How to Save a Life in a Sitting

County to Host Joint Blood/Bone Marrow Registry Drive Tuesday

Lymphoma survivor Marsha Cook, a Land Use/Environmental Planner III in DPW's Watershed Protection Program, with her brother. Cook received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from him.

It started with a few subtle symptoms.

County employee Marsha Cook noticed her right shoulder had been sore for a while. A lymph node in her neck had become swollen, too.

Within weeks, Cook, a Land Use/Environmental Planner in the County’s Watershed Protection Program, learned she had a type of cancer called follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is one of the more common forms of lymphoma, which is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymphatic system, according to a National Institutes of Health webpage on the topic.

“It was sort of prolific in my body, but I wasn’t having any severe symptoms, said Cook, who was 42 at the time of diagnosis.

Her reaction? “How do we fix it?” she wanted to know.

Remarkably, eleven years later, Cook is in remission and working full-time. She credits a bone marrow transplant and blood transfusions she received during the depths of her illness for saving her life.

Cook is telling her story in an effort to encourage other County employees to participate in a blood and bone marrow registry drive Tuesday. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the County Operations Center, at 5560 Overland Ave., First Floor Training Room (Room 171), San Diego. Appointments are recommended for blood donations through this San Diego Blood Bank signup webpage. Those interested in joining the bone marrow registry can drop in.

Both County employees and the public are welcome to donate blood and join a bone marrow registry operated by Be The Match nonprofit. Testing for one marrow is easy – just get your cheeks swabbed. County officials expect this to be just the start of an ongoing partnership between the County and Be The Match. Additional joint drives are planned for Sept. 12 at the Fallbrook Community Center, Oct. 10 at the San Diego Superior Court in El Cajon, Dec. 9 at the County Operations Center, Dec. 12 at the Fallbrook Community Center and Dec. 17 at the North County Regional Complex in Vista.

Board of County Supervisors Chairman Greg Cox is among those who plan to donate blood at Tuesday’s event, and Supervisor Bill Horn plans to join the bone marrow registry.

Cox has been a stalwart supporter of blood donation efforts over the years, donating more than 16 gallons so far. He wasn’t surprised County employees had found yet another way to help others, this time through the bone marrow registry.

“County employees are very generous, whether it be donating blood or contributing through CECO to help those less fortunate,” Chairman Cox said. “This marrow donor registry drive is another way to help those who need help, and maybe save a life.”

Horn’s inspiration came from a battle against leukemia fought by the spouse of one his policy advisors, whom he called a friend. The employee’s husband received bone marrow transplants, but unfortunately lost the fight.

“Because he had no siblings, he and his wife turned to Be The Match to help locate a possible donor,” Horn said. “A match was finally identified and he received two bone marrow transplants. He tragically lost his battle with cancer, but he had a fighting chance thanks to the kindness of a stranger.” 

The samples collected Tuesday will help Be The Match widen its life saving database of potential bone marrow donors. Marrow donors are urgently needed to save the lives of patients with diseases like leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia, according to Be The Match.

Juan Olmeda, Communicable Disease Investigator/Border Health Assistant in HHSA's Office of Border Health, says he is alive today because of a bone marrow transplant. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009.County employee Juan Olmeda said he, too, is alive today in large part because of a bone marrow transplant he received from his sister in 2010. The 55-year-old Communicable Disease Investigator/Border Health Assistant was diagnosed with leukemia the prior year. Though Olmeda is mostly back on his feet, his recovery has been challenging: Olmeda said the color in his cheeks is still not what it once was. He said he bruises easily and has to cover his skin when he goes in the sun.

But he has learned so much, and wants to use that newfound knowledge to help others. He wants County employees who are dealing with similar health issues or facing a bone marrow transplant to know he is available to talk or provide support.

He said he feels incredibly grateful, calling his sister his guardian angel.

“She gave me my life back,” he said. “I feel like I need to do that for other people.”

His story was one of a few featured in this San Diego Blood Bank video.

Cook, too, wants to use her experience to help others. She said she wouldn’t be alive today if her brother hadn’t donated bone marrow that she was able to receive in 2006. She said she’s extra grateful because herbrother hates needles and can’t stand the sight of his own blood.

“For him to be so afraid” and still do this for her meant so much, Cook said.

“I feel very lucky,” she said.

