issue 07-02

February 2007

Inside this issue..

HCA welcomes new Public Health additions - Page 1
HCA bids Sandra Fair farewell after 30 years - Page 1
Call for 2007 Wagner Award nominations - Page 2
HIPAA ALERT!  HIPAA ALERT! - Page 3
Awards Ceremony recognizes employees - Page 4 - 6
Pritchett is 100th Employee of the Month - Page 7
March Health Observances - Page 8
February is Heart Month - Page 8
Fit Business Tip of the Month - Page 8

HCA welcomes new Public Health additions

HCA is pleased to welcome Nancy Bowen, MD, MPH as the new Public Health Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Bowen brings to her new role an extensive educational background and job-related experience in the area of public health.

In her new role, Dr. Bowen will serve as a member of the Public Health Leadership team and will have lead management responsibility in public health for all compliance and quality assurance activities. She will additionally provide medical leadership, technical support and consultation on medical policy and management of individual cases as needed.
Prior to joining HCA, Dr. Bowen held the position of Deputy Agency Director and Public Health Officer for San Diego County. She also served as Chief of Chronic Disease & Injury and Chief of Maternal & Child Health, also with San Diego County.

Dr. Bowen received her Medical Degree from the University of California, San Diego, a Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Dr. Bowen began her new appointment with HCA on February 9th and is located at the 405 W. 5th Street building on the 7th floor in room 706. She can be reached at (714) 834-5518 or by e-mail at nbowen@ochca.com.

HCA also welcomes Tamarra Jones, DrPH, CHES, as the new Program Manager for HIV Planning and Coordination.

In her new capacity, she will oversee the County’s administration of Ryan White Care Act (RWCA) Titles I, II and II; State-funded HIV Prevention; and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) grants, as well as managing HIV surveillance and the support of the HIV Planning Council.

Prior to her new role at HCA, Tamarra most recently worked for Clark County, Nevada where she oversaw the administration of RWCA Title I for the Las Vegas Eligible Metropolitan Area and provided support to the local Planning Council. She has also recently served as a part-time instructor for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she taught courses in health promotion, theories of behavior change, and program planning and evaluation.
Tamarra is located at the 17th Street Clinic in Santa Ana and can be reached at (714) 834-8798 or by e-mail at tjones@ochca.com.

HCA bids Sandra Fair farewell after 30 years

The Health Care Agency congratulates Sandra Fair, Chief of Behavioral Health Operations on celebrating her 30 years of service with the County and sends her best wishes on her upcoming retirement next month.

In her current role as Chief of Behavioral Health Operations, Sandra is responsible for the quality and accessibility of all publicly funded mental health and substance abuse prevention, outreach and treatment services for children, adults and families. Sandra manages these county operated and contracted programs with a total gross budget of approximately $200 million per year and a clinical and paraprofessional staff of approximately 860.

Sandra began her lengthy career with the County during the fall of 1976 where she served as an Employment Program Coordinator for the County Administrative Office and then as an Administrative Analyst with the Tax Assessor Department in 1981.

She then joined HCA during the spring of 1983 as an Analyst in Contract Services. During her tenure with the Agency she has held several other positions including Alcohol and Drug Administrator, Acting Behavioral Health Deputy Agency Director and, currently, as the Chief of Behavioral Health Operations.

Sandra is noted for her fine leadership in bringing more than $40 million for new behavioral health services to Orange County with Prop. 36, Prop. 63 and Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) grants.
“HCA, county agencies, community organizations and the public have all been touched in positive ways through Sandra’s hard work and collaborative partnerships,” said Mark Refowitz, Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director. “She will be missed and we wish her well as she embarks on her new journey into retirement.”

Call for 2007 Wagner Award nominations

The deadline to submit nominations for this year’s Gerald A. Wagner Health Education Award is coming up soon on Friday, March 2.

This year, HCA is once again partnering with the Orange County Coalition for Health Education (OCCHE) to celebrate Public Health Week during April 2-8, 2007, with the theme of “Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the Nation’s Vulnerable Populations” and to present the Gerald A. Wagner 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 their delivery of services to the community.

Health care professional titles that would be considered for this award program include: Medical Doctor, Dentist, Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Social Worker, Psychologist, Public Health Nurse, Registered Dietician, Health Educator & related staff, Physician’s Assistant, Teacher and Allied Health Professional.

