issue 09-02
February 2009
Inside this issue …
PH microbiologists chosen for grant-funded training
Six public health microbiologists, including five from HCA, are currently participating in a traineeship program funded through a Preparedness grant designed to provide future public health microbiologists with the training needed to work in the State’s numerous public health laboratories.
The Orange County Public Health Laboratory located in Santa Ana is currently hosting the six trainees for the next six months. Their training consists of lectures, laboratory exercises, identification of unknown samples and written examinations. They will also be spending time in each section of the laboratory including bacteriology, virology, parasitology, mycology, molecular biology, food microbiology and water quality.
The five HCA lab assistants and a fellow from the National Centers for Infectious Diseases (NCID/CDC) /Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Emerging Infectious Diseases fellowship program receive the training from HCA Supervising and Senior Public Health Microbiologists. All HCA lab staff have additionally been helpful by providing coverage in areas where staff has been temporarily reassigned to the training program.
The trainees were selected from among applicants who had college degrees in Microbiology and who met the qualifications set by the State Laboratory Field Services office. If they successfully complete the training program, trainees will be eligible to become certified by the State of California as Public Health Microbiologists.
Trainees spend time in each section
of the Public Health Lab
including the areas of bacteriology, virology, parasitology, mycology,
molecular biology, food microbiology and water quality.
The six trainees are pictured with
Senior Laboratory Assistant
Aisling Morgan. Pictured (clockwise) are Sean Buono; Aisling
Morgan; Angelica Andres; Cynthia Aye; Sophia Serrano; Cindy Wong;
and Audrey Manalo.
HCA Intranet has moved to new home
Effective January 28, the HCA Intranet (Balsam) moved to a new web address at intranet.ochca.com. Be sure to update your website links if you use the Intranet address as your home webpage when going online. The Intranet now resembles the look of the County Internet, but its content remains the same.
For any questions regarding the new web address or to report invalid/missing links to content, contact the Office of Quality Management via e-mail at publicinfo@ochca.com.
Hats off to the HCA workforce for completing Compliance Training at a record setting pace. More than 2,000 people have completed training so far.
March is just around the corner. Please make sure that everyone completes the 2009 Annual Employee Compliance Training by March 12, 2009.
This mandatory Employee Compliance training is required for all HCA regular, extra help, and Personal Service Contract employees. The 2009 Annual Compliance Training covers several topics including Compliance Investigations and Organizational Culture, Cash Handling, Information Security, HIPAA, and New Privacy Laws.
If you have not completed 2009 Annual Compliance Training, you can start by: Visiting one of the sites below:
Visiting one of the sites below:
intranet.ochca.com/compliance/training (HCA Intranet),
ochealthinfo.com/training (HCA Internet).
Select the 2009 Annual Compliance Training link.
Review the training, then complete the final test questions (all questions need to be answered in order to get credit for completion of training).
Click on the certificate image.
Fill out the questions on the linked page.
Read the Annual Compliance Training acknowledgement statement in red and press certify.
Print out the certificate, enter your information, sign, date it, and keep for your records. Make copies and provide to Supervisor/Manager if necessary.
If you have additional questions, call the Office of Compliance at (714) 568-5614.
Creating a healthier Orange County
The Orange County Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative (NuPAC) recently participated in a Parents for Healthy Neighborhoods Fall 2008 Workshop held in the city of Orange for local parents and community members to showcase how to turn parking lots into play areas, the benefits of family meals and how to give a nutrition class to other parents. Additionally, seven Orange County moms were honored as “Champions for Change” and received medals to recognize their efforts in encouraging their children, communities and other parents to make healthy choices and being physically active.
Parents need to take an active role in improving the health of their families and communities. In Orange County, it is estimated that almost 50% of adults and 40% of children are overweight or obese. Obesity can lead to serious disease like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Eating more fruits and vegetables, reducing calories and being active are critical to reversing the obesity epidemic.
“Too many of our kids are becoming overweight and getting diabetes and other health problems,” said Teresa Vazquez, 2007 “Champions for Change” mom. “Parents need to take charge of their children’s health.”
NuPAC is a community-based organization that provides leadership and coordination in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and food assistance. A component of NuPAC includes a Parent Empowerment Initiative that links with the Network for a Healthy California – Champions for Change public health campaign, led by the California Department of Public Health. Throughout the state, there is an effort to have everyday mothers educate their neighborhoods and communities about ways to eat healthier and be more active.
For more information about the Network for a Healthy California – Orange Region, visit the HCA Nutrition Services website at ochealthinfo.com/Public/nutrition/nupac/nupac.htm or contact Anna Luciano, Regional Project Director at (714) 834-8673 or by e-mail at aluciano@ochca.com.
Seven Orange County moms received
the designation as a
"Champion for Change" mom and received medals from Orange
Unified School District Superintendant, Marsha Brown and 2007
"Champion for Change" mom Teresa Vazquez during a workshop
held in November 2008. Those recognized were noted for their
efforts in taking charge of their children’s health and encouraging
other parents in their communities to do the same.
Wagner Award nominations due March 13
The deadline to submit applications for this year’s Gerald A. Wagner Excellence in Health Education Award is Friday, March 13.
HCA is once again partnering with the Orange County Coalition for Health Education (OCCHE) to celebrate Public Health Week during April 6-12, 2009 with this year’s theme “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America.”
We invite you to nominate a health care professional who practices in Orange County and demonstrates exceptional commitment to health education responsibilities in their delivery of health services to the community.
