Talk about Healthy Work!

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Several employees at the HHSA North Central Regional Center were honored for saving the lives of fellow employees. Front row (left to right): Maria de la Paz Palma, Maria Casas, Mignonette Santos, Betty Ronquillo, Lisa Kellum and Isobel Kinsang. Back row (left to right): Aida Pinones, Angel Vazquez-Murillo, Lydia Manangan, Tanya Rowe and Peter Holmes.Recently Mignonette Santos found her co-worker on the floor. It appeared he had suffered a major heart attack.

What followed was a joint effort by several HHSA employees in the North County Regional Center that probably saved the man’s life. Talk about healthy work!

Isobel Kinsang quickly called 911. While emergency services were on their way, Peter Holmes and Aida Pinones checked that the victim’s airways were clear. Luckily a CPR-trained security guard, Maria de la Paz Palma, was nearby and started chest compressions. She was assisted by Public Health Nurse Angel Vazquez-Murillo.

Employees then used the AED (automated external defibrillator) machine to deliver an electric charge to restart the heart. This care continued until paramedics arrived. The employee was taken to the hospital and is now recovering in a rehabilitation facility.

These folks went way beyond “Work Safe, Stay Healthy.” Thanks to their training and enthusiasm, one of our co-workers is still alive.

It’s Tweenie Time!

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Kitten season’s here and that means another call for foster parents who can take care of tiny Tweenies.

Each year the Department of Animal Services (DAS) gets hundreds of kittens who are too young for adoption. The kittens are usually 4 to 8 weeks old and need foster care. These kittens are called Tweenies because they fall beTWEEN the ages of 4 and 8 weeks.

This program started in 2007 with 36 foster parents and 125 Tweenie kittens and has grown to over 110 foster parents and more than 500 kittens fostered last year. Now it’s time to help this season’s Tweenies.

Animal Services is looking for foster families who can care for these little ones until they’re 8 to 9 weeks old and can return to the shelter for spay and neuter and adoption at a robust 2 lbs! DAS loves to have County employees be foster parents to Tweenies because they have done such a good job in the past.

DAS supplies food, bowls, toys, litter and bedding. All you need to do is provide a home and snuggles. You can foster two or more of these babies but no singles as these Tweenies needs the companionship of their siblings.

If you have the time, desire and commitment to be a foster parent, raising young kittens can be very entertaining, rewarding and full of picture perfect moments. For more information on becoming a Tweenie foster parent, contact Department of Animal Services Volunteer Coordinator Marlena Young at (619) 767-2611 or Marlena.young@sdcounty.ca.gov .

Watch a CTN.org video below about a foster parent for pets, including some Tweenies.

 

CAC County Employees More than Meet the Challenge!

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The 28th Annual County Employees Blood Drive is off to a good start thanks to the donors at the County Administration Center. The drive kicked off Thursday at 10 a.m. and by the end of the day, the bloodmobile stationed outside the building exceeded its goal by 22 pints.  

There were 47 donations with 17 first-time donors. Last year, the total for this drive was just 25.

Four more County blood drive events are scheduled this month. If you’d like to help boost the numbers at those drives, check out the dates and locations below. You can make an appointment on line or walk-in. Remember, Lives Depend on It!    

Employees "Reach" New York, San Francisco

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Some are going to San Franciso or New York. Others just around their building or neighborhood. Some keep track of their miles. Others don’t. But they are all walking or running for wellness.

Earlier this year, we highlighted three walking/running clubs which sprung into action as a result of the County’s Live Well, San Diego! initiative.

We decided to check back with them to see how they are moving along.

The group of more than 50 employees at Behavioral Health Services (BHS) has practically taken a bite out of the Big Apple, having logged in a total of nearly 3,000 miles. The group walked a lot, recording more than 550 miles their highest week.

Yes, there were some “Are we there yet?” along the way, but the group reached their destination.

To make the trek to New York more interesting, they plotted their progress in a big map and even emailed group members tourist information of different places they passed along the way.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm,” said Sabrena Marshall, a BHS principal administrative analyst and one of the group organizers. “People seemed to enjoy the ‘virtual sightseeing.’ It’s fun reporting in and seeing where we are now.  It gave me a lot of incentive to walk.”

The group at the County’s ACCESS center does not keep track of their miles, but the 20 members of the unofficial club walk or run consistently on a daily basis.

“I couldn’t tell you the miles for the whole group but they are substantial,” said Taylor McDonald, human services specialist for the Health and Human Services Agency and leader of the group.

Aside from the walking club, he also leads a smaller group of runners. The members run after work and make sure they put in a 4-5 mile run at least once per week.

“It is very inspiring and amazing to see people who don’t usually exercise get out and run or walk,” said McDonald, who has been running four years and also participates in triathlons. “The most inspirational is seeing someone cross a finish line for a race, be it a 5k, 10k, or more.”

