issue 05-11
issue 05-11
November, 2005
Inside this issue...
HCA bids farewell to Dr. Horton - Page 1
Compliance Training Reminder - Page 2
It's flu season time - Page 2
Spotlight on Excellence - Page 2
Mental Health Services Act—It's our plan! - Page 3
Employees recognized at Awards Ceremony - Page 4
Celebrating United Way 2005 - Page 6
Childhood Lead Poisoning Awareness Week - Page 6
The Health Care Agency sends best wishes and congratulates Mark Horton, M.D., MSPH, on his new appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as State Public Health Officer, effective November 7, 2005.
County and HCA staff filled the Old Orange County Courthouse on October 25 to attend a reception hosted by the Health Care Agency as an opportunity for folks to congratulate and offer best wishes to Dr. Horton before he departed for Sacramento.
"Serving the people of Orange County has been an honor and a pleasure, and a truly enriching experience for me professionally," Dr. Horton commented. "I have greatly appreciated the support of the Board of Supervisors, our Agency Director Julie Poulson, and the wonderful staff and members of the community I've had the privilege to work with."
Dr. Horton has served as County Health Officer and Deputy Agency Director for Public Health Services with HCA since 1999. Before coming to Orange County, he had served for more than five years as the Director of the Nebraska Department of Health.
"Dr. Horton is a visionary in the field of Public Health and this is an outstanding move for the State of California," said Julie Poulson, Health Care Agency Director. "Dr. Horton has provided excellent leadership to the Health Care Agency over the past six years, a period during which we have faced challenges of bioterrorism preparation, the arrival of West Nile Virus, threats posed by other emerging diseases and the continuance of efforts to expand health insurance coverage to our community's children. He has been wonderful for Orange County and we wish him well in this new and exciting opportunity."
In his new position, Dr. Horton will be responsible for advising the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Department of Health Services on public health issues. The State Public Health Officer position is also responsible for seeking out public health issues that need to be addressed and directing policy development on those issues.
December 1st is just around the corner. Please make sure to complete the 2005 Annual Employee Compliance Training by Thursday, December 1, 2005. This mandatory Employee Compliance training is required for all HCA regular, extra help, and Personal Service Contract employees. The training must be completed in one session and should take approximately 1 ½ hours. The training needs to be completed in one session, so be sure to schedule the time needed.
More training options are available this year to make it easier to complete the mandatory training.
· For staff with access to computers on the HCA network the e-training module can be found on the intranet at http://balsam/intranet/compliance/training.asp.
· Or staff can complete the Annual Employee Compliance Training at any computer with internet access at www.ochealthinfo.com/training.
If you need special arrangements for completing compliance training or have additional questions, call the Office of Compliance at (714) 568-5614.
The 2005 influenza (flu) season is underway in Orange County. This year the nation's flu shot supply is expected to be sufficient to meet demand. Consider being inoculated with the vaccine for added protection against the flu, which is effective in preventing disease in 70-90% of healthy people.
According to the CDC, October and November are the best months to receive the vaccine. Flu activity generally peaks between early December and late March, so individuals can still benefit from receiving the vaccine this month.
If you are over 60 years of age or if you have any chronic medical conditions including pulmonary disease, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic disorders, renal dysfunction and immune-suppressed conditions, you may obtain a free flu shot through the Public Health Immunization program while supplies last. Health care workers who provide direct hands-on patient care are also eligible to receive the free vaccine. For additional information, call HCA's Health Referral Line at (800) 564-8448.
Some County health plans, including Kaiser and Cigna will provide the flu vaccine free of charge to plan members. Check with your health plan to obtain the flu vaccine.
HCA Employee Health Services offers a flu vaccine program to County employees at a cost of $11 per dose, or free to those in the high-risk categories including health care workers with direct patient contact. Please call Employee Health Services at (714) 834-5974 for more information.
. . . continued on page 3
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
Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program named Richard Hunter as the recipient of the October 2005 Spotlight on Excellence Award.
Richard began his career with HCA in 1995 and retired in 2000 after 4½ years of service. This year he came back to HCA and is currently working at Behavioral Health's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Clinic in Westminster.
Richard holds an MD fellowship in Child Psychology and is acknowledged for
his sensitivity to cultural issues and for his respectful demeanor and sensitivity when
interacting with clients.
Dr. Richard Hunter received the October Spotlight on Excellence Award at the October 26 Mental Health Board Meeting held at the Hall of Administration. Pictured (left to right) are Rafael Canul, Ronnie Kelley, Richard Hunter and Rose Marie Danieri.
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
Phone (714) 834-6644
E-mail: TLandquist@ochca.com
FAX (714) 834-7644
Pony Bldg. 38-S, 4th Floor
continued from page 2
According to the CDC, vaccination is the single best way to protect against the flu. Practicing good health habits are also an important way to help prevent the flu. They include:
·
Avoiding close contact
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are
sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
·
Staying home when you are sick
If possible, stay home from work, school and errands when you
are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
·
Covering your mouth and nose
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or
sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
·
Cleaning your hands
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
·
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that
is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose
or mouth.
