issue 08-05
May 2008
Inside this issue …
County reorg presents new opportunities
A recent reorganization approved by the County Board of Supervisors has created new professional opportunities, with the Health Care Agency’s Deputy Agency Director for Financial and Administrative Services selected to lead one of the new County entities.
The appointment of Steve Franks to serve as the first Director of OC Community Resources was announced April 8 by County Executive Officer Tom Mauk. In his new role, Steve will be responsible for overseeing several County departments including OC Community Services (formerly Housing and Community Services), OC Public Libraries, OC Parks and Animal Care Services. “While we will miss Steve here at the Health Care Agency, we are thrilled about this exciting opportunity for him and wish him the best in his new position,” said Agency Director Julie Poulson. “Steve has made tremendous contributions to the Health Care Agency and we know he will be equally as successful with OC Community Resources.”
Stepping into the role of Deputy Agency Director for Financial and Administrative Services is Bob Wilson, who joins HCA after serving most recently in a management capacity with OC Facilities. There, he was responsible for overseeing a number of essential County operations including transportation, facility operations, property management and real estate. Bob has almost 34 years experience with the County of Orange, beginning his career in 1974 as a Systems Analyst with the County Administrative Office. During the county bankruptcy, he served as an Assistant CEO for two years, and has also served with the county’s waste management and housing programs. “I’m very happy to be here and look forward to this learning experience,” Wilson stated, noting that the health care field presents a new challenge. “I like change and I’m very interested in learning more about the Health Care Agency’s programs and services.” Wilson has also been impressed with what he has seen from the Health Care Agency over the years. “There are a lot of people here who are very dedicated to the human services side of public programs. I see that enthusiasm and dedication to the job as what public service is all about.” Away from the office, Bob enjoys gardening, golf and playing softball, but his dedication to serving the public shines through. “While there will be some challenges ahead, hopefully my experience in almost 34 years with the County will help us to meet those challenges.”
HCA also extends its best wishes to all of the staff of Animal Care Services, formerly Orange County Animal Care Services, in their new role as part of OC Community Resources. While the name may have been changed, we know the dedicated staff at Animal Care will continue to do their best for the people, pets and other animals that call Orange County home! .
Pictured (left to right) Steve Franks, Julie Poulson, Bob Wilson, Dave Riley
2008 Gerald A. Wagner Award presented to Pope
Congratulations to Ana Maria Pope, RN, MSN, a Nurse Practitioner in HCA’s Special Disease Services/HIV Program on receiving the 2008 Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award.
Ana is noted for the role she plays as an advocate for her clients by showing initiative, leadership and clinical competence in extraordinarily complicated cases of HIV management and care. She is especially helpful to HCA’s HIV positive Latino patients who often have limited English speaking capabilities.
She additionally provides safe, quality care and extensive patient education, case management and counseling skills for HCA’s HIV pregnant women and transgender patients.
Ana has also enhanced her development as a professional nurse practitioner in the field of HIV by attending medical lectures and conferences, and often encourages and notifies other staff of upcoming educational opportunities or informs them on the new skills and practices she has learned.
As noted by her colleagues, Ana is a master at multitasking and is a devoted nursing professional who is willing to assist the Agency’s clients in any way she can. She often contacts patients outside of clinic hours to make sure they receive important laboratory testing results, as well as medication information.
The Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award was first established in 2000 by the Orange County Coalition for Health Educators (OCCHE), and honors Orange County professionals who have demonstrated excellence in the healthcare field. OCCHE was founded in 1997 to promote health and provide leadership in order to improve the health of the community through education, policy, collaboration and consultation. .
Dr. Gerald Wagner presents the Gerald
A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education
Award to Ana Maria Pope, a Nurse
Practitioner in HCA’s Special Disease
Services/HIV Program.
