issue 07-03
March 2007
Inside this issue..
Agency leadership changes
announced - Page 1
Sup. Campbell joins In PH home
visits - Page 1
Health Disaster
Management welcomes new manager - Page 2
HCA bids farewell to Wong
- Page 2
First
passport stamp issued in Leadership Development Program
- Page 3
Annual compliance survey
coming soon …- Page 3
What is InLogic? - Page 4
HCA hosts China’s Public
Health delegation - Page 4
Anaheim MTU celebrates grand opening - Page 5
Celebrating National Nutrition Month®
- Page 6
National Volunteer Week—Recognize your
Volunteers/Interns - Page 6
April Health Observances - Page 6
Public Health Week (April 2-8) Calendar of Events
- Page 7
March is National Social Work Month - Page 7
Test Your Knowledge—2007 Public Health Week Quiz
- Page 7
HCA welcomes Dr. Nancy Bowen - Page 8
What’s my pay location? - Page 8
Spam: The unwanted mail - Page 8
Agency leadership changes announced
The Agency is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Sanchez as Director of Environmental Health (EH) and Mary Hale as Chief of Behavioral Health Operations. These two key leadership appointments were announced last month with Richard and Mary replacing Steven Wong and Sandra Fair, respectively, upon their recent retirement from the Agency.
Richard has more than 22 years of experience as an Environmental Health professional and manager. Prior to coming to the County of Orange in August 2005 as the Assistant Environmental Health Director, Richard held key managerial positions in both Sacramento and San Bernardino Counties.
Most recently as HCA’s Assistant EH Director, Richard managed
the daily operations of the EH Division including the Food Protection, Water
Quality and Hazardous Materials/Surveillance Programs.
Richard received his Masters Degree in Public Health from Loma Linda University
and his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from UCI. He is also licensed as a
Registered Environmental Health Specialist with the State of California.
Richard is located at Environmental Health headquarters at
1241 E. Dyer Rd., Suite 120 in Santa Ana. He can be reached by e-mail at
rsanchez@ochca.com or by phone at (714)
433-6473.
Richard Sanchez, left, previously served as Assistant Environmental Health
Director since August 2005, prior to his new appointment as Environmental Health
Director.
As the new Chief of Behavioral Health Operations, Mary has more than 15 years of experience with HCA’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (ADAS) Division and most recently served as the ADAS Division Manager.
During her career, she has held the positions of both Vice President and President of the County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California. Currently, Mary serves as the President of the Alcohol and Drug Policy Institute Board of Directors.
Mary brings to her new position strong leadership and collaboration skills, a wealth of expertise in improving services to persons with substance abuse disorders (including those with co-occurring mental illness), and the ability to motivate staff to build effective teams to ensure successful programs.
Mary is located on the 7th floor at the 405 W. 5th Street
building in Santa Ana and can be reached via e-mail at
mhale@ochca.com or by phone at (714)
834-7024.
Mary Hale, above, brings strong leadership and collaboration skills to her new appointment as Chief of Behavioral Health Operations.
Sup. Campbell joins In PH home visits
Third District Supervisor Bill Campbell joined Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler, HCA Director Julie Poulson and other HCA staff on February 9th during several home visits with clients. The group also met with community partners that work with high risk families in Santa Ana and Placentia.
The visits provided an opportunity to familiarize the Supervisor with the needs of clients who have had difficulties accessing health care and other necessary services. One example was a visit with an 83 year-old grandmother who is raising her newborn granddaughter as her daughter faces time in prison. At a home located in the territory of two notorious Santa Ana gangs, the group was able to see firsthand how a family of 8 has been decimated by gang violence. Public Health Community Nursing has brought together the resources of the Social Services Agency, Children’s Bureau and Corbin Family Resource Center to assist the grandmother in maintaining a stable environment for temporary custody of the child.