To nominate an individual who demonstrates excellence in the qualities mentioned, please complete and return the nomination form below. Nominations are due Friday, March 2 and can be sent to:
Della Lisi, BS
OC Coalition for Health Education
12 Civic Center Plaza, Ste. 127
Pony Mail: Bldg. 12HP
E-mail: DLisi@ochca.com
Fax: (714) 834-3492
For more information about National Public Health Week, visit the American Public Health Association’s website at www.nphw.org.

Year 2007
Gerald A. Wagner
Excellence in Health Education Award

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
yes, 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)

HIPAA ALERT!  HIPAA ALERT!

We have less than 100 days to meet the National Provider Identifier (NPI) compliance deadline on May 23, 2007.

What’s an NPI?
The NPI is a unique number assigned to individuals (such as physicians, therapists, and nurses) and to organizations (such as hospitals, medical clinics and private medical offices). The NPI will replace current numbers from Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross and other payers. Instead of the payer assigning a number to a service provider the individual or entity will provide their NPI to the payer. All providers and payers are required to use only the NPI in all claims transactions after May 23, 2007. HCA provides a variety of health care services, and will be required to have NPIs for individuals who provide services, as well as organizational NPIs for the various programs that bill for health care services.

NPIs are issued by the federal government, but belong indefinitely to the person or entity to which it is assigned. An individual’s NPI number will be used in all work settings, and will not change if the individual changes jobs. The individual is responsible for updating NPI-related information with the federal government and must report changes within 30 days.

I’m not a treatment provider. Does NPI affect me?
While in many ways using the NPI is “behind the scenes” this mandated change in claim identifiers will affect a broad spectrum of individuals and programs:
Individuals will need to apply for and share their NPIs with HCA;
Human Resources will need to insure that new employees provide their NPI to HCA;
Information Technology and the IRIS Access Team will maintain the NPI tables for billing purposes;
Contract Development and Management has added new NPI contract language and must collect NPIs to bill for services provided by contract agencies;
HCA Programs are responsible for the collecting NPIs for current employees who are direct treatment providers and for maintaining an NPI database for those employees;
Program Support will start seeing the NPI numbers in cost reports and other data collection processes;
Accounting and Medical Billing Unit will use the NPI in billing processes.

Why do we need a National Identifier?
The NPI is meant to replace multiple identifiers used in the past with a single number. By doing so, this supports one intent of the HIPAA regulations, which is to combat and prevent fraud, waste and abuse. The NPI will be the only identifier that can be used by the individual or entity for claiming health care services. Ultimately, the single identifier will make it easier for State and the Federal oversight agencies to detect patterns of fraud and abuse.
More information about the NPI can be found at www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/ or, please feel free to contact Jody Barrera, HCA HIPAA Coordinator, via e-mail or at (714) 834-4082.

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

"Vision without execution is daydreaming." —Bill Gates

What’s UP is a newsletter for employees of the County of Orange, CA, Health Care Agency.

Editors Tricia Landquist
Howard Sutter
Anne Fialcowitz

Phone (714) 834-6644
E-mail tlandquist@ochca.com
FAX (714) 834-7644
Pony Bldg. 38-S, 4th Floor

Awards Ceremony recognizes employees

HCA employees received recognition for their years of dedicated service at an Employee Recognition Awards ceremony held on January 25th at the Hall of Administration.

The following is a list of service awards presented:
5 Years of Service 60
10 Years of Service 18
15 Years of Service 19
20 Years of Service 9
25 Years of Service 4
30 Years of Service 2
35 Years of Service 1

35 Years
(No photo available) Celebrating 35 years of service this month is Gloria Long of Public Health.

25 years
(No photo available) Celebrating 25 years of service this month is Judy Ogan, Public Health; Donna Scherer, Behavior Health; Katherine Bish, Regulatory Health; Julie Ontiveros, Administration Services

30 years

Barbara Greenfield of Behavioral Health Services celebrated her 30 years of service to the County and was congratulated by Agency Director Julie Poulson and Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz.

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz congratulate Sandra Fair on her 30 years of service to the County.

