Moorea was adopted from the Department of Animal Services in October of 2009. Since then, she has donated hundreds of hours as a certified Pet-Assisted Therapy cat. On July 16, Moorea was recognized as the Pet of the Year by the California Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Hall of Fame. The photos are of her trip to San Francisco to accept her well-deserved recognition.
San Diego County is home to four species of rattlesnakes, none of which you want to step on!
Ranger Patricia Heyden has a rattlesnake that she keeps in a wooden box. It's not exactly her pet, but they've been together for over a decade. Meet them and find out how to protect yourself form the bite of this venomous snake.
The San Diego County Library recently reached a national library milestone of circulating more than 10 million items in one fiscal year.
The figure includes all check outs and renewals of library materials beginning on July 1, 2009. The library more than doubled its circulation over the past five years, having only circulated 4.1 million items in FY 2004-05, and saw a two million circulation increase from FY 2008-09.
This achievement places the Library in the top 25 circulating libraries in the nation.
The County of San Diego’s newest Academy is the Professional Enrichment Seminars.
This new career development opportunity is a five-week training experience designed to prepare the County's top frontline employees for the important role they play in the organization's future. This exciting new training experience will be held quarterly and replaces the previous Administrative Support Academy. The program features the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a world-renowned professional development course that helps individuals:
In addition to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, participants will also attend courses on Strategic Planning, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DIBBS, Customer Service, Conflict Resolution, Change Management, Business Writing and Presentation Skills, which includes an end-of-program project presentation.
The cost of the Professional Enrichment Seminars is only $150.00. If taken through a private organization, the cost for the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People program by itself can cost more than $2,100!
By attending the Professional Enrichment Seminars, employees will gain the knowledge and tools they will need to become highly effective employees. This training experience will ensure that County employees enhance their productivity, improve communication skills, strengthen relationship building skills and manage change in the workplace.
Contact your Departmental Human Resources Officer to find out more about the nomination process. Additional information on the Professional Enrichment Seminars can be found at (http://cww.co.san-diego.ca.us/dhr/Web-Training/PES/index.html).
If you have additional questions, please contact Andrew Strong at Andrew.Strong@sdcounty.ca.gov or (619) 578-5758.
With childhood obesity numbers through the roof, parents in America are now expected to outlive their children. And preventable chronic diseases account for 57 percent of deaths in San Diegans.
Today, the County took the first step toward lowering those deaths, when the Board of Supervisors approved the groundbreaking Health Strategy Agenda, which promotes healthy lifestyles with its own County employees and the community.
Part of the Health Strategy Agenda is the “3-4-50” concept. Throughout the nation and locally, three behaviors – poor nutrition, lack of exercise and tobacco use - are the three main causes that lead to four diseases: heart disease/stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes and respiratory conditions, such as asthma, which account for than half of deaths in San Diegans.
“A recent White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity study found the country spends nearly $150 billion a year just on obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke,” Chairwoman Pam Slater-Price said. “Just imagine that figure if we include tobacco-related diseases, such as lung cancer. The good news is that we all can do something to help turn around these top health threats and live longer, more fruitful lives.”
“By taking responsibility for your own health in changing your diet, exercising more, and not smoking, people would live much longer with a better quality of life. And health care costs to taxpayers would be significantly reduced,” said Nick Macchione, director of the County Health and Human Services Agency. “We’re really excited in expanding our existing collaboration with the health care provider community, residents, and business partners in improving the region’s preventive healthcare system.”
The County Plan focuses on four major areas:
Changing the culture with its own employees is the first step the County plans on tackling before rolling out its plan out to residents. Living a healthy lifestyle lowers sick days and reduces health care costs.
Find out more about this plan by visiting the Health Strategy Agenda web page or watching this video:
Have you ever thought about adding animals to your garden oasis? Love the idea of fresh eggs or unlimited "compost?"
Chickens have long been a staple of the farm, but many are now flocking to urban backyards. CTN.org met up with Shelly Stewart, who tends to a flock in the heart of San Diego.
The newly restored Sikes Adobe Farmhouse is open after three years of rebuilding and getting some help from the County. CTN.org got a look inside.
The County of San Diego won Emmy Awards in six categories at the National Television Arts & Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter Emmy Awards held June 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel downtown San Diego.
Employees of CTN.org and two other County employees won Emmy awards for two “Oxy Abuse Kills” public service announcements written for the 2009 launch of the new multi-agency task force focused on prescription drug abuse awareness.
Erica Holloway, communications director for San Diego County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, Aaron Byzak, Supervisor Slater-Price’s former health policy advisor, and former CTN.org producer Joe Solazzo received an award in the Public Service Announcement category for both “Oxy Abuse Kills” spots.
CTN.org producer James Kecskes took home an Emmy award for Editor Short Form for “Oxy Abuse Kills – Flashes.” Solazzo also received an Emmy award in the Director for Individual Short Form category for this spot. The PSA shows a teenage girl reaching for a bottle of OxyContin in a medicine cabinet and flashing to a future of drug abuse causing her to recoil from the bottle and close the cabinet door.
Holloway and Byzak also won Emmy awards in the Writer Short Form categories for the PSA “Oxy Abuse Kills – Loaded.” In this PSA, a teenage boy is depicted taking a bottle of prescription painkiller OxyContin out of a medicine cabinet while making plans with a friend. As the teenager closes the medicine cabinet, the pill bottle appears to turn into a gun.
In the Education category, CTN.org Producer Suzanne Bartole, won an Emmy award for “Water Babies,” a story on the teaching babies and small children how to swim. The story features swimming instructors, toddlers and their parents discussing the benefits of the program and water safety at the Murray Callan Swim School in Pacific Beach.
The County Office of Emergency Services (OES) won an Emmy Award in the Children Program or Special category for its “Tsunamis: Know What to Do!” The 3-D computer animated short features a teacher crab instructing his students on how to recognize the signs of a tsunami and what they should do in that event. OES staff Susan Asturias, Ron Lane, Herman Reddick and former staffer Paul Olsen were all Emmy award recipients. David Kalwick and Chris Neuhahn from Absolute Zero animation company were also honored with an Emmy award, as was Rowanne Karapogosian for vocals on the project.
The annual Emmy Awards presentation is an incentive for television professionals to strive for excellence and focus attention on outstanding cultural, educational, technological, entertainment, news and informational achievement. The Pacific Southwest Region includes the California counties of San Diego, Bakersfield, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
It’s 
summer break, a time when many school-aged children are preparing to get away to summer camps. For South Bay families of children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord Injuries and other muscle diseases, it can be a difficult to find safe and affordable local activities.
Recognizing that need, the California Children Services’ Chula Vista Medical Therapy Unit offered a “camp” experience to children with disabilities last week. This therapy unit is a San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency facility that provides free physical and occupational therapy to more than 300 children ranging in age from newborns to 21 years old.
The children served there have conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injuries. The therapy unit is located in space provided by the Chula Vista Elementary School District at the Greg Roger Elementary School.
Last week, children participated in different camping stations to earn merit badges. Activities included modified versions of tricycle races, fishing, inner tubing, archery, s’mores-making, crafts and more. The physical and occupational therapists adapted each activity so children of various disability levels can participate.
View a slideshow here.
It's being called an epidemic. Pertussis, a.k.a. whooping cough, is back in the news these days and the County of San Diego is reminding everybody to get vaccinated.
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