For more information on the bone marrow drive or to get involved, contact Shelley Baker at Be The Match at 714-296-8479 (cell) or sbaker@nmdp.org or visit the organization’s website. For more information on the blood drive or to sign up, visit the San Diego Blood Bank’s online signup webpage or general website or call 1-800-MY-4SDBB(469-7322).

They've Got Zumba Fever

They took matters into their own hands.

After a simple DVD purchase a group of HHSA employees in Escondido were able to continue their Zumba-filled quest to Live Well uninterrupted.

The County’s Department of Human Resources began offering Zumba, Boot Camp and yoga classes for employees recently, but those classes took a break during the month of July and this group of employees wanted to quench their thirst for Zumba.

Elvie Bernales, a principal administrative analyst, decided to take action so she went out and purchased a Zumba DVD.

“We like Zumba here and wanted to continue the momentum,” she said. “A lot of people got excited that we were doing this and signed up to work out with us.”

They’ve even inspired HHSA employees in Oceanside to start a Zumba class using a DVD.

The County-sponsored Zumba lessons were taking place once a week on Wednesdays, but the employees got even more ambitious. They work out with their DVD twice a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 at the North Inland Administration building.

“It’s a really good workout,” said Bernales. “It’s a fun way of getting fit.”

Even though the County-sponsored classes resumed last week, the DVD-fueled group is continuing as a complement.

According to Bernales, the group will work out with the instructor once a week and a second day with their DVD.

“It’s like were a Zumba family now,” said Bernales. “The more I do it, the more fit I get.”

Mentor Program Forges Lasting Bonds

 Mentors and mentees celebrated the completion of the Mentor Partnership Program at a ceremony last week at the COC. From left to right: Mentee Amber Tarrac, a Legislative Assistant II in the Office of Supervisor Dianne Jacob; Mentor Dennis Gibson, Assistant Treasurer-Tax Collector; and Mentee Mavette Sadile, a Departmental Technology Systems Specialist for the Treasurer-Tax Collector.

One pair read the headline-grabbing, bestselling book “Lean In,” by Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, and then talked about their impressions. They also learned about how to read body language.

Another duo came to rely on each other for advice about both the professional and personal. They became friends and plan to stay in touch.

The most common refrain expressed by participants in this year’s Mentor Partnership Program was an appreciation for the candor and honesty shared in one-on-one meetings. Mentees said they loved learning both the successes and mistakes made over their mentors’ years of experience on the job.

In all, more than 200 County employees were recognized Thursday at a ceremony marking the completion of the second round of the program.

CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer delivered the keynote address, explaining that her own career had been heavily influenced by a mentor from a previous job years earlier. She shared some pieces of wisdom she learned then, including the importance of setting bold goals, staying curious on the job and being able to distill your goals and messages in a succinct way. She said her mentor also emphasized personal ethics, and the idea that they are the only thing you spend every single minute of every single day with for the rest of your life.  

“Here I am, years later, still thinking about these things today and I think the same thing will happen to you as you reflect back on the last six months and what has hopefully been a good pairing for you,” Robbins-Meyer said.

Started last year, the program is aimed at helping the County’s next generation of leaders and managers reach their career goals. The program matches up mentors and mentees, and the pairs proceed to meet one-on-one for a minimum of four hours a month over the course of six months. The program won a 2013 NACo Achievement Award.

Department of Environmental Health Director Jack Miller, who acted as a mentor in the program, spoke with Helmer Rodriguez, a Senior Real Property Agent in the Department of General Services, following last week's ceremony. Rodriquez was a mentee in the program.

As Baby Boomers begin to retire in increasing numbers, including many County employees, the Mentor program helps ensure a diverse, well-qualified pool of internal candidates are ready to step into those roles. Mentors say they also learn a great deal through the experience.

In remarks at the start of the ceremony Thursday, Human Resources Director Don Turko said this may represent the official end of this round of the mentor program, but that he hoped the relationships formed over the prior months would carry on.

“For mentors, being a mentor really never stops, it is a continuing commitment,” he said. “And hopefully for mentees, this is the beginning of a journey of self-discovery and growth that leads each of you to become a mentor yourself one day.”

Plans are in the works for another session of the Mentor Partnership Program next year. The video below, produced by the County Communications Office, features some of this year’s participants.

Got Live Well?

When Anita Walia was an intern at Palomar Health’s Community Outreach she attended a presentation on the County’s efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of all local residents.

Walia, who was a graduate student at San Diego State University working on a master’s degree in public health, found the campaign exciting and decided to learn more about it.