Mental Health Services Act—It's our plan!
There are approximately 35,000 homeless people living in Orange County, many of whom suffer from untreated or under treated mental illness. The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) office produced the film, "Orange County, The Untold Story" to chronicle the touching personal stories of those living on the streets who suffer from mental illness.
One of the consumers in the film shared: "I feel kind of sad because I don't fit into society. I want a place to stay, to take a shower, to go to work…I don't want to be like this forever."
The film was developed to raise awareness of the needs of the mentally ill and to publicize the Mental Health Services Act, which became law on January 1, 2005. The MHSA will eventually bring funds to Orange County each year, which will be used to expand mental health services to children, adults, and older adults.
The MHSA office has involved local stakeholders, community members, and mental health consumers to develop a plan that will transform the current mental health system. Approximately 4,000 attendees participated in the planning process and on Sept. 28, 2005 the MHSA Steering Committee approved the plan. Nov. 7 begins the 30-day period for public comment. A copy of the plan is posted and available for viewing by visiting www.ochealthinfo.com/Prop63.
On Dec. 8, 2005 the Orange County Mental Health Board will hold a Public Hearing to review the MHSA Three-Year Strategic Plan. The event will take place from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. at the Crystal Cathedral, Arboretum Room located at 12141 Lewis Street in Garden Grove. For lunch reservations or more information about the event, please contact Maria Cervantes at (714) 834-2907 or send an e-mail to prop63@ochca.com .
Come support our plan and be part of an historic event that will transform the
lives of the mentally ill in Orange County!
HCA employees were recognized for their dedicated years of service and outstanding contributions to the Agency during the Employee Recognition Awards Ceremony held at the Hall of Administration on November 3. The following is a listing of service awards presented:
5 Years of Service-53
10 Years of Service-7
15 Years of Service-25
20 Years of Service-14
25 Years of Service-4
June Armstrong from Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program celebrated 25 years of dedicated service to HCA and was congratulated by Agency Director Julie Poulson and Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz.
The County's annual United Way 2005 fundraising campaign, "Touch a Life, Touch a Spirit…the United Way!" officially began this year with the well-attended United Way Kick-Off rally held at the Hall of Administration on Oct. 6.
County agencies hosted booths at the event and sold an assortment of food items and candy, to books, jewelry and tickets for opportunity drawings. Popular items such as Child Protective Services' gourmet candy apples and the build-your-own baked potatoes were once again offered.
HCA's booth again drew long lines of people waiting to purchase lunch from a menu of Chinese food items, including orange chicken, broccoli beef, fried rice and egg rolls. Folks visiting HCA's booth also had the opportunity to purchase bratwurst with sauerkraut as well as copies of the 2006 Orange County Entertainment Books.
In addition to participating at the Kick-Off rally, HCA hosted several events within the Agency including Harvest Fairs, egg roll and bake sales, book fairs, BBQ beef sandwich sales, a themed basket auction, and an Executive Team lunch to name a few.
A conference room on the 2nd floor of the 405 W. 5th Street building was also turned into a tea room where scones and morning tea were served. Did anyone see the pink flamingo? A tuxedo clad flamingo also made its rounds at various offices within the 405 W. 5th Street building to help raise funds for this year's campaign
HCA's Jeopardy team from Contract and
Development Management also placed first within the Agency's tryouts
and made it as one of the top four teams at the Countywide
Jeopardy Challenge which took place on Oct. 17. Special
thanks to Jim Miller from Environmental Health who again
played "Alex Trebec" and hosted both Jeopardy events.
Participants
found themselves stumped while trying to provide answers
to the creative questions and topics that Jim created.
Held annually each year, the United Way Campaign
provides an opportunity for County employees to help offer
solutions for the most critical human care service needs in the
community. For more information about United Way, visit
the organization's Orange County website at
www.unitedwayoc.org.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors recognized October 23rd-29th as Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Awareness Week during their October 25th Board meeting. Board Chairman Bill Campbell presented a resolution to Dr. Mark Horton, County Health Officer, and Dr. Troy Jacobs, Family Health Medical Director.
As many as 400,000 American children between one and five years of age have blood lead levels higher than the level considered normal by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High blood lead levels are a concern because they may cause harmful effects to a child's developing organ systems such as the kidneys, brain, liver, and blood-forming tissues. This may affect a child's ability to learn.
Very high blood levels can cause devastating health consequences, including seizures, coma, and even death. Children are much more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults because they put many kinds of items into their mouths. Their bodies absorb up to 40% of the lead with which they come into contact as opposed to only 10% absorbed by adults. Lead enters the body through breathing or ingestion.
A common blood test to check for lead poisoning is recommended at appropriate intervals for children between one and six years of age.
December Health Observances
National Drunk and Drugged (3D) Prevention Month
World AIDS Day 1
National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week 1-7
National Handwashing Awareness Week 4-10
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