…more photos from Public Health Week
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| Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman John M.W. Moorlach presented a resolution recognizing Public Health Week 2008 to Agency Director Julie Poulson. | Public Health Nurses Sandy Asche, Marilyn Geller, Jane Hannah and Judy Ogan were among the HCA staff recognized as Public Health Everyday Heroes. |
Pay attention to potential conflict of interests
As members of the Health Care Agency (HCA) team, we should
always try to act in the best interests of the County’s citizens. This includes
avoiding conflicts of interest or the
appearance
of conflicts of interest between our personal interests and the best interests
of the County or our clients. The best way to prevent conflicts is to recognize
potential conflicts before getting involved.
To help spot potential conflicts, a few examples are listed below:
Using County property for private advantage. This could be as blatant as stealing office supplies for home use, or it might be using software which is licensed to the County for private consulting work.
Using prestige or influence of County employment for personal gain. This could include using your position with the County to steer business to a supplier who offers you a discount on future purchases for personal use. Another example could be overseeing a County contract or agreement with a company that employs your spouse or other close relative.
Using confidential information acquired through employment for private gain or advantage. An example could be sharing a vendor’s pricing information to get a lower price from another vendor. The second vendor would have an unfair advantage with the confidential information available to a County employee.
Accepting money or other consideration for performing an act required for your job. For example, in appreciation for receiving assistance from HCA, a person or a business might inappropriately offer an expression of gratitude such as a reward, gift certificate or other item of value.
Conflicts of interest are not always clear cut and often require careful analysis. Report any concerns or potential conflicts of interest to your supervisor, manager, HCA Human Resources or the Office of Compliance so that appropriate solutions may be implemented. For additional details on Conflict of Interest, please refer to the HCA Code of Conduct available on the HCA Intranet at http://balsam/intranet/compliance/code.asp or contact the Office of Compliance at (714) 568-5614.
Quote
People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.
—Abigail Van Buren
Family Health Clinics’ Reach Out and Read Program
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Family Health’s reading program has been a great addition to the
waiting room at the 17th Street facility. Gathered around the reading
table are (l-r): Ken Cheong, Family Health Clinic Program Manager;
Estela Alvarado, Volunteer Reader (holding red book); Lilliana
Dominguez, Medical Assistant; Genny Ceballos, Medical Assistant;
Feve Rios, Medical Assistant; Cathy Smith, Nurse Practitioner; Connie DelMundo MD, Family Health Acting Medical Director; and Maria Vega, Volunteer Reader, (seated with book in hand). |
An innovative program developed by a group of individuals from Public Health’s
Family Health Division is helping to address some of the very real challenges
facing many Orange County residents who struggle to read.
The idea to create and implement a literacy program for the Family Health Clinics started with a brainstorming session to select a PIP goal and was the brainchild of Cathy Smith, a nurse practitioner who realized that reading aloud is one of the most important things that parents can do to help their children develop early literacy skills. Working with Dr. Connie DelMundo, Public Health Medical Officer and Acting Family Health Medical Director, Cathy selected something that would have a positive impact on the children who come to the clinic for medical care.
Cathy contacted Reach Out and Read, a national non-profit that promotes early literacy, and then worked with local partners to set up an initiative within the Family Health Clinics. Through a wonderful example of collaboration, the Children and Families Commission of Orange County provides the funding for new books, the Early Literacy Program provides volunteer readers, and the Family Health Clinics provide the location and the staff to organize the books and reinforce the importance of reading.
The results have been incredible. Children gather around the readers in the clinic waiting areas, listening attentively to stories, and parents who cannot read are encouraged to interact with their children by looking at the pictures—thus fostering a parent-child bond. The nurses, medical assistants, and nurse practitioners use their clinical exam time to talk to parents about the importance of reading to their children, and just as routinely as giving shots, they give every child a book.
In the last 6 months, volunteer readers provided over 300 hours of reading to the children in the Buena Park and Santa Ana Family Health Clinics, and in 2007, the clinical team gave out over 5,500 books. For some children, these are the first books they have ever received. One family who recently moved here from Africa said they were so happy to get the book, sharing that it was their first present they had gotten since arriving in the United States.
