike Helmet and Pedestrian Safety
The Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD) will be on hand to present safety information at the annual Scout-O-Rama from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Hidden Valley Park, 8770 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. For more information, please call Steve LaFond, GGPD at (714) 741-5762.
Monday, May 16 - Home Safety Presentation
This presentation by Children's Hospital of Orange County will take place at 10 a.m. at the Olive Park Community Building, 2841 North Glassell in Orange. Registration is required. Please call Michelle Feczko, Orange County SAFE KIDS Coordinator at (714) 289-4557 to reserve your spot.
Tuesday, May 17 - Drowning Prevention/Water Safety Awareness
The goal is to educate through media, classes, educational material and related consumer products to reduce the number of drownings in Orange County to zero. For additional information contact: Fire Captain Stephen Miller, Orange County Fire Authority, 714-573-6201
Wednesday, May 18 - Multi-Orange County Car Seat Inspection
Certified technicians will inspect car seats at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Appointments are required. To reserve your space, call Toni Thomas, President, MOMS Club of Orange County South at (714) 724-7628 after May 2. For more information, call Steve Ambriz at (714) 834-4653. This event is being undertaken in partnership with our "sister" Orange Counties located in Florida, New York, North Carolina and Texas.
Wednesday, May 18 - Orange County American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Academy
The Academy offers a full day of diverse workshops and provides an abundance of emergency and disaster related information from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information, call (714) 481-5340 or visit www.oc-redcross.org/ocdpa.
Thursday, May 19 - Fire Safety Day for Elected Officials
Orange County elected officials are invited to visit the Fire Authority Training Center in Irvine from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. to experience what a day in the life of a firefighter is like.
Thursday, May 19 - FREE First Aid Course
The Orange County American Red Cross will present a non-certification course from 6 p.m. _ 8 p.m. at St. Norbert Catholic Church, 300 East Taft in Orange. Please call (714) 834-3166 to reserve your spot. Childcare will be available to the first 30 children ages 1-4.
Friday, May 20 - "No Fear" Conference and Annual EMS Awards
The Base Hospital Coordinators of Orange County will host a conference with interesting and educational topics for all pre-hospital and emergency personnel. The event will take place at the Bash Auditorium located at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. For more information, please call Ann Scott at (714) 992-3911.
Friday Evening, May 20 - Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Checkpoint
Organized by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, a DUI checkpoint site will be located in South Orange County. For more information, please call (949) 855-2625.
Friday, May 20 - Gun Safety Presentation and Force Option Simulator
The public is invited to visit the Orange County Sheriff's Training Center to see a dynamic presentation and experience the Center's "force option" simulator machines. This program will begin at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please call (949) 855-2625.
Sunday, May 22 - Super CPR Sunday
Community level CPR classes will be offered at various times between 8
a.m. and 1 p.m. at Angel Stadium, Gate 6 Exhibition Center. There is a $5
pre-registration fee, which includes American Red Cross Certification. To register, go
to
www.oc-redcross.org. Please call Matt Catanzaro at (714) 481-5351 for details.
Saturday, May 28 - EMS Week Tailgate Celebration
A Tailgate Celebration will be held at Angel Stadium beginning at 4:30 p.m. The band "Midnite Train" will provide live entertainment and free hot dogs and drinks will be provided for those in attendance. Many informational safety booths, ambulances, fire trucks and police cars will also be on display. For more information, contact Steve Ambriz at (714) 834-4653. Ticket order form [PDF]
Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30 -7th Annual Saddleback Memorial Half Marathon and 5K
This two-day series of festivities will kick-off on Sunday at 10 a.m. with the Kids Races, Bed Race, Family Expo, live musical entertainment and complimentary refreshments. The event continues on Monday at 6 a.m. with the Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk, Family Expo and race awards ceremonies. The event will take place at the Laguna Hills Community Center located at 25555 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills. All proceeds and sponsorships benefit the Saddleback Memorial Medical Center and the Ray of Life Foundation. For more information or to register online, please visit www.memorialhalfmarathon.com or call (949) 452-3466.
Various Days of the Week - Blood Pressure Checks
Blood pressure checks will be offered at various Orange County locations (i.e. hospitals and shopping malls). For a more detailed list of sites, dates and times, please visit www.ochealthinfo.com/emsweek/.
Various Days of the Month - "Every 15 Minutes" Program
The City of Anaheim Fire and Police Departments will present this two-day
program at various high schools in the Anaheim community. The program is designed to
educate high school students on the dangers of
drinking and driving. For more information, please call Maria Sabol of the Anaheim
Fire Department at (714) 765-4012.
"No better relation than a prudent and faithful friend. "
—Benjamin Franklin
Dr.. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, toured the Orange County Public Health Laboratory on Friday, April 1 as part of a brief visit with Health Care Agency representatives.
Dr. Gerberding spent more than an hour discussing current public health issues with HCA Director Julie Poulson, Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton and other Public Health staff members prior to the laboratory tour. Calling this a "reality check" to hear what is really going on at the county health department level, Dr. Gerberding expressed great interest in finding out what the CDC can do better to support local health departments. The open discussion touched upon lessons learned from this year's influenza vaccine shortage, issues related to bioterrorism preparedness, and the reorganization currently underway at the CDC. Public Health staff also had an opportunity to discuss local successes, including the reduction in tobacco use among county residents and cancer screening programs.
Dr. Gerberding's visit to the Health Care Agency
followed a speaking appearance in Los Angeles, and provided
HCA representatives with a unique opportunity to bring to
the CDC Director's attention issues of local concern. During her laboratory tour, she commented on the capabilities of the
facility and took interest in a special field sampling kit assembled by lab staff.
