What's Up Newsletter

As a Staff Specialist with HCA’s Health Disaster Management Division, Cynthia Estrada is responsible for a multitude of diverse tasks including assisting with event coordination and computer issues, handling corrective actions after emergency or disaster response-related exercises, tracking purchased items, and other activities associated with division functions. photo: Cynthia Estrada

“Cindy signifies the saying that an excellent support staff in any program is worth their weight in gold,” said Debbie Morton, Manager with the Health Disaster Management Division. “As an invaluable and dedicated team player, Cindy is also the go-to person when all else fails. Because of her knowledge and expertise regarding county functions and operations, she is able to quickly provide an answer to help solve an issue.”

Currently working on a team to ensure that the Agency’s Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) is ready to be activated in the event of a disaster, Cindy is also noted for taking challenges that she encounters and turning them into learning opportunities.

“Cindy takes a proactive approach to her work and in gaining new knowledge,” said Debbie. “She attends computer trainings and meets with HCA’s Information Technology and Purchasing programs to keep up with the latest procedures.”

Cindy has recently taken the initiative to train staff on HEOC messenger, Advantage and InLogic – notification systems used to contact staff in the event of an emergency. She is also involved in working with the California Health Alert Network or CAHAN, adding new members and sending notifications and reminders to HCA users.

As a graduate of the Southern California College of Business and Law where she received a Paralegal Certificate, Cindy has been with HCA for 7 years. She began her career with the Santa Ana Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Clinic and at the Custodian of Records prior to joining Health Disaster Management.

In her spare time, Cindy enjoys spending time with family and friends and notes that she clearly enjoys working with a group of dedicated employees in Health Disaster Management who make her job an easy one.

Congratulations to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Offsite Dose Assessment Center (ODAC) team members in Regulatory Health, the 2007 winners of the Steve Ambriz Team Excellence Award. This award was created to identify the qualities and characteristics of effective work teams, and to encourage teams to exemplify the principles of Enlightened Leadership and Team Excellence in creative and collaborative action.

LMC members interviewed the following nine members of ODAC to learn what has made them such a winning and effective team: Mike Haller, Sha Rashidi-Fard, Miloni Devani, Randy Styner, Dino Jerro, Robert Curtis, Stefani Waterman, Mike Vena and Mike Fennessy. The team also includes Jeff Warren, Shelley Wallevand and Michael Ramirez. The ODAC team describes themselves in these words: “This group of dedicated men and women are among the few who have taken the responsibility to charge toward the nuclear power plant located in southern Orange County during an emergency while everyone else is running... away from it.” They are responsible for making independent offsite environmental assessments and measurements, radiological evaluations, and protective action recommendations in the event of a release of radiation from the San Onofre plant. To do this successfully they collaborate with multiple independent jurisdictions representing federal, state and local agencies. These include Southern California Edison, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Camp Pendleton, California State Office of Environmental Safety, State Department of Health Services, San Diego County Health Department, City of Oceanside, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Animal Care Services and the Orange County Agricultural Services Program.

The ODAC team recently completed their biennial drill that was graded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA commended the team for a superior performance. The team described their accomplishment as being equivalent to a football team with a bunch of rookies making it to the Super Bowl and having their playbook replaced on the eve of the big game. ODAC members emphasized several important qualities that have made them such an effective team:

Spending time with this inspiring team also highlighted their sense of humor and comfort level with one another. They clearly represent
an enthusiastic and knowledgeable group of people who value one another, think positively and practice effective communication. Congratulations ODAC team!

Pictured (left to right) are Mike Fennessy, Miloni Devani, Sha Rashidi-Fard, Randy Styner, Dino Jerro, Robert Curtis, Mike Haller, Stefani Waterman and Mike Vena. Not pictured are Jeff Warren, Shelley Wallevand and Michael Ramirez.

On June 1st, Supervisor John Moorlach visited and toured the construction site of the future Back Bay Science Center on Shellmaker Island to learn first hand how various groups
including the Health Care Agency plan to use the new facility when completed. Currently housed in a portable trailer, HCA’s Water Quality and Public Health Laboratory will soon be among the first tenets to move into a new 3,800 square foot space, one of four wings at the facility, where staff will participate in testing water quality samples taken from Orange County’s beaches.