The group also toured KidWorks in Santa Ana to observe how this agency offers children from preschool through teens the opportunity to learn in a safe and fun environment, and provides their parents with access to health education and life skills. KidWorks Director Heather Huntley informed the group that as the staff provide education to all, it is not unusual to have rival gang members sitting at the same table to discuss family issues.
During the tour, the group was introduced to the concept of “shadow communities,” enclaves of residents who have severely limited resources and limited access to transportation, telephones, decent housing, and safe places for children to play. In Placentia, they visited a family in one such community. The family includes a two-year-old with frequent seizures who has received assistance from Public Health Nursing. Through the work of Public Health Nurse Paul Leon, the child has been enrolled in Medi-Cal and has received specialty neurological care through Children’s Hospital of Orange County. The child also now receives in-home physical, occupational and speech therapy services through the Regional Center. During the group’s visit, the child had symptoms of withdrawing from seizure medication, but thankfully, there were 2 nurses, Julie Poulson and Paul Leon, and Dr. Eric Handler present, all of whom were instrumental in assisting the mother in safe usage of anti-seizure medication. The group also met with representatives of the City of Placentia who are striving to reach out to their shadow community.
Others participating in the visits included Holly Veale, HCA Manager of Municipal and Community Relations, and Anna Peters, Policy Advisor to Supervisor Campbell. All participants agreed that the day afforded a tremendous learning experience, both about the needs and strengths of the communities and the tremendous work of PHNs in Public Health Community Nursing. As expressed best by Supervisor Campbell, “You could have spent hours telling me what public health is about, but it was a true education to see for myself what community nursing accomplishes.”
Health Disaster
Management welcomes new manager
HCA’s
Health Disaster Management Division recently welcomed Kerri Fogh, Administrative
Manager I, to oversee disaster readiness efforts with hospitals, community
clinics and ambulance providers. Kerri brings impressive experience, planning
and coordination expertise, and enthusiasm to her new position with HCA.
Since 2003, Kerri has worked as a Senior Program Coordinator for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Management Bureau, serving as the Operational Area’s Coordinator for 114 jurisdictions.
She is an acknowledged subject expert for emergency planning related to earthquakes, tsunamis, animal planning, care and shelter, and severe weather disasters. Kerri has also participated in numerous multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional exercises and drills and has trained many County and Operational Area employees.
Kerri’s experience also includes responding to five actual emergency activations involving two weather-related incidents, a landslide, one fire and a regional communications failure.
HCA commends Environmental Health Director Steven Wong for more than 30 years of outstanding and dedicated service, and offers him best wishes on his recent retirement from the Agency.
During his tenure with HCA, Steven was instrumental in establishing Orange County’s Hazardous Waste Management Regulatory Program in 1983 resulting in the protection of the citizens of the County from exposure to toxic and hazardous materials.
He was later recognized as California’s Environmental Health Specialist of the Year also in 1983 by the California Environmental Health Association for his innovation and dedication to the protection of the environment and public health.
In 2001, Steven was appointed Director of Environmental Health and worked diligently to protect the community in the areas of food protection, water quality, recreational water protection, underground storage tanks, contaminated site remediation and hazardous materials management.
Steven also served as Chairman of the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health’s Hazardous Waste Technical Advisory and Training Committee to address statewide environmental issues and regional regulatory consistency.
“The County is fortunate to have been served by an individual of Steven’s caliber and his dedicated service to the community,” said Mike Spurgeon, Regulatory Health Services Deputy Agency Director. “He will be missed and we wish him well on his journey into retirement.”
First passport stamp issued in Leadership Development Program
Susie Baker, Program Supervisor in HCA Administration, received the 1st official passport stamp in HCA’s Leadership Development Program, Passport To Your Future. The agency’s program has had an astounding number of employees requesting to participate and who have accepted the challenging journey of self discovery and development.