Many parents have thanked the clinic staff for the added service now offered. They are pleased, and even surprised, to see their children listening to the reader—it’s as though the program has created a calming effect in the waiting room. Parents have told clinic staff that they’ve been won over by the way readers make the stories in the books ‘come alive’ and that it has inspired them to make time at home to start reading to their own children.
Although a book may seem like such an ordinary gift, the Family Health Clinic’s Reach Out and Read Program staff are extraordinary individuals. With every book they give, and with every teaching moment they have with their clients, they’re providing the foundation that is needed to help build a stronger Orange County and ensure improved literacy for our families. A special thanks to Cathy Smith, NP; Shirley Halbur, NP; Lyvia Villegas, NP; Lily Dominguez, MA; Genny Ceballos, MA; Sandra Alvarez, MA; Feve Rios, MA; Connie del Mundo, MD; Quynh Gredig, SPHN II; and Ken Cheong, Program Manager, for making this program a success. Also essential to the success of the program are the contributions of the volunteer readers: Minerva Garcia, Estela Alvarado, Maria del Carmen Vega and Kimberly Duran.
Home Safety Month
Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
National Aphasia Awareness Month
National Scoliosis Awareness Month
National Scleroderma Awareness Month
Vision Research Month
National Cancer Survivors Day 1
National Headache Awareness Week 1-7
National Men’s Health Week 9-15
Sun Safety Week 8-14
Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week 22-28
National HIV Testing Day 27
Quote
Home is not where you love, but where they understand you.
—Christian Morganstern
Awards Ceremony recognizes employees
HCA employees received recognition for their years of dedicated service at an Employee Recognition Awards ceremony held on May 1 at the County Hall of Administration. The following is a list of service awards presented:
5 Years of Service—6
10 Years of Service—47
15 Years of Service—26
20 Years of Service—11
25 Years of Service—4
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| Celebrating 20 years of County service, Jeannette Granados and Shannon Vecchione from Medical and Institutional Health Services received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Institutional Health Services Division Manager Maureen Robles during the Employee Recognition Awards held on May 1st. | Mitch Cherness and Lucille Cardwell of Behavioral Health Services received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief of Behavioral Health Operations Mary Hale for 20 years of County service. |
15 Years
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| Medical and Institutional Health Services staff pictured (left to right) Jasminka Depovic, Kelly Paulson, George Stupecky, and Janet Snow celebrated 15 years of County service and received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Institutional Health Services Division Manager Maureen Robles. | Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief of Quality Management David Thiessen congratulated Alaka Nafday on celebrating 15 years of County service and presented her with a certificate and pin to commemorate the occasion. | |
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| Public Health Services staff pictured (left to right) Dora Ponce, Gloria Trejo, Emma Chavez-Valle, Elizabeth Arroyo and Martha Dominguez celebrated 15 years of County service and were recognized during the May 1st Employee Recognition Awards by Agency Director Julie Poulson and Public Health Services Division Manager Tony Edmonds. | Carl Funke of HCA Information Technology received recognition for 10 years of County service from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief Information Officer Teri Schultz. |
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Behavioral Health Services staff members Aida Sanchez-Nunez and
Steven Johnson received a certificate and pin to commemorate 15 years of County service from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief of Behavioral Health Operations Mary Hale. |
10 Years
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| Celebrating 10 years of County service, Curtis Condon of Quality Management received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief of Quality Management David Thiessen. | Celebrating 10 years of County service, Senior Comprehensive Care Nurse Samuel Stephens received a certificate and pin from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Institutional Health Services Division Manager Maureen Robles. |
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| Public Health Services staff members pictured (left to right) Lorena Bogarin, Herm Perlmutter, Jocelyn Garduno and Hsien Rung T. Tseng received recognition from Agency Directory Julie Poulson and Public Health Services Division Manager Tony Edmonds for their 10 years of County service. | Financial and Administrative Services Staff Specialist Adrienne Newman celebrated 10 years of County service and received a certificate and pin to commemorate the occasion from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Deputy Agency Director Bob Wilson. | |