The Department of Fish and Game will also join HCA at the new facility utilizing three of the remaining wings for teaching, administration and storage. The Teaching Lab will feature a number of touch tanks and aquariums where grade-school age children can learn about the ocean’s creatures and habitats in an interactive experience. Supervisor Moorlach and his staff joined other attendees as they learned how water quality is tested and took part in viewing samples under a microscope. Larry Honeybourne from Environmental Health also provided an overview of the Water Quality Program and noted that approximately 40,000 water quality tests are conducted each year by the lab.

HCA staff including Agency Director Julie Poulson, Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler, Public Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nancy Bowen, Public Health Services Deputy Agency Director David Souleles, Public Health Lab Director Dr. Doug Moore, and Public Health Lab staff Marty Getrich and Joe Guzman donned hard hats while touring the soon to be completed facility along with members from the City of Newport Beach, Department of Fish and Game, Naturalists and Friends, and staff from the Back Bay Science Center’s construction company.

While touring the new 3,800 square foot Water Quality Lab, Supervisor Moorlach, Agency Director Julie Poulson and Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler pose for a photo.

Supervisor Moorlach views some bacteria growth on a sample placed under a microscope as Marty Getrich explains how water samples are retrieved and tested.

A member from the Science Center’s construction company explains the next steps in completing one of the wings inside the Newport Bay Science Center.

During the June 1st Shellmaker Island tour, HCA staff donned their hard hats and gathered for a group photo inside the new Water Quality Lab. Pictured (left to right) are David Souleles, Larry Honeyborne, Dr. Eric Handler, Julie Poulson, Dr. Nancy Bowen, Dr. Doug Moore, Marty Getrich and Joe Guzman.

Construction is near completion at the site of the Back Bay Science Center which will feature a new HCA Water Quality Testing Lab and Department of Fish and Game Teaching Lab.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Orange County Coalition for Health Educators (OCCHE) held an event at the Country Garden Caterers in Santa Ana on April 26th and featured guest speakers Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler and Health Promotion Division Manager Amy Buch who commended health educators in their achievements and for their positive contributions to the community.

The informative event included presentations by OCCHE members and Health Promotion staff who detailed various case study projects they were involved in, as well as a showcase of poster boards also illustrated by group members and staff.

Established in March 1997, OCCHE is a voluntary organization that encourages collaboration among professionals in all of health education, which includes health educators, health associates and health assistants.

Since its inception, OCCHE has created and established the Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award; originated the proclamation and commemoration of Public Health Week in Orange County; and initiated and organized the Safe Healthcare Coalition of Orange County resulting in the formulation of the Safe Healthcare Project. OCCHE also continues to participate in altruistic activities and events throughout the year.

Founding members of the Orange County Coalition for Health Educators gathered at the Country Garden Caterers in Santa Ana on April 26th to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary. Pictured (left to right) are Mubula Naku, MPH; Sara Murrieta, PhD; Nancy Clifton, MPH; and Felicia Rivers. Not pictured is Juan Montes, MA.

More than 1,100 HCA employees completed the on-line Compliance Survey this year. We are pleased with the response rate of 43% which is an increase from the 38% response rate in 2006.

Over 100 individuals took the time to write specific comments, suggestions, as well as criticisms. This annual survey gives HCA employees a chance to tell us how well they understand the Compliance Program and identify areas that need special attention. Compliance Update

In 2007, 98% of respondents indicated that they understood the purpose of the Compliance Program and that the Code of Conduct is clear and easy to understand. Over 98% of respondents were aware of the policies and procedures related to their job and over 96% indicated that they would report compliance concerns to a supervisor/manager, the Office of Compliance or other appropriate area. Nearly 96% of respondents felt that the HCA Management Team supports the goals and objectives of the Compliance Program and the Code of Conduct.

Consistent with prior surveys, HCA employees report that fear of retaliation would deter reporting of compliance issues. Nevertheless, about 94% of HCA employees participating in the survey indicated they would still report a compliance concern. While this pattern is similar across the healthcare industry, HCA encourages open communication with the Office of Compliance and has an established a non-retaliation policy to prohibit retaliation for good faith reporting of a compliance issue.