To date, approximately 200 employees are enrolled in the program and the first semester of classes at the Foundational Level are already full to capacity. HCA’s Training and Staff Development Department is working on adding more course sessions in the early summer months and once finalized, will notify program participants. To request participation in the program, please visit HCA’s intranet site at http://balsam/intranet/hr/tsd.
Pictured are the most recent graduates of HCA’s Supervisor/Manager Training Camp, an Advanced Level core course for which Ms. Baker received the stamp. This course is offered to all HCA supervisors and managers, regardless of participation in the Leadership Development Program. Additionally, as part of the County’s Training Coalition, this course has been requested and is being offered to supervisors and managers of other agencies as well, providing networking opportunities and the chance to gain an understanding of the bigger picture of the County family of core businesses.
Susie Baker, HCA Administration Program Supervisor receives the 1st official
passport stamp from HCA’s Leadership Development Program, Passport to Your
Future.
(Above) Recent graduates of HCA’s Supervisor/Manager Training Camp pose for a
group photo. Pictured (top row, left to right) are Maridet Ibañez (HCA), William
Norsetter (HCA), Mike Rogers (A/C), Jane Chai (HCA), Leila Garcia (HCA), Rebecca
Killian (HCA), Susie Baker (HCA), Tim Shaw (HCA), and Randy Linares (IWMD).
Pictured (bottom row, left to right) are Rita Castillo (A/C), Mary Maicki (HCA),
Jane Dick (HCA), Laura Feiner (HCA), Thanh-Tam Nguyen (HCA), Clay Dunlap (TTC),
Karen Bartchard (HCA), Kim Garman (HCA), Laura Ferguson (IWMD), Alice Apodaca
(HCA), and Kevin Van Otterloo (A/C).
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
"You have an urgent message from the Health Care Agency”—when you hear this, you have been contacted by the InLogic Notification System, the Health Care Agency’s Emergency Notification System.
In September 2005, HCA’s Health Disaster Management (HDM) Division initiated a plan to add every HCA employee into the Emergency Notification System. This undertaking required extensive training.
Maintenance Users were selected from each Division to be responsible for keeping the system up to date. Currently, more than 73 Maintenance Users have been trained and are actively working to keep the system current. Managers and Supervisors were also trained in the development and initiation of notifications, resulting in 106 trained Initiators in the Agency.
Using this notification, the Agency is better prepared to notify all staff during an emergency. For example, if a water main breaks inside a clinic, staff can be notified of an alternate work location through the InLogic system. All it takes is developing a message and a few clicks on the computer and everyone in the clinic receives a call.
In January 2006, HDM started monthly tests of the notification system. Some notifications are Agency-wide and others are initiated by Divisions or Programs. The purpose of the tests is to familiarize staff with the system and give them opportunities to practice responding to a notification.
The best feature of this system is that each HCA employee has a private personal profile of which they are responsible for keeping contact information up to date. Every employee should have their work phone, work e-mail address, Agency issued cell phone and one non-work related phone number listed. Non-work related phone numbers can be home phone or personal cell phone numbers. Each employee can have up to 20 different communication devices listed.
If an employee does not know their log-on information (user
name, password or web address), ask your supervisor for assistance. Programs who
desire in-service training should contact Vicki Bowman, HDM Operations Manager
by e-mail at vbowman@ochca.com.
HCA hosts China’s Public Health delegation
Orange County Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler and other HCA staff hosted 20 members of a delegation from the People’s Republic of China on March 5th, providing an overview on efforts to protect the public’s health in Orange County. The delegation consisted of physicians, hospital administrators and other public health representatives from a Chinese province with a population of approximately 80 million people. Also participating in the visit were Dr. Michele Cheung of Public Health Epidemiology and Assessment; Donna Fleming, Division Manager of Epidemiology and Assessment; Dr. Douglas Moore, Public Health Laboratory Director; and Richard Sanchez, Director of HCA Environmental Health. The group also visited a school food service facility.