And what about the third group of walkers?

The County Communications Office decided to go north along the coast to San Francisco and walk/run the 500-mile trip. They too track their miles and walked a record 147 miles six weeks after the group began late last year.

As a whole, the group is on its way back from San Francisco a second time, having logged about 1,900 miles.

The competition between the top two walkers has become fierce, each trying to out walk/run each other. The leader, who runs before or after work and walks during lunch, has amassed more than 450 miles and is all the way in Santa Cruz. Her closest competitor—the communications specialist who was always at his desk and suspected of living in the office—is in San Simeon, about 100 miles behind.

But he tries to diminish the distance between them, walking twice every day and an average of 30 miles each week.

“I don’t like to be left in the dust,” he was recently heard saying.

The groups have now reached their destination. So what is the next step?

Jennifer Mallory, administrative analyst for BHS, just wants to keep on walking.

“We are going to turn around and head home…or maybe head on to Paris…or…,” she said.

Priceless Donations That Don’t Cost You a Cent

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You can save a life without risking your own or ever opening your wallet.

All it takes is a blood donation during the 28th Annual County Employees Blood Drive this month. It kicks off at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 5 at the County Administration Center downtown. In less than a lunch hour, you can make all the difference to a trauma patient or people who suffer from life-threatening blood disorders like aplastic anemia, sickle cell anemia and leukemia. You may even help one of our own.

Border Health Assistant Juan Olmeda organized the County blood drives for years never dreaming that he would need large amounts of blood. The 54-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. As part of his treatment, he needed two pints of blood a day. In all, he used at least 20 pints. The donations gave him the time he needed to find a matching bone marrow donor.

Olmeda says he’s lucky enough to come from a large family. His seven brothers and sisters were tested but only his younger sister, Lourdes, proved to be a 100 percent match for a bone marrow transplant. He underwent the transplant in 2010 and Juan returned to work early last year.

Olmeda is still on medication but he says his body is getting better day by day. He sees the doctor once a month instead of twice a week. “Thanks to this blood drive, I was able to work again. I’m not 100 percent but I’m going that way little by little.” 

Once again, he’s back at the forefront in organizing the County blood drive but with a renewed appreciation on the important of giving blood. He says you never know when you’re going to be on the other side and need blood rather than give blood.

“Now, it’s different. It helped me and it will help a lot of other people too,” said Olmeda. “It’s really simple to give. Everyone has blood, it’s a way to give back and help people at the same time.”

While Olmeda can’t personally give blood this year due to his medications, his extended family and his three children all donate.

The San Diego Blood Bank needs 400 pints of blood every day to meet demand. Although 80 percent of us will need a blood transfusion during our lifetime, only 5 percent of the U.S. population donates blood. While the County Blood Drive is the third largest for the region behind the Chargers and Comic Convention Drives, much more blood is needed.   

County Supervisor Greg Cox has been a donor for more than 30 years and has given 116 pints of blood.

“Every year, the San Diego Blood Bank depends on us and other donors for supplies,” said Supervisor Cox. “This is another way that we, as public servants, can make a difference. By donating blood, we can save lives.” 

This year, five County locations will host blood drives throughout the month of April. You can make an appointment on line or walk in to make a donation. Employees can use County time to donate by asking for their supervisor’s approval in advance.

As Olmeda says, you never know when you might need help. After all, if something happened to you or a loved one, wouldn’t you want to make sure there was enough blood?

Gas Saving Tips!

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OK, so gasoline prices have leveled off, but let’s face it, they’re still high and we know they’re on your mind.

In fact, a new CNN poll released Thursday reported that seven out of 10 Americans said rising gas prices have created hardship for their families and they expect prices to reach $5 a gallon.

So, last month we showed you how the County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures helps protect your wallet by constantly monitoring gas-station pumps to make sure that when you buy a gallon of gas — you’re actually getting a full gallon of gas.

But we thought you might also like to review tips from experts on the best ways to save gas. Many of us are already familiar with some tips, such as: “make sure your tires are properly inflated (under-inflated tires equal more road resistance and decreased mileage), and “drive smoothly, avoid quick starts and fast stops.”

But it’s always good to review. Here are a few other tips from experts (Popular Mechanics, AAA, Consumer Reports and even — Mythbusters!)