20 Years

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Institutional Health Services Division Manager Maureen Robles congratulated Frank Boswell on 20 years of dedicated County service during the Employee Recognition Awards held at the Hall of Administration on January 25th.

Celebrating 20 years of County service, Priti Khoshoo from Behavioral Health Services received recognition during the Employee Recognition Awards on January 25th from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz.

Elaine Martinez from Public Health Services celebrated 20 years of dedicated service to the County and was congratulated by Agency Director Julie Poulson and Disease Control and Epidemiology Division Manager Donna Fleming during an Employee Recognition Awards ceremony held on January 25th.

Kathleen Chase from Medical and Institutional Health Services celebrated 20 years of County service and received a certificate and pin from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Institutional Health Services Division Manager Maureen Robles.

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Disease Control and Epidemiology Division Manager Donna Fleming presented Leslia Beck with a certificate and pin to commemorate her 20 years of County service.

"There is no failure except in no longer trying." —Elbert Hubbard

15 Years

Thea Bullock, Assistant Compliance Officer, celebrated 15 years of County service during the Employee Recognition Awards held at the Hall of Administration and received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief Compliance Officer Jeff Nagel.

Public Health’s Genoveva Monreal received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Disease Control and Epidemiology Division Manager Donna Fleming on her 15 years of service to the County.

Mai Tang celebrated 15 years of County service and received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Financial and Administrative Services Deputy Agency Director Steve Franks.

Ronald Bennett from Environmental Health was congratulated by Agency Director Julie Poulson and Regulatory Health Services Division Manager Mike Spurgeon on his 15 years of dedicated County service.

Behavioral Health staff Jose Valle-Ochoa, Casey Dorman, Janice Coniglio and Mary Casdorph celebrated 15 years of County service and received a certificate and pin from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz.

10 Years 

Frank Hernandez from Health Promotion celebrated 10 years of service to the County and received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Disease Control and Epidemiology Division Manager Donna Fleming during the Employee Recognition Awards held at the Hall of Administration on January 25th.

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz congratulated Behavioral Health staff on their 10 years of County service. Pictured (left to right) are Vanessa Thomas, Joseph Chen, Carla Parmeter, George Pascarzi and Jeannine Vitug.

"Only life lived for others is worth living." — Albert Einstein

5 Years

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Regulatory Health Services Division Manager Mike Spurgeon recognized Elisabeth Gonzales on her 5 years of County service and presented her with a certificate and pin to commemorate the occasion.

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Financial and Administrative Services Deputy Agency Director Steve Franks recognized Administration employees for their 5 years of service to the Agency. Pictured (left to right) are Jean Brayer, Monica Rossow and Sharon Carrigan.

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Disease Control and Epidemiology Division Manager Donna Fleming presented years of service pins and certificates to Public Health staff celebrating 5 years of County service. Pictured (alphabetically) are Flavio Bernal, Benito Luna, Mercedes Madrid, Tammy Nguyen, Milagros Ortiz, Dr. Christopher Reid, Beatriz Vargas and Mariam Zhowandai.

Aileen Franzi from Medical and Institutional Health Services received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Institutional Health Services Division Manager Maureen Robles on her 5 years of dedicated service.

Behavioral Health staff who celebrated 5 years of service received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Behavioral Health Services Deputy Agency Director Mark Refowitz during the Employee Recognition Awards held on January 25th. Pictured (alphabetically) are Alicia Acuna, Vincent Baca, Christy Castiglione, Steven Davidson, Michelle Garcia, Andrew Hadden, Stephen Hall, Diana Mentas, Theresa Orozco, Leonard Shulman and Susan Uballe.

Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief Information Officer Teri Schultz congratulated Marcel Navarro for his 5 years of dedicated service to the County during the Employee Recognition Awards held on January 25th.

Pritchett is 100th Employee of the Month

Congratulations to Larry Pritchett, PHN II with HCA’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) on being named Family Health’s 100th Employee of the Month.

Assistant Director Dave Riley, Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler and Family Health Division Manager Tony Edmonds were on hand during an event held on February 6th at the 17th Street Clinic to surprise Larry on his selection and offer their congratulations.

The nomination for Family Health Employee of the Month highlights Larry’s abilities—professional, a positive member of the Public Health Nursing team, resourceful, pleasant and friendly. He is recognized for his commitment to clients, enthusiasm to provide support when needed and willingness to share his extensive knowledge about Nursing Infomatics and computer technology with his colleagues.