Anaheim MTU celebrates grand opening
California Children’s Services (CCS) hosted an open house and dedication ceremony in collaboration with the Anaheim City School District on February 23rd to celebrate the opening of the new Mann Elementary School and Anaheim Medical Therapy Unit (MTU) located at 600 West La Palma Ave in the city of Anaheim. The new facility will provide CCS Medical Therapy Program services to the region’s disabled children and their families. David Riley, Assistant Director of the Health Care Agency, was a keynote speaker for the dedication ceremony.
MTU staff provided tours to those in attendance and explained how the program utilizes various occupational and physical therapy equipment to assist in the rehabilitative processes of clients. Visitors included members of the Anaheim City School District, HCA staff and community partners.
CCS is a statewide program of specialized medical care providing medical case management, physical and occupational therapy services and financial assistance for children with designated health conditions. For more information about CCS or to determine eligibility, call the program at (714) 347-0300 or visit www.ochealthinfo.com/public/ccs.
Assistant Director Dave Riley spoke during the Mann Elementary School
Dedication event on February 23rd and provided comments about the opening of the
new Anaheim CCS MTU at the school.
Assistant Director Dave Riley and Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler pose
with Anaheim MTU and CCS staff during the dedication and open house event held
on February 23rd. Pictured (back row, left to right) are Christina Kato, OT;
Marilyn Eldridge, LEA Consultant; Assistant Director Dave Riley and Public
Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler. Pictured (front row, left to right) are Laurel
Brooks, PT; Sandra Smith, Anaheim MTU Supervisor; Lynn Einarsson, CCS Chief
Therapist; and Andrea Tierney, OT.
Open house attendees were able to tour the new Anaheim MTU located at Mann
Elementary School and view occupational and physical therapy equipment while
touring the facility.
CCS staff visited the Anaheim MTU open house on February 23rd to tour the new facility. Pictured (left to right) are Sandra Smith, Anaheim MTU Supervising Therapist; Lynn Einarsson, CCS Chief Therapist; Dr. Miraj Hussain, CCS Medical Consultant; and Dr. Hoda Kaddis, CCS Medical Director.
Celebrating National Nutrition Month®
Celebrated each year during the month of March, National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
This year’s theme, “100% Fad
Free,” focuses on a long-term way to achieve and maintain a healthful lifestyle
rather than relying on diet fads that come and go, some only helping you lose
weight in the short-term.
To help celebrate National Nutrition Month® and place focus on this year’s theme, the American Dietetic Association offers the following tips to enjoy a 100% Fad Free lifestyle:
Develop an eating plan for lifelong health. Too often, people adopt the latest food fad rather than focusing on overall health. Get back to basics and use the Dietary Guidelines 2005 and MyPyramid, which can be found on the American Dietetic Association’s website at www.eatright.org as your guide to healthy eating.
Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture. A single food or meal doesn’t make or break a healthful diet. When consumed in moderation in the appropriate portion size, all foods can fit into a healthful diet.
Learn how to spot a food fad. Unreasonable or exaggerated claims that eating (or not eating) specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of foods may cure disease or offer quick weight loss are key features of fad diets.
Find your balance between food and physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness plus it helps to control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Food and nutrition misinformation can have harmful effects on your health and well-being, as well as your wallet. Registered dieticians are uniquely qualified to communicate current and emerging science-based nutrition information and are an instrumental part of developing a diet plan that is unique to your particular needs.
To learn more about National Nutrition Month® or to view healthy eating recipes and various health fact sheets for both adults and children, visit the American Dietetic Association’s website at www.eatright.org.
National Volunteer Week—
Recognize your Volunteers/Interns
Celebrated annually during the month of April, National Volunteer Week April 15-21, 2007 focuses on thanking one of America’s most valuable assets—it’s volunteers—and calling the public’s attention to all that they do to improve the country’s communities.
If you would like to recognize your program’s volunteers or
interns with a National Volunteer Week certificate of appreciation, please
contact the following individuals based on your service area:
Financial/Administrative & Public Health Services—Sylvia Goldie at (714)
834-6620 or by e-mail at sgoldie@ochca.com.