 Her interest in Live Well San Diego was so great, she became a student worker with the Health and Human Service Agency’s (HHSA) North-Inland Region. She wanted to see what she could do to promote Live Well San Diego.

For the past 18 months, she has been the project coordinator for HHSA’s Communities of Excellence (CX3) in Escondido, which aims to improve access to healthy foods, increase physical activity and prevent obesity. CX3 is managed by HHSA’s Public Health Services.

“It’s a great obesity-prevention project that involves residents of low-income neighborhoods in assessing access to healthy food in their community,” said Walia, 25. “Residents use the information gathered to advocate for healthy change.”

Walia works with students from local schools who are members of the Escondido Education COMPACT, one of HHSA’s many partners in that community. COMPACT has been offering teens and young adults work readiness and employment skills training for more than 25 years.

So what is it like working with young people?

Walia said students bring a different perspective on obesity and how it affects them and their families.

“Young people are an underutilized resource,” said Walia. “Working with students is great. The youth voice is actually very powerful because they really know what is going on in their communities.”

Last year, Walia led a group of COMPACT students who spent several months assessing Escondido’s Mission Park neighborhood to find out whether healthy foods were easy to get and whether it was safe to walk in the area.

The group canvassed four fast-food restaurants and determined the majority of items being advertised on their windows were foods high in fat. The students also visited four grocery and convenience stores and found few healthy options. They walked and analyzed 16 blocks in the area and found lots of graffiti, cracked sidewalks, and not enough clearly marked pedestrian crossings at some busy intersections, which made crossing it difficult and unsafe.

The students also took part in a message development and media training before taking their findings to the Escondido City Council, which was impressed with the students’ presentation.

This summer, Walia is recruiting more students to continue and strengthen the work being done in Escondido. 

“They are so inspiring and motivating. They want better and they know that their community deserves better,” said Walia, who lives and breathes Live Well San Diego. “I’ve also learned how important it is to build partnerships in the community. Without them we would not have had the success we’ve had.”

Walia not only eats healthy foods but she also lifts weights during the week and hikes on weekends.

“I try to practice what I preach,” said Walia, who has completed her master’s degree and hopes her student position leads to permanent employment as a community health promotion specialist. “I’ve spent the last year and a half developing partnerships and really getting to know the community. I think CX3 is a really great project and aligns with Live Well San Diego.”

On a Roll for Parks

County Parks volunteer Gardner Grady hits the trail on his mountain bike.

How does an avid mountain biker make sure his favorite trails are in tip-top condition? Why help to maintain them, of course, and that’s just what Gardner Grady does for the County Parks and Recreation Department. He rides an average of three days a week and puts some of that time, ten to 12 hours a month, into biking for Parks’ volunteer patrol team. He’s proved to be so valuable a volunteer the County Board of Supervisors gave Grady a proclamation Tuesday and recognized Grady as Volunteer of the Month.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob presents a proclamation to Gardner Grady recognizing him as the Volunteer of the Month.

Why so much for County Parks?

“I have a passion for quality trails,” said Grady.

He joined the patrol team in 2008 and his job is to check trail conditions, report on the wildlife he sees and how many hikers, bicyclists and equestrians he runs across while on patrol.

“He’s our extra eyes and ears,” said Parks and Recreation Chief Amy Harbert.

While he rides and performs trail work throughout the County Parks trail system, Grady spends most of his time at the Goodan Ranch/Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve in Poway because it’s near his home.  

Grady is self-employed in the graphics business but he’s served as past president of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association. The organization partnered with County Parks in the “Adopt a Trail” program. Over the years Grady has led trail work parties and attended many meetings promoting mountain biking and non-motorized multi-use trails. 

“He’s the epitome of a volunteer,” said Parks Volunteer Services Coordinator Cheryl Wegner. “He has a passion for trails and he also understands the bigger picture.”

Grady is among more than 3,000 people who volunteer for the County Parks and Recreation Department every year. More than 400 give their time on a regular basis. Altogether, that adds up to more than 97,000 service hours saving taxpayers about $2 million a year.   

Triumph Over Oklahoma Tornado

Michael, Sarah and Lisa Gross.
Sometimes the excitement of winning season can feel like a tornado. For one local softball team their winning season put them in the middle of a real tornado.

Sarah Gross, 13, is a member of the Mystic 2000 girls softball team and daughter of County employees Michael and Lisa Gross.

Michael, who has worked for the County for nearly 29 years, is a budget manager for Child Support Services, and Lisa is an administrative analyst III with County Counsel.