Larry began his career with HCA in 2003 and each year has volunteered to provide nursing support for HCA’s flu clinics and also assisted with Hurricane Katrina locally, where he worked side by side with the American Red Cross in providing nursing triage to the refugees coming to Southern California.

In 1998, under the leadership of past Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program Manager Sandy Snyder, the first “MCAH” Employee of the Month was announced. In all, 88 women and 12 men have been recognized. Next month marks a turning point in the award program when Nutrition Services will be included making the recognition program Division wide.

For more information about the Family Health Employee of the Month Award program or how to nominate an individual within the Division, contact Family Health Division Manager Tony Edmonds by e-mail at tedmonds@ochca.com.

Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler, Assistant Director Dave Riley, and Family Health Division Manager Tony Edmonds congratulate Larry Pritchett, PHNII, on being named Family Health’s 100th Employee of the month.

Attendees enjoy refreshments at an Employee of the Month presentation event held at the 17th Street Clinic on February 6th.

Assistant Director Dave Riley, Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler and Family Health Division Manager Tony Edmonds pose for a group photo with current and past recipients of Family Heath’s Employee of the Month Award.
Pictured (back row left to right): Alicia Armstrong (hidden), Connie Rice, Heather Luna, Shirley Halbur, Ricardo Valverde, Cathy Smith, Martha Navarro, Vianey Ruiz, Magali Bustamante, Juan Rivera, Marilyn Edgar and Jenna Sarin.
Pictured (front row left to right): Phung Pham, Connie Del Mundo MD, Ruth Dignadice, Larry Pritchett, Angelica Del Pozo, Jan Shoda and Claudia Curiel.
 

February is Heart Month

Celebrate Heart Month and National Women’s Heart Day this month by wearing the color red to help increase awareness about heart disease. According to the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign, heart disease is the no. 1 killer of American women and men. But, the good news is that heart disease can be prevented.

The “Go Red for Women” campaign empowers women with the knowledge and tools they need to take positive action to reduce their risks of heart disease and stroke and to protect their heath.

To jump on the movement, the campaign offers the following five simple ways to love your heart:
Celebrate with a check-up—Let each birthday remind you that it’s time for your yearly check-up and talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your risk for heart disease.
Get up off the couch—Step, march or jog in place for at least 30-minutes most days of the week—you can even do it while watching TV.
Quit smoking in four steps—Can’t go cold turkey? Cut the number of cigarettes you smoke each day in half; then cut that number in half; cut in half again; finally, cut down to zero!
Drop a pound or two—Cutting out just 200 to 300 calories a day—about one candy bar’s worth—can help you lose up to two pounds per week and gradually bring you closer to a heart-healthy weight.
Become a salt detective—Check out the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods to see how much sodium (salt) they contain. Aim for a total intake of no more than 2,300 milligrams (about a teaspoon of salt) per day.

Are you ready to participate in “Go Red for Women?” Visit www.goredforwomen.org for more information about the campaign and heart-healthy tools and tips to discover how you can boost your heart health.

March Health Observances

National Brain Injury Awareness Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Nutrition Month^®
Save Your Vision Month

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week 5-11
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 10
National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week 18-24
World Tuberculosis Day 2007 24
American Diabetes Alert Day 27

"Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fit Business Tip of the Month

The month of February focuses on preventing heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. The good news is that this disease is preventable. A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and participating in daily physical activity are two of the easiest ways to decrease your risk.

To get a jump start on preventing heart disease, incorporate kiwis and potatoes, this month’s featured fruit and vegetable, into your diet. Visit the California Department of Health Services “Fit Business Tips” website at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/cdic/cpns/worksite/ for simple recipes on how to prepare kiwis and potatoes, as well as more information on how to prevent heart disease.

QM staff on the run!

Members from HCA’s Quality Management Office put their running shoes on and participated in Huntington Beach’s annual Pacific Shoreline ½ Marathon on February 4th to help raise funds for several Orange County non-profit organizations. The group all received medals and crossed the finish line in under 4 hours. Pictured (left to right) are Deanne Thompson, Tricia Landquist, Jennifer Bernsen and Sandy Viernes.