Behavioral Health, Regulatory Health and Medical & Institutional Health
Services—Amber Hannigan-Alford at (714) 834-4144 or by e-mail at
ahannigan@ochca.com.
National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Since then, every U.S. President has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. Additionally, governors, mayors and other elected officials have made public statements and signed proclamations in support of the observance.
April Health Observances
Alcohol Awareness Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Occupational Therapy Month
STD Awareness Month
National Public Health Week 2-8
World Health Day 7
National Volunteer Week 15-21
National Infant Immunization Week 21-28
Cover the Uninsured Week 23-29
2007 Walk America 28-29
SAFE KIDS Week 28-May 6
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
Public Health Week (April 2-8) Calendar of Events
Public Health Week Celebration – April 4, 2007
Presentation of Board of Supervisors Resolution and Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award and recognition of “Everyday Heroes”
A Public Health Week Celebration event will take place at the Health Care Agency’s Public Health Education Center located at 1729 W. 17th Street, Building E in Santa Ana on April 4 at 12 noon. Light refreshments will be served and displays showcasing this year’s theme of “Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the Nation’s Vulnerable Populations” will be available for viewing.
The event will feature guest speakers, including Public Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nancy Bowen and Chief of Public Health Operations David Souleles, and highlight “Everyday Heroes”—individuals selected by each program within Public Health who demonstrate outstanding dedication and commitment to the clients served by HCA. Also during the event, several presentations will take place including the Orange County Board of Supervisors resolution to declare April 2-8, 2007 Public Health Week in Orange County, as well as the announcement of this year’s recipient of the 2007 Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award.
Public Health Week Display
An exhibit showcasing information about the Health Care Agency’s programs and services, as well as photos depicting what Public Health does for the community will be displayed at the County Hall of Administration located at 10 Civic Center Plaza in Santa Ana during April 2-8. Careers in Public Health brochures will also be available on the display.
American Public Health Association “Faces of Public Health” Video
This video profiles public health careers and highlights what Public Health workers do and how their work helps to improve and protect the lives of those in their communities. The video is available by loan to the public by contacting HCA’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team (ADEPT) at (714) 834-4058.
March is National Social Work
Month
Celebrated each year in March, National Social Work Month draws attention to the efforts of professional social workers who strive to improve society by working with individuals in need of help with life’s challenges.
The most important role of a health social worker is to help the client and his or her family to understand the illness, work through the emotions of a diagnosis and provide counsel about the decisions that need to be made.
As we celebrate National Social Work Month, HCA would like to
thank the Agency’s social workers for your dedication and commitment to the
clients we serve.
For more information about National Social Work Month, visit the National
Association of Social Workers at
www.socialworkers.org.
Test Your Knowledge—2007 Public Health Week Quiz
This Year’s focus of National Public Health Week from April 2-8, 2007 is
“Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the
Nation’s Vulnerable Populations.” The American Public Health Association and its
partners will highlight the week by inspiring Americans to take the first step
toward preparing effectively for public health threats.
To start your celebration of Public Health Week, take the
following true-false quiz and answer the 12 questions below to test your
knowledge of public health facts and statistics relating to this year’s theme.
Visit the Agency’s Public Health Week webpage at
www.ochealthinfo.com/public/phweek/quiz.htm to submit your completed quiz
online by Friday, March 30. Those who answer all questions correctly will be
entered into a drawing to win fun prizes.
True or False?
1. If an earthquake takes place while you’re at home or work, the safest thing
to do is run outside.
2. Mold in the air outside can attach itself to clothing, shoes, bags and pets
and be carried indoors.
3. If the power in your home is out for less than 2 hours, the food stored in
your refrigerator and freezer is safe to consume.
4. One of the biggest needs of local food banks is volunteers.
5. Generators, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or
charcoal-burning devices are safe to use inside a home, basement, garage, camper
and outside near an open window.