The Mystic 2000 team ended their softball season with a win in the silver division of the Triple Crown World Series and by the way, they also survived an F5 category tornado in Oklahoma  last May.

On Tuesday, Chairman Greg Cox said the Board of Supervisors invited Sarah to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board meeting because of the team’s big win.

He also noted the girls had raised more than $2,000 for the family of a 9-year-old girl softball player killed in the first Moore, Oklahoma tornado May 20. The Mystic 2000 team went to Oklahoma on May 29 for a softball game and to give their donation to the family.

Then a second tornado struck that day.  The team had gone to a Women’s World Series softball game but was sent back to their hotel to take shelter from the approaching tornado, said father Michael Gross. There was no basement, but the hotel had an emergency plan for guests.

“We were all in the hotel bathroom. Our whole team almost in two stalls,” said Sarah. “We were holding onto each other for support.” She added the tornado experience helped the girls on the team bond even more.

Michael said, “They were scared. I mean obviously scared … there was some crying.”

He recalled that waiting for the tornado was the worst part and it seemed to take a very long time for the storm to pass. He was trying to watch news reports until the power went out. Eventually Michael went outside and shot video of the tornado headed straight for them.

In the end the tornado, which was 2.5 miles wide, spun up and never touched down near them. They were all safe. As it passed overhead, the sky darkened as if it were night and hail the size of golf balls rained down. The winds reportedly blew about 60-70 mph.

Who would imagine that Oklahoma would have two F5 tornados in less than two weeks, Michael asked. He joked that he’d never return to the Midwest.

If his story sounds familiar, you may have heard his voice on the local news stations. During the tornado and immediately after, Michael said he got calls from local news stations and he let them know what was going on with the girls.

Michael said afterward he and some of the girls went to Moore to see the damage for themselves and it looked almost like a lunar landscape.

“It was just numbing. It’s like nothing ever existed,” he said.

He said they also spoke with some people who were trying to find their belongings among all the debris.

“My daughter will never forget seeing that. It’s not just about softball … there’s a bigger picture out there. It’s all about human spirit. They weren’t giving up, they were going to rebuild,” Michael said.

Sarah added, “It really gave me a new perspective with how people deal with natural disasters.”

And despite that big scare, the Mystic 2000 team did go on to win two games in Oklahoma. They also handed off the money they collected for the family of the girl killed by the first tornado and her family was very grateful.

The Mystic 2000 team went on to win five of six major series, Michael said.

“These girls have been training for a long time. I mean, they’re a strong bunch of girls,” he said.

Much Has Changed in 50 Years; County Employee’s Job Hasn’t

The year Gary Hartpence started working at the County, lava lamps and touch tone telephones were hot inventions. A gallon of gas cost 30 cents. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and the nation was devastated by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

On July 18, 1963, Hartpence reported to work as an Engineering Technician I at a Quonset hut on Rosecrans Street, home to part of the County Department of Public Works’ operations. When he arrived that summer day, Hartpence faced a choice. Did he want to work in the department’s surveying or engineering materials lab operations? He chose the latter.

Five decades later, Hartpence, now 75 and an Engineering Technician III, still works in DPW’s Engineering Materials lab, which is now in Kearny Mesa. He is the only employee in the County’s records to have put in 50 years of service, according to the County Department of Human Resources. The Board of Supervisors recognized his staggering achievement at their meeting Tuesday.

Not surprisingly, Hartpence is often asked whether he plans to retire. He brushes the questions off with his dry sense of humor.

“I’m going to make you all carry me out of here in a pine box,” is how he said he jokingly responds.
Besides, the older he gets the more fun he has, Hartpence said. He can’t imagine enjoying retirement as much.

“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go,” he said. “I noticed a funny thing happens to people who retire.” They aren’t around much longer, he joked.

As an Engineering Technician III, Hartpence has traveled around the county testing the soil at construction sites to ensure it is safe and ready to withstand development, public and private. He also checked asphalt being used to build public roads to make sure it was up to standard. He has worked on hundreds if not thousands of infrastructure projects—water and sewer lines, projects at airports, parks and recreation-related--over the years. He worked on such major thoroughfares as Encinitas Boulevard, Poway Road, Scripps Poway Parkway and Winter Gardens Boulevard in Lakeside. Hartpence has particularly loved his work surveying land, describing it as the most fun he ever had.