Health care professional titles that would be considered for this award include: Medical Doctor, Dentist, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Social Worker, Psychologist, Public Health Nurse, Registered Dietitian, Health Educator and related staff, Physician’s Assistant, Teacher and Allied Health Professional.
To nominate an individual, please complete and return the nomination form. Nominations are due on Friday, March 13 and can be sent to:
Elena Guzman
Orange County Coalition for Health Education
630 North Broadway, Ste. 127
Pony Mail: Bldg. 12HP
Santa Ana, CA 92701
E-mail: Eguzman@ochca.com
Fax: (714) 834-6770
For more information about National Public Health Week, visit the American Public Health Association’s website at www.nphw.org.
HCA contributes to huge success of ‘08 United Way!
The 2008 United Way Campaign was again a huge success thanks to contributions and donations from HCA employees. An estimated $25,325.70 was raised by HCA which includes payroll deductions, donations and special events.
Two popular events held each year are the HCA Executive Team Basket Silent Auction and Executive Team Lunch which took place this time at the Old Orange County Courthouse and featured Jerry’s Woodfired Dogs. The 2008 basket auction included many exciting day/weekend trips; dinner and lunch at popular restaurants; coffee, cooking and UCLA enthusiast themed items, as well as outings to dinner theatres and theme parks to name a few. Thanks to the assistance and coordination of Prity Thanki, Executive Team United Way Coordinator, the two events combined raised a total of $5,683.
The OC Idol competition was also a hit again this past year and included several HCA employees who tried out as Idol hopefuls. The event held at the Hall of Administration Board Hearing Room, which consisted of the tryouts, semi-finals and finals, raised a total of $1,818. HCA congratulates Rick Dale from Behavioral Health Services on being named the 2008 OC Idol.
HCA would like to thank the following division United Way Coordinators and Agency Representatives for helping to make the 2008 United Way Campaign a success:
Elena Guzman and Veronica Ramirez – Agency Representatives
Maria Corona
Mia Delgado
Thu Do
Dorothy Hendrickson
Dagmar Himmler
Donnie LaPlante
Rena Murillo
Maggie Rawlins
Martha Schlegel
Prirty Thanki
Denise Westrick
Held annually, the United Way Campaign provides an opportunity for County employees to help offer solutions for the most critical human care service needs in the community. For more information about United Way, visit the organization’s Orange County website at www.unitedwayoc.org. Stay tuned for upcoming 2009 United Way Campaign events and fundraisers.
One of the popular events held
again during the 2008 United Way
Campaign included the OC Idol competition. Public Health Services
Deputy Agency Director David Souleles emceed the event and
congratulated HCA’s Rick Dale on being named the 2008 Idol.
Pictured (left to right) are David Souleles, Laura Sudlow and Rick Dale.
New Emergency Response Training Program offered
HCA’s Health Disaster Management Division has launched a new emergency response training program designed to help Agency staff respond to a disaster affecting a County building or worksite.
The Government Employee Response Team Training, or GERTT for short, is modeled after the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs offered by many cities as a way to involve the public in preparing for and responding to a local emergency. Similar training programs are offered by the Red Cross for businesses and private worksites. HCA’s program incorporates elements unique to the Agency’s mission and responsibilities, such as Behavioral Health concepts and use of personal protective equipment.
Kerri Fogh, HDM’s Health Strategic Operations Center (HSOC) Manager, says HCA is the only County agency they are aware of that is offering this type of a training program to its employees. Under this concept, employees are trained to be responsible for their co-workers and the public after an emergency at a County building or worksite until first responders arrive. One of the prerequisites for participants is CPR training, with the actual program featuring five training modules. Each of the modules takes about three hours to complete, with a class size of 25 to 30 participants. These modules instruct participants in building a team for disaster preparedness; triage and basic search and rescue skills, including the proper way to move an injured person; fire safety and evacuation plan development; and disaster first aid and the behavioral health aspects of an emergency. The final module is a test of what participants have learned through participation in a hands-on exercise, featuring the simulation of injury victims using moulage techniques.
Members of HCA’s Behavioral Health Disaster Response Team are the first individuals to participate in the GERTT program and bring to the class their experience assisting with real-life emergencies such as wildfires and earthquakes.
Government Employee Response Team
Training will help prepare
Agency employees to care for their co-workers and the public in the
event of an emergency at a County facility. The first group of Agency
employees, representing the Behavioral Health Disaster Response
Team, are currently participating in the program.
February is American Heart Month
Each year, the American Heart Association designates the month of February as American Heart Month. It’s a time for learning about cardiovascular health, about risk factors and about warning signs of a heart attack or stroke. It’s also a time to look at your lifestyle choices and determine whether you need to make changes for your own heart health.
Fifty percent of men and two-thirds of women die from a heart attack without having any previous symptoms. Learn how to keep your heart healthy by leading a healthy lifestyle. Start by being physically active, developing good eating habits and taking advantage of preventive health screenings. Participating in these activities can significantly help to reduce the onset of heart disease.
Help spread the word about the effects of heart disease and encourage others about the benefits of leading healthy lifestyles. For more information about American Heart Month or for more helpful tips and resources in preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke, visit the American Heart Association website at www.americanheart.org.
National Brain Injury Awareness Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Kidney Month
National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month
National Nutrition Month
Save Your Vision Month
Social Worker Month
National School Breakfast Week—2-6
National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week—15-21
American Diabetes Alert Day—24
World Tuberculosis Day—24
Quote
Great things are not something accidental, but must certainly be willed.
—Vincent Van Gogh
Quote
No better relation than a prudent and faithful friend.
—Benjamin Franklin
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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