6. Persons age 65 and over make up 13% of the population, but account for 23% of
all pedestrian fatalities.
7. It is a good idea to eliminate earthquake home hazards before an earthquake
happens.
8. A disaster plan should involve all family members and incorporate steps to
take care of pets in the event of an emergency or situation in which evacuation
is necessary.
9. At least 50% of sexually active men and women will get HPV (human
papillomavirus) at some time in their lives.
10. Smoke detectors should be checked once a year and batteries changed every
two years.
11. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a
three-to-one ratio.
12. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying
glass and falling objects.
HCA welcomes Dr. Nancy Bowen
HCA welcomed the Agency’s new Public Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nancy Bowen during an event held at the 17th Street Clinic’s patio area on February 26th. Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler provided remarks and welcomed Dr. Bowen to HCA. Event attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a continental breakfast and meet Dr. Bowen.
What’s my pay location?
If you need to pick up something from Payroll, many times the first question Payroll staff will ask you is, “What is your Pay Location?” This tells Payroll where to find your check, since each pay location is assigned a specific address and building number.
“Pay location” can also be referred to by the older term “TK” (for Time Keeping location). You can find your TK on your VTI timecard. Beginning on the left hand side of your timecard you will see AGENCY, ORG, and then PAY LOCATION. This piece of information is also required on all Mileage and Other Expense Claim forms. If omitted, your claim will be returned to you to fill out your TK.
For HCA employees, the first three digits of your pay location
will always be 042. If you change programs or locations you will most likely see
your TK change as well. This little tidbit of information is only important if
you don’t get something you were expecting in your pay, or if you need something
from Payroll. So look it up and keep it handy!
All comments and suggestions are welcome. Send yours to
HCAPAYROLL@ochca.com.
TECH TALK
Spam: The unwanted mail
Spam, what is it?
Growing up, Spam was always thought of as the meat hybrid that sometimes,
hopefully not often, showed up on the breakfast or dinner table. Today, within
our digital world, it is now defined as “E-mail that has been sent in bulk to
recipients who have not given permission for the message to be sent to them.”
Spam is also known as “Junk E-mail.” “Spamming” is the act of flooding the
Internet with many copies of the same message to multiple addresses. Spam
messages are usually commercial or fraudulent messages, and are quite often sent
with false return address information. Spammers will quite often fake the “From”
address of a message so that the message will not be returned to them in the
case of any problems. They can remain for the most part anonymous.
How did they get my address?
The first way a Spammer (or the person who sells the list to the Spammer)
gathers their list of addresses is to scan websites. They have automated tools,
which scan through web pages with the sole purpose of gathering E-mail
addresses. The addresses they gather are then added to a database, which may
then be sold to other Spammers. Small lists become larger lists. Sometimes the
Spammers will simply guess your E-mail address. The spammers are able to create
a list of domain names (the last part of your E-mail@ochca.com) and from this
list they will fire off thousands of random names. Some fail, however some hit
the mark.
Just make it stop!
One thing we do know is not to reply to these E-mails, ever! Those who reply and
ask the Spammer to stop, possibly guarantee themselves the membership to the
grand spamming of all spammers lists. Try not to leave your E-mail address on
websites when trying to access information. As I mentioned earlier, this is how
you are being found. Most of the time, you will just fall off the list if you
simply do not open, delete and ignore. If you are continually receiving a large
amount of spam, please contact the HCA Helpdesk right away. The Helpdesk will
send them off to the CEO Data Center where they are entered into a database to
filter them out and keep them from coming in again. However, since they change
identity often, it is not likely it will stop entirely. If you are receiving
only a few spam E-mails every once in awhile your best bet is to delete them.
Rest assured HCA IT is currently building methods to greatly reduce the amount
but to date there is no sure way to stop it completely, yet! For more
information, contact the HCA Help Desk at (714) 834-3128.
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