One of his favorite projects came in the 1970s when Hartpence was tasked with surveying a piece of donated land that was to become Oakoasis Preserve in Lakeside. The land wasn’t accessible by road. So Hartpence and a colleague had to get creative. They borrowed a boat from the city of San Diego and rode across nearby San Vicente Reservoir to reach the property. At another time, they even got a ride in a helicopter then carried the surveying equipment in on their backs.

Some of the terrain he’s surveyed was so rugged or remote that hadn’t been visited by anyone in years. He’s seen mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and was even attacked by a swarm of bees once doing this work. He and his co-worker just covered themselves up with some equipment  and they turned out OK.

Hartpence’s supervisor, Senior Civil Engineer Larry Horsman, said he often relies on the longtime employee’s extensive knowledge and institutional memory. Consulting records is one thing, but being able to talk directly with someone who was there has come in handy.

“Having that history available is a rare and valuable commodity for the County and for me,” Horsman said. 

Horsman said Hartpence recalls not only the details but he also has a broad perspective based on his years of work history.

“You can train a lot of things, but you can’t train experience,” Horsman said.

Hartpence was born in 1937 in Orange County. His family moved briefly to Ohio, then returned to California, this time San Diego, when his father got a job at Miramar Naval Air Station. Hartpence and his family moved to El Cajon in 1952 when he was 15 years old. He has never left East County, graduating from Grossmont High School, and then taking classes at San Diego State University in the 1950s. His entry into Public Works came when he took a job working on sewer systems at the City of San Diego in 1959. He worked in the Department of Public Works there for four years before shifting to the County’s DPW.

Hartpence’s coworkers have even relied on expertise built through one of his hobbies: flying at Gillespie Field. He learned to fly 40 years ago at the County’s airport in El Cajon and flies with friends. That knowledge of the airport and surrounding area has helped the department, Horsman said.
Hartpence also builds model airplanes, ships and cars. And he’s a big reader, particularly enjoying history books about the origins of World War II.

Where does he find the energy to work so hard for so many years? Hartpence said he’s never smoked, and he’s always gotten a lot of exercise on the job. Admittedly, he moves a little slower than he used to, but Hartpence said he’s still is agile.

Hartpence also said he’s had a chance to work with some great people over the years. That has been a factor in staying as long as he has. 

Walking around the engineering materials lab on a recent day, it was obvious how much respect and affection his co-workers had for him. Hartpence jokingly introduced one of his colleagues as his son, though it was clear from their different ethnic backgrounds that they weren’t related. Everyone laughed.

“These guys are like my family,” Hartpence said.

Gary Hartpence received a standing ovation as the Board of Supervisors presented him with a proclamation.

Look Up in the Sky, It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Supernurse!

It was mid-flight and Merlita Layug had settled in to get a little rest. Layug, a licensed vocational nurse with the Health and Human Services Agency, was on an early morning flight with her husband.

It was on the first leg of their return journey home, from Baltimore to Chicago, when Layug heard a flight attendant make an urgent plea for any medical personnel. There was an onboard emergency.

“I was sleeping, but when they called I raised my hand,” said Layug. “I thought I was able to do a good Samaritan deed.”

Despite not feeling well herself, Layug knew she could help. She was led to an older man, maybe around 70 years old who was unconscious and slumped in his seat. Layug checked:  he had a faint, irregular pulse; and was pale, clammy and sweating profusely.

“When I look at the man, his shirt was like water,” she said. “You could squirt the water out and he was dripping with perspiration.”

The man did not respond when she spoke to him and shook him. She immediately requested oxygen and administered it while monitoring the man for changes or signs of improvements.

“I just wanted to help and get this man breathing and conscious again,” she said. “After about 15 minutes of giving him oxygen, all of the sudden he opened his eyes.”

“The first thing I said was ‘Sir, what is your name?’” Layug said.

The man said his name was Charles. She asked him to take two deep breaths for her and he did.

Layug said she then interviewed the man, asking him a series of medical questions to see if she could figure out what happened.

“He started to have a conversation with me so I felt better,” she said. “(Earlier) I was prepared to put him in the aisle and do CPR.”

Layug said she was glad she was able to use her expertise and training from the County and hospitals where she had worked previously.

“I felt so good when he reached my hand and said Thank you so much’ and ‘God bless you,’” she said. “When I said everything was OK, everyone clapped their hands.

“It was just a good feeling when you help someone. “

Before the plane landed, the flight crew approached Layug to thank her and get some information about her.

“They said, ‘Thank you so much, you are a hero,’” she said.

Then the Southwest crew presented her with a voucher for a free flight.