  • Find the cheapest gas in town by checking websites such as GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com. (You can also check out smart-phone apps like Gas Buddy and Fuel Finder.
  • Don’t buy premium gas unless your car actually requires it (Your owner’s manual and/or your dealer can tell you if it’s necessary). Most cars run just fine on regular unleaded!
  • Don’t carry junk in your trunk. You’re literally weighing yourself down.
  • If you can, leave for work before the rush so you’re not stuck in gas-guzzling stop-and-go traffic.
  • Keep up on your car maintenance. Tune-ups and new air filters can add extra miles to the gallon.
  • Drive the speed limit (OK, stop whining). Driving slower uses less gas. If you can’t drive the speed limit, slow down anyway and save!
  • Plan errands before you leave the house. Combine multiple errands into one trip — and hit the farthest distance first because a fully-warmed up car runs more efficiently.
  • Check for deals. Some companies like AAA and Costco (in partnership with American Express) will offer money back, travel or gift cards for using their credit cards to buy gas.
  • Pay cash for gas. Many gas stations tack on an extra 35 to 45 cents to use a debit or credit card.
  • Make right turns only. What? Mythbusters proved this works. When city-driving, don’t idle and waste gas at lights and stop signs when you can turn right and keep moving! Even if it takes you a few hundred yards out of the way, it will save.
  • Wash your car every now and then! A clean car actually creates less resistance and is more fuel-efficient!
  • Keep your truck tailgate up! There is information out there that says if you lower your truck’s tailgate, you’ll decrease drag and increase mileage. However, keeping it raised actually creates a vortex of air that will allow other air to pass over it with less drag. (Thanks, Mythbusters!)

 

 

Probation Officers Give Teens a Look inside Juvenile Hall

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Members of our Probation department last Saturday gave a select group of high schoolers a look at life inside juvenile hall, helping the teens understand how the justice system handles kids who break the law and introducing participants to careers in juvenile justice.

The tour, which included a lockup and a juvenile hall lunch, was part of Juvenile Justice Day at the Kearny Mesa Detention Facility and Juvenile Court next door.

The teens were from the Aaron Price Fellows program, which gives a group of students from local high schools a close-up look at government, business, and culture over four years.

On Saturday, the Fellows learned about juvenile dependency court, foster children and juvenile delinquency court from a range of speakers who included Presiding Judge Cynthia Bashant and a young man who had been in trouble with the law.

Supervising Probation Officer Alfonso Oceguera explained the purpose of the Probation Department, how juvenile hall is different from the County’s other youth detention centers and the rehabilitative programs for kids in and out of custody.

Once inside the detention center, Probation staff amused and educated the kids, acting out life in juvenile hall. Some probation officers wore their regular uniforms, a few wore  standard-issue juvenile hall garb and played kids in custody.

Keep On Walking, but Time Running Out on 10,000 Steps Program

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Employees are taking not just a big step, but lots and lots of steps toward a healthier lifestyle. 

Our first Quarterly Wellness Challenge was to join the walking program 10,000 Steps, and thousands of you have taken us up on it.  When you register for the program you receive a complimentary pedometer and access to a website to track your steps each day.  The goal is to log at least 10,000 steps each day – roughly five miles.

While we hope everyone keeps on walking, the program will run only until March 31.  So that’s your deadline to sign up and get the free pedometer and at least a little time logging your steps online.

To help you keep up your regimen after the site is no longer available, we’ll post a Weekly Walking Log form on the Employee Wellness Site you can print out and fill in. 

In fact, that’s how CAO Walt Ekard has been tracking his steps.  He was this quarter’s executive sponsor and is definitely leading by example.  He shared one of his actual logs – you can check it out below.  He got in more than 76,000 steps that week.

We’re all busy, but if Walt can squeeze in an average of 10,000 steps a day, a lot of us can probably do so as well.  

So don’t miss out on the chance to get the pedometer: register for 10,000 Steps by March 31.  There’s a link from the InSite home page under the Employee Wellness section. 

Then – keep on walking!

Chance’s best friend says goodbye

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For nearly a month Manuel Salazar came to work early almost every day. Why? So he could walk Chance, the dog that was shot on the Viejas Indian Reservation and left for dead.

After Chance spent time at the VCA Emergency Animal Hospital he was brought to the County Animal Shelter.

Salazar was at work at the County Carlsbad Animal Shelter when Chance was brought in. The dog, a retriever mix, was very quiet at first, but “the next day he perked up.”

Chance went home with his new forever family, the Cavanaughs, Wednesday.

“He is perfect for the soul,” said Salazar, 35, “He is fantastic at making people happy.”

Salazar and Chance developed their special connection during their regular 15-minute walks. “I came in early to work just to walk him,” said Salazar who has worked at the shelter for 18 months. “There were very few days I missed.”

That bond was evident during Chance’s goodbye from the shelter. Chance ran to his former caretaker the minute he saw him.

Surprisingly, the father of two does not have any dogs, but says he loves life and has always cared for people and animals. Previously Salazar worked at a Texas animal shelter for eight years.

Is he sad that Chance is now with his new family?

“Yes and no. We know not to get too attached,” said Salazar. “Goodbyes are sad but it’s a new beginning for him, which is fantastic.”