Let’s Get Ethical!

With St. Patrick’s and Cesar Chavez days this month, we don’t want you to forget that it is also Ethics Awareness Month.

Joe Cordero, Director of the County’s Office of Ethics and Compliance (OEC), said he hopes employees show their support for this fundamental value by taking the time to participate in some of the educational activities planned for March.

“Let’s reaffirm our commitment to a high standard of ethics—let’s make it our personal cause this month and every month. After all, doing no harm, treating others appropriately and doing the right thing is important all-year round,” said Cordero.

An Ethics Awareness Month Information Fair will be held noon to 2 p.m., March 10 in the plaza area outside the Commons at the County Operations Center. There will be music, prizes, free goodies, information about County departments and other resources available for employees. More than 20 exhibitors will be present. Some of the participating departments include Animal Services, the Department of Human Resources’ Wellness Division and Veterans Outreach Program, and the County Library. Representatives from the County’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) as well as representative from the County’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force will also be present providing information.

If you bring proof of completing the online Ethics 101 training, you’ll be entered into a raffle.

Then later in the month, former Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard returns to speak about public service and ethics in a talk titled “Character is King.” That will be at 12 noon, March 18 in the COC Chambers.

If you cannot make it to the COC events, there’s still an opportunity to get in on the action! Employees can participate in the following ways:

• Take the Ethics 101 online training. Head over to LMS and search for “Ethics 101.” The video is just 8 minutes long.

• Request that OEC conduct an on-site ethics training or speak at your March all-hands department meeting.

• Sign up your department for an information table at the Ethics Awareness Info Fair in March at the COC.

• Check out the "Ethics In-a-Box” training resources for managers/supervisors.

If you have a question about what is ethical in the meanwhile, don’t wait to get answers. The first place employees can turn if they have a concern about possible unethical, illegal or unsafe activity is their department’s chain of command.

If an employee isn’t comfortable going to a supervisor or other manager, or if their concern relates to a supervisor or manager, they can call OEC or the County’s Ethics Hotline at (866) 549-0004. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is operated by a third party. So employees can report concerns anonymously. Employees can also report concerns online.

Get pumped