Charles thanked her, too, and promised he would see his doctor.

Layug did have one problem while she was helping Charles. She told the flight crew she was unable to check the man’s blood pressure because the plane noise made it impossible to hear a pulse with the manual blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from the plane’s medical kit. Layug is hoping now Southwest will make a change in their first aid supplies.

“You can’t take blood pressure manually on the airplane, because you can’t hear anything because of the noise from the plane,” she said. “After the episode was cleared, I made a recommendation that they provide digital blood pressure monitors in their planes.”

Hopefully, when Layug chooses to use the flight voucher she received, the flight will be less eventful. But if it isn’t, she’s ready to help again if necessary.

Dance, Jog, Kayak--Doesn’t Matter, Just Move!

Sign-ups Start Monday for Popular Online Exercise Program ‘Thrive Across America’

Maybe you already hit the treadmill or bike path regularly.

If you’re like a lot of us, you could use an extra nudge to ensure you’re fitting exercise in your routine.

That’s where Thrive Across America comes in.

The County is bringing back the popular online exercise program, offered through Kaiser Permanente. Starting Monday, employees can sign up for Thrive Across America, which will be held over an eight week period from Aug. 5 to Sept. 30. The program, which was also offered last year, encourages participants to exercise at least 30 minutes a day and then log the activity online. Based on the amount of exercise you record, you move along a virtual route from Maine to Hawaii, passing landmarks along the way. 

Employees can sign up individually or in teams and exercise in a wide variety of ways, from running, yoga, swimming and surfing to fencing, fly fishing or figure skating.

All active participants will receive awards. The top 10 performing teams and top three male and female individual winners will be recognized with special awards.

The program is also one of several employees can complete to become eligible for the iPad opportunity drawing at the end of the year. For more information on the drawing, see this information sheet (PDF).

Thrive Across America encourages employees to stay active, said William Erese, Wellness Coordinator for the County’s Department of Human Resources. It also helps build camaraderie among co-workers through competition.

Some good-natured rivalries even developed last year, and are expected to carry over into this year’s program, Erese said. Teams from the Department of Human Resources tied for first, and finished second and fourth, he said. Employees there are hoping to defend their first place finish, but they will face some competition. Erese said he’s received many inquiries from employees in other departments asking when the program will start again.

Not only can employees track their progress on a virtual route, but they also receive emails with recipes, and tips on weight and stress management, Erese said.

Thrive Across America was very successful last year, drawing a total of 1,455 participants. The vast majority were actively engaged, logging in their times three or four times a week. Over the 12 week period, participants logged a total of 2,245,232 minutes of exercise, Erese said.

“There are some programs that, as the years go by, they become a tradition,” Erese said. “Out of respect for those programs, you keep them as part of your tradition.”

For more information, visit thriveacrossamerica.com or look at the “Employee Wellness Program” section on InSite.

Instant Messaging, Desktop Sharing and More

You have several new ways to get in touch with and work with your colleagues, and you may not even know it.

The County recently made Microsoft Lync, a suite of communications tools, available to all employees whose IT is handled by HP. There’s no cost to the individual user.  You’ll need to install it yourself, but once you do, you can start…

Instant Messaging

Just like many instant messaging (IM) services in use, Lync allows you to open a chat window for a back and forth text exchange with another employee – or several.

If you haven’t used IM before, you may wonder what the advantage is over email. Felicia Brown-Walton of the County Technology Office explains it’s especially good for short, simple questions – things that need yes or no answers. The windows disappear when done and the exchanges won’t clog up your email inbox. 

Web Conferencing

You don’t need to stop at text. Lync allows video conferencing, though you will need to set up a web cam if you want others to see you.

Desktop Sharing

Perhaps you’ve been through this often frustrating scenario:  you’re talking to someone on the phone, trying to explain something you’re looking at on your computer screen.

“I wish you could see what I’m seeing,” Brown-Walton recalls saying in these situations. Desktop sharing lets users look – with their permission – at each other’s computer screens.  

“Now you can show them and they can see, this is what I’m talking about,” Brown says.

More

Lync has more features and the County plans to expand the services it offers even further in the future. For now, the goal is to get employees aware of the tool and interacting with each other through it.

“The more people who are using it, the more powerful a tool it is,” Brown says.

To get started, visit CTO’s Knowledge Base and look for the Lync Install Instructions. You can follow that with additional tip sheets from the same page. There is also training for Lync in the Learning Management System (LMS).