The Agency’s non-retaliation policy is taken very seriously by the Executive team and the Office of Compliance. All reported allegations of retaliation are thoroughly investigated. Although the details are confidential, appropriate disciplinary action has been taken where retaliatory actions could be substantiated by HCA Human Resources and the Office of Compliance. The Non-Retaliation Policy is posted on the Office of Compliance Policies and Procedures Intranet webpage at http://balsam/intranet/compliance/p&p.

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

Orange County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Health Disaster Management Division celebrated EMS Week 2007 from May 20-26 by partnering with several local agencies and community organizations to plan a month-long celebration featuring free health-related services and demonstrations for the community.

The EMS program also hosted its annual EMS Recognition Awards at Bash Auditorium located at Western Medical Santa Ana, which recognized individuals from fire departments, ambulance companies, and hospitals that provide emergency services to residents and visitors to Orange County.

The month-long series of EMS Week events, which included blood pressure screenings, fire safety training, child passenger safety seat inspections and drowning prevention/ water safety to name a few, culminated in the annual tailgate celebration and Angels vs. Baltimore Orioles game at Angel Stadium on June 2.

Free hot dogs and refreshments were provided during the celebration as visitors enjoyed viewing law enforcement, fire and ambulance vehicles. EMS day at Angels Stadium proved to be a success again this year as fans later packed the stadium to see the Angels defeat the Orioles that evening.

Hot dogs, hot dogs and more hot dogs! A volunteer helps to grill hot dogs in preparation for the start of the EMS tailgate celebration at Angel Stadium on June 2.

Volunteers from the Orange County Sheriff’s Junior Explorer program helped to assemble hot dogs in anticipation of visitors to the annual EMS Week tailgate celebration on June 2 at Angel Stadium.

Agency Director Julie Poulson, her husband Randy, Terre Duensing and Dr. Eric Handler joined in the day’s festivities of the EMS Week tailgate celebration and later saw the Angels defeat the Orioles that evening.

Tailgate Celebration attendees enjoyed visiting several fire and paramedic vehicles on display where they also received free fire helmets.

The famous Squad 51 vehicle from the television show “Emergency!” debuted at the Angel Stadium tailgate celebration on June 2. The TV show was based on the Los Angeles paramedic program which began in 1969. Squad 51 soon became known to many as a symbol for the fire service paramedic program.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently selected HCA’s Health Disaster Management Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) for a 2007 Achievement Award along with six other Orange County agency departments and acknowledged them for implementing effective and innovative county programs that promote quality and responsive county government.

Orange County’s MRC is vital to enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities for the County through advanced registration, organization and training of volunteer health professionals and non-medical individuals. These volunteers can be readily mobilized to respond to a major emergency or disaster, whether man-made or natural, when the existing health infrastructure is overwhelmed and unable to provide needed medical care in a timely manner. The program is also integrated into the County’s disaster plan for expanding the ability to handle unusual increases in patient volume.

The Orange County Health Care Agency believes in enhancing the level of citizen participation, as well as reaching out to community businesses, senior citizen communities and other Citizen Corps Volunteer Programs that will bring mutual aid resources together.

Highly respected at the State, National and local levels, the Orange County MRC program is one of 36 registered Medical Reserve Corps Programs in California which focuses on disaster preparedness. It is sponsored by the Office of the Surgeon General in cooperation with the White House’s USA Freedom Corps and the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizen Corps. Orange County’s MRC represents 400 of the 5,961 MRC volunteers in California.

Pictured (left to right) are Health Disaster Division Manager Terre Duensing and MRC Coordinator Peggy McCormick.

It’s easy to figure out how many miles to claim on a Mileage & Other Expense Claim form when you drive from your assigned office to a county business-related meeting or appointment and back again. It’s simply the number of miles driven round trip. However, what if your appointments prevent you from coming into the office for the whole day? Or, what if you drive directly from home to an appointment before coming into the office?

Keep in mind that mileage between home and your assigned office is not claimable. For example, you live 10 miles from your assigned office, and on a particular day you have appointments in the field and never make it into the office. If you drive 47 miles that day, you can claim 27 miles (since 20 miles round trip between work and home are not claimable). However, if you only drive 17 miles, your total miles do not exceed 20 and, therefore, there are no miles to claim.

If you drive directly to an appointment from home and then come into the office, only the miles you normally drive to work are subtracted. Again, if you live 10 miles from work, if mileage between home to the appointment and then from the appointment to work totaled 25 miles, you could claim 15 miles. This also applies if you were to leave work early to go to an appointment and went directly home afterwards.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

Any mileage used for personal reasons cannot be claimed. Using the first example above, if you drove 47 miles in one day, but drove 5 miles for lunch, you may only claim 22 miles.
Do not rely on online driving direction services such as Yahoo!, MapQuest, Google, or MSN to calculate mileage. Your car’s odometer is the most reliable source.

Trips made from home to an assigned work location may be claimable when such a trip is unanticipated, required and/or ordered and occurs outside the employee’s normal work hours and normal work schedule. Several examples may be helpful:

An employee who is called while home to return to work to cover a vacant shift would be able to claim his/her mileage for the trip from home to the work location and back home.
An employee who is scheduled to work at a time/day outside their normal work schedule would not be able to claim the mileage for the trip from home to the work location and back home.

The difference between these situations is that in the first example the trip to work is unplanned/not scheduled and in the second example the trip to work is planned/scheduled.

For questions regarding minimum mileage reimbursement, mileage for volunteer services, and much more, please visit the HCA Intranet under Forms, Payroll and review the HCA and County Wide Instructions. For all other questions, please call (714) 834-5744, M-F from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and by email at HCAPayroll@ochca.com.

HCA staff, family, and friends joined together to walk for a cause at the 21st annual Orange County AIDS Walk. Staff from HCA’s HIV Planning and Coordination unit, which administers federal and state funds for the provision of HIV services in Orange County, along with staff from the HCA HIV Clinic, REACH (Risk Reduction, Education & Community Health), and program support, formed the “Walk with CARE” team. They joined numerous other organizations, agencies, and private teams in a combined effort to raise funds and to provide support to the growing HIV/AIDS community in Orange County. “It was great to see so many people get involved and show support in response to the local HIV/AIDS epidemic” said Tamarra Jones, Program Manager for HIV Planning and Coordination.

As of December, 2006, an estimated 3,500 Orange County residents were living with AIDS and an additional 2,706 are estimated to be living with HIV. Between 2005 and 2006, the number of people living with AIDS in the County increased by 4%. Due to the continual increase of local HIV/AIDS prevalence, fund raising is becoming increasingly critical to maintain services available to people living with this disease.

AIDS Walk continues to be one of the largest local events to raise funds to provide much needed services to people living with HIV and AIDS in Orange County, as well
as provide education to prevent the spread of HIV in the community. This year, AIDS Walk was extremely successful, exceeding the set goal amount by raising more than $700,000. To learn more about Orange County AIDS walk, visit www.aidswalk.org/oc.

Pictured (back row, left to right) are Sarah Corella, Sheila Refoy, Calandra Park, Chip Pope, James Booth, Craig Aguilara, Audrey Oland, Matt Aguilara and Donna Fleming. Pictured (front row, left to right) are Jianna Jones, Tamarra Jones, Jane Chai, Katherine Chai, Irene Magana, Nathan Huynh, Gus Pope and Coolleen Brody-Pope.

Months of planning and hard work has paid off for HCA Juvenile Health Services, which has gained formal program accreditation from the California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality.

Official word was received in early July that Juvenile Health had been granted a two-year accreditation on June 28th, following the May 4th survey of Juvenile Health Services programs at Juvenile Hall and the four County camps where services are provided. “This is exciting news and is a reflection of the dedication and commitment of the entire staff of Juvenile Health Services,” said Maureen Robles, HCA Institutional Health Services Manager. “We are pleased that the survey team recognized the achievements of our staff and HCA’s emphasis on improving the medical care and health services provided in the County’s juvenile facilities.” The goal of seeking accreditation for Juvenile Health Services was originally the vision of former HCA Institutional Health Services Manager Frank Madrigal. The Institute of Medical Quality’s standards cover the full spectrum of medical, psychiatric and dental care. Standards must be met in six areas: Administration, Personnel, Care and Treatment, Pharmaceuticals, Health Records and Medical/Legal Issues. These standards have been developed over years of accreditation experience and achieving the standards requires close cooperation between Juvenile Health Services staff, probation department personnel and facility managers. “When we kicked off this effort in October 2006, we knew that it would take teamwork on the part of every Juvenile Health Services staff member to achieve accreditation,” said Mark McDorman, Juvenile Health Services Program Manager. “We are very pleased with this recognition by the Institute of Medical Quality and we will work hard in the future to maintain our accreditation and the standard of care that it reflects.” Staff from Juvenile Health Services who served on the Accreditation Committee and played a key role in the accreditation effort will be saluted at July’s HCA Employee Recognition event.

HCA staff enjoyed light refreshments during the Juvenile Health Services accreditation kick-off event held at Juvenile Hall on October 23, 2006.

HCA’s Preventive Health Care for the Aging Program recently underwent a name change and is now called Preventive Health Care for Adults (PHCA) to represent the new target population which has been expanded to also include baby boomers, those aged 0 and above. The new name change and expanded target population was recently announced by the California Department of Public Health’s Preventive Health Care for the Aging program which has provided services to low income and ethnic minority seniors
in the community who have limited access to health care since 1973. “PHCA has been funded by the State of California and Orange County since 1976 and has provided free health assessments, screenings, education, counseling and referrals by public health nurses,” said Judy Ogan, PHCA Coordinator. “Through individualized health care plans, participants identify health problems, find needed health services and learn preventive health practices. Providing this type of support helps participants change their habits and behaviors so that they may live healthier, more fulfilling lives and avoid the costs of chronic diseases.”

The program also provides free community health promotion and education activities such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol screenings. Other program offerings include chronic disease self-management classes and special clinics which include hearing screening, skin assessment and flu shots/immunization services. “These free services provide access to early detection of risk factors that contribute to chronic disease. Through referral and health care management processes, participants are linked with providers and community resources,” said Ogan. During the last fiscal year, 62% of Orange County’s clients received referrals and more than 8% of those were for potential medical problems. Of the completed referrals for a potential medical problem, 9 % resulted in a new diagnosis or treatment.

For more information about HCA’s Preventive Health Care for Adults Program or to make an appointment for services, call (714) 972-3745.

Behavioral Health’s Cultural Competency program named Mari Hill, RN with Patients’ Rights Advocacy Services as the recipient of their May 2007 Spotlight on Excellence Award. Mari is acknowledged for being instrumental in implementing dynamic multilingual patients’ advocacy services for HCA’s Orange County clients by offering advocacy, assistance and interpretation of mental health laws to monolingual patients, as well as their families. She additionally runs multilingual groups in both Spanish and English at several locations throughout the County including jail facilities on a weekly basis. “This type of assistance provides our patients with seamless quality during treatment, ensuring successful discharge and return to the community,” said Mari. “Dignity and respect are the cornerstones of recovery in mental health; advocacy work allows me to remove one more barrier to success for both the monolingual patient and their families.” Mari has been a registered nurse since 97 specializing in Mental Health since 1980 and joined the county six years ago. She also received a 2006 “Bravery for Heroic Measures” Red Cross medal for her contributions in helping to save a 3-week old baby during Hurricane Katrina.

Pictured (left to right) are Ronnie Kelley, Mari Hill, Barbara Rocha and Rafael Canul.

The June 2007 Cultural Competency Spotlight on Excellence Award was presented to Michael Merryman from Behavioral Health’s Patients’ Rights Advocacy Services during
a June 27 Orange County Mental Health Board meeting. Michael is noted for his dedication in serving HCA’s clients and for ensuring language access rights for consumers, particularly with Vietnamese speaking clients and families where he provides assistance in understanding the legal and medical privileges of patients. He also follows the notion that dignity and respect are the basic cornerstones for all HCA clients throughout the healthcare system. Michael began his career with HCA in January 200 serving as a Mental Health Specialist for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (ADAS) Fullerton Clinic. In November 2001, he began working in his current position at Patients’ Rights Advocacy Services.

Pictured (left to right) are Ronnie Kelley, Michael Merryman, Barbara Rocha and Rafael Canul.

The Magnificent Chargers once again participated in this year’s annual MS Walk held on April 14 at UCI and helped to raise $2,946 in donations for the MS Society exceeding the team’s collection last year. Team Captain Shehrnaz Irani sends a big “Thank You” to all who supported her team in achieving this goal.

Pictured (back row, left to right) are Tony Nguyen, Linda Le and Jim Oka. Pictured (bottom row, left to right) are Shehrnaz Irani, Kathy Clark, Denise Westrick and mascot Hannah.

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
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