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| Behavioral Health staff pictured (left to right) Cheryl Pitts, Diane McDowell, Valerie Soppet, Dorothy Hendrickson, Kevin Litfin, and Richard Gardea celebrated 10 years of County service and received a certificate and pin from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Chief of Behavioral Health Operations Mary Hale. | Alfredo Valle of Health Disaster Management celebrated 10 years of County service and received recognition from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Health Disaster Management Division Manager Terre Duensing. |
5 Years
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| Celebrating 5 years of County service, California Children’s Services Division Manager Mary Davis received a certificate and pin from Agency Director Julie Poulson and Public Health Services Division Manager Tony Edmonds. |
Celebrating 5 years of County service, Tuan Q. Tang from HCA Information
Technology received a certificate and pin from Agency Director Julie
Poulson and Chief Information Officer Teri Schultz during the May 1st
Employee Recognition Awards. |
IT serves up new way to help yourself
The HCA Service Desk has recently embarked on a new service program called “Self Help.” This new program is designed to let HCA staff solve many of the easier technical issues themselves without calling the Service Desk. The program is actually twofold, explained John Crane, Manager of IT Support Services. “Not only does this get folks on their way quickly, but it also frees up the phone lines for our staff to stay on the line longer to dig deeper into complex technical issues. It has taken a lot of preparation up front but it will be worth it in the end.”
The first of the tools to be implemented is the Self Help Video. These step by step tutorial videos will walk customers through things like setting up their E-mail and adding a Network printer. These videos can be watched repeatedly and the video tutorial can be performed simultaneously with the actual task. See these videos at http://balsam/intranet/it/videos.
Coming this summer is the introduction of a second tool in our Self Help support strategy, the “Self Password Reset Tool.” With this new tool, the Service Desk will now offer every customer the ability to reset their own password, which is pretty handy if you forget your password after a long vacation, and who hasn’t done that? Stay tuned for more information as the rollout gets closer.
Behavioral Health staff recognized for service
Staff members from HCA Behavioral Health’s Centralized Assessment Team (CAT) and Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) were recently honored by two local agencies for the outstanding services they provide to the community in partnership with local law enforcement. The staff members selected for recognition, Jim Dempsey and Lance Lindgren, were among those saluted for their roles with programs that provide emergency psychiatric evaluation services, as well as assisting individuals in accessing needed community services through linkage and referral.
Jim Dempsey was acknowledged this month by the Orange Police Department. Jim is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who rides with the Orange Police Department two days per week. He was recognized by Orange Police Lieutenant Patrick Thayer for his efforts in providing crisis intervention services to those individuals with a mental illness. Jim’s ability to help the disabled get needed services has directly resulted in fewer calls for service and disturbances in the community of Orange.
Lance Lindgren is a Mental Health Specialist who rides with the Westminster Police Department four days per week. He was recognized during the annual OC Human Relations Commission Awards event along with staff from the Westminster Police Department and Adult Mental Health Services for their “Ride-A-Long” partnership of police officer and mental health clinician. The Westminster PERT program was the first of its kind in Orange County and has resulted in an improved, collaborative response to the needs of those in the community with mental illness.
Lance Lindgren (lower right), a Behavioral Health Services
mental health
specialist, was among those honored at the annual OC Human Relations
Commission Awards. Others in the picture include (front row) Annette
Mugrditchian, Adult Mental Health Services Division Manager, and
(back row l-r) Andy Hall, Westminster Police Chief; Mike Chapman, Police
Lieutenant: Dave Bridgewater, Master Police Officer; and Greg Masters,
Behavioral Health Service Chief.
Quote
A problem well stated is a problem half solved.
—Charles F. Kettering
Two Health Care Agency programs recently announced their move to a new location in Downtown Santa Ana. Both the County’s Employee Health Services and the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Office have moved to 600 W. Santa Ana Boulevard from their former location in the 405 W. 5th Street Building.
Employee Health Services is located at 600 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Suite 405 and has a new phone number, (714) 565-3780. The MHSA office is located is Suite 510 of the same building and can be reached by telephone at (714) 667-5620. The 600 W. Santa Ana Blvd. building is located on the south side of Santa Ana Boulevard between Ross and Parton St.