HCA's Public Health Clinic in Santa Ana went live on Monday, March 21, entering its first patient into the new immunization registry called LINK, a Los Angeles-Orange County immunization registry network.
The San Juan Capistrano, Buena Park and Costa Mesa Clinics were next in line to implement the inputting of patient immunization information into the new internet-based computer database system, which ensures rapid access to complete up-to-date immunization records and significantly improves immunization rates for children less than 6 years of age.
By the end of June, three more community clinics will be on board and begin the process. In all, a minimum of 8 sites in Orange County will utilize the registry in this first phase.
Through funding received from the State in a contract between Orange County and LA County Public Health, the registry has finally become a reality for HCA Public Health after 15 years of planning and work.
For more information please contact Linda Scott, LINK coordinator for
Orange County, at (714) 834-8095 or by e-mail at
Liscott@ochca.com. To learn more, visit
the LINK website at www.immunizela.org or the California Immunization Information
Systems site at www.ca-siis.org.
On March 22, County Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton accepted a resolution
from Board Chairman Campbell which declared April 4 - 10 Public Health Week
in Orange County.
A Public Health Week exhibit was on display at the Hall
of Administration during Public Health Week from April 4 -10
and included information about HCA's programs and services as
well as a brochure on Careers in Public Health.
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
Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Healthy Vision Month
Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Mental Health Month
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Brain Tumor Action Week 1-7
National Women's Health Week 8-14
National Emergency Medical Services Week 15—21
World "No Tobacco" Day 31
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
On March 9, HCA's Medical and Institutional Health Services celebrated Dental Assistants Recognition Week and hosted a luncheon at the Block at Orange to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the division's dental assistants.
MIHS management and dentists sponsored the event to recognize the everyday teamwork shown through the staff's flexibility in providing backup support for each other within the division's numerous facilities.
HCA's MIHS dental assistants work with the program's dentists to provide dental care to both juveniles and adults housed in the County's jail facilities. They work on behalf of the patient, as well as the dentists, in helping to assure a high level of professional excellence in oral health care delivery.
As oral health becomes an essential and recognized factor in America's public health agenda, the importance of dental health care grows. With this growth and recognition, the importance and role of the dental assistant has flourished and is worthy of recognition.
Thank you to all HCA dental assistants for your hard work, dedication and contributions in providing dental care and specialized services to HCA's patients.
EMS Week Tailgate Celebration ticket order form [PDF]
Orange County diners are now only a click away from finding inspection information about their favorite O.C. eatery! On March 11, HCA's Environmental Health Food Protection Program launched a new web page that makes restaurant inspection violation information available online to the public. Inspection reports were always a matter of public record, but this new addition to the www.ocfoodinfo.com site makes it even easier to find out when the last inspection occurred, and which, if any, violations were recorded.
The new feature is the latest addition to Orange County's Public Notification System for Food Facilities. The system is O.C.'s way of keeping the public informed about a restaurant's food safety and sanitation practices. The system consists of a user-friendly inspection report, the Inspection Seal (posted near the doorways of every food facility), an Award of Excellence Program (that recognizes exceptional food safety and sanitation practices), and the posting of restaurant closures on the Internet.
Now anyone can view information on violations, read
descriptions and examples of violations, see facilities' inspection
histories and view any closure and reopening information. This new
public service will greatly increase access to information and is aimed
at enabling the public to make more informed decisions about
the restaurants they choose to frequent. To check out the new
feature, visit www.ocfoodinfo.com, or if you have questions about the
Food Protection Program, call (714) 433-6000.
Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency
Program presented Larry Danlinhton with the March 2005 Spotlight
on Excellence Award.
As an MFT I with Behavioral Health's Adult Mental Health Outpatient Clinic in Anaheim, Larry often goes above and beyond the call of duty when assisting clients. He is noted for his dedication to cultural issues, the outreach he provides to the Vietnamese community about mental health issues, and the support he offers to clients and staff with Vietnamese translations. Larry began his career with the County in 1992 with the Social Services Agency as an Eligibility Technician and joined HCA in 1997. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and a Masters degree in Counseling/Psychology from National University.
Larry Danlinhton from Behavioral Health Services received the March 2005 Cultural Competency Spotlight on Excellence Award and a special certificate from Supervisor Lou Correa at the March 23 Mental Health Board meeting. Pictured (left to right) are Veronica Kelley, Larry Danlinhton, Gail Libbee and Rafael Canul.
Annual Cultural Competency Open House draws crowd
Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program
hosted its annual open house on Thursday, March 10,
and drew many visitors again this year who had
the opportunity to tour the offices and sample a delicious variety
of ethnic cuisine.
The open house acquainted attendees with the many available resources and services the program has to offer, including a variety of publications, videos, audiotapes, and other miscellaneous resource items available for borrowing by County employees and contract agencies.
For more information about the Cultural Competency
program, call (714) 796-0118 or visit
www.ochealthinfo.com/behavioral/cultural/home.htm
.
Jeanie Ming
continued from page 1
She shares her knowledge, expertise and health education techniques at many conferences, seminars and meetings throughout the U.S. and abroad, and has provided presentations in England, Saipan and Guam. Jeanie has also served as an officer and member of many national, state and local organizations, which has allowed her to positively influence the lives of others, both directly and indirectly.
The Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award was first established in 2000 by the Orange County Coalition for Health Educators (OCCHE), and honors Orange County professionals who have demonstrated excellence in the healthcare field. OCCHE was founded in 1997 to promote health and provide leadership in order to improve the health of the community through education, policy, collaboration and consultation.
—Colin Powell
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