Your 15 Minute Break! What will you do with
it?
Down through the ages, the demand on our bodies for daily survival has steadily decreased; we have no lions to run from, we have no hunting to do … just an occasional stroll to the coffee pot or the printer as we spend our days in office spaces (see the table below). At home, our routine errands and activities don’t always get our heart rate up either. As our daily caloric expenditures continue to decrease, we must find ways to keep our activity levels steady so that those extra calories don’t add up.
What can we do to burn more energy? Two times a day, every day, we are given the opportunity to fit some fitness in:
Use your 15-minute breaks
Here are three great ideas for increasing the energy you expend during your workday breaks:
Start a Walking Club
Get your co-workers together to start your own walking club! It’s a great way to
add some fitness minutes to your daily activity goals.
LIFT OFF! 10-Minute Physical Activity Breaks
The UCLA School of Public Health Center to Eliminate Health Disparities has
created a project designed to “integrate physical activity into the workplace
and other organizational settings, requiring minimal disruption of routine.
…Activities include a series of basic exercises that can be easily performed by
individuals of varied fitness levels at varying levels of intensity, with
minimal risk of injury.”
Lift Off! is a great way to increase productivity, burn some calories and have some fun! If you are interested in becoming a HCA Lift Off! Leader, contact Health Promotion at (714) 834-2572.
Climb Some Stairs
Taking the stairs is one way to put a “lift” in your physical routine. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, “repetitive stair climbing is
a muscle strengthening activity that doesn’t cost anything. So when you use your
15 minute break to climb the stairs,* it is possible to expend (burn) 100
calories** without spending a dime. That is a much better deal than the price of
a super grande frozen mocha coffee drink.
* Based on continuous, moderate movement of a 150 lb person for 15 minutes
** Refer to www.nutribase.com/exercala.htm for more information
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Average daily energy EXPENDITURE estimates |
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| 1 million years ago | Hunters-gatherers | 5000 calories |
| 10,000 years ago | Agriculture | 6000 calories |
| 1915 | Laborers | 3000 calories |
| NOW | Office workers | 1800 calories |
Where do I get direct deposit forms?
The forms are available on the County Intranet website. Under Reference Information, click on Claims & Disbursing. Under Payroll, find Payroll Forms and click either on Payroll Direct Deposit Authorization or Payroll Direct Deposit Cancellation.
How do I change my Direct Deposit?
If you currently have direct deposit and need to change financial institutions or account numbers, you will need to submit both forms: the Payroll Direct Deposit Cancellation form to cancel your old account, and the Payroll Direct Deposit Authorization form to set up your new one.
You must submit the cancellation form to Central Payroll as soon as you close your bank account. If your payroll funds have already been transferred to your old institution or account, Central Payroll must wait for the funds to be returned to the County’s bank before issuing a paper paycheck to you.
Where do I send the completed forms?
Do not fax or send forms to HCA Payroll. Submit the appropriate form either through the County’s pony mail to Central Payroll, Building 12, Room 304, or by US mail to Auditor-Controller/Disbursing Unit, P.O. 567, Santa Ana, 92702.
Can I have multiple bank accounts on my direct deposit?
No, the current system only supports one bank account for direct deposit.
How long will it take for my direct deposit changes to become effective?
Once Central Payroll receives your completed authorization form, it will take
about two complete pay periods before you see your funds deposited directly into
your account.
In the meantime, you will receive a paper paycheck while your account
information is validated. Unless you notify and request HCA Payroll in advance
to mail your paycheck to your home address, or for HCA Payroll to hold your
paycheck for you to pick up, your paycheck will be delivered to you by the
Timekeeper at your pay location.
For all questions related to direct deposit, please email askdisbursing@ac.ocgov.com.
For general payroll questions, please contact HCA Payroll either by email at HCAPayroll@ochca.com or by telephone at 714-834-5744 (7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday).
May 25th is Memorial Day—Did you know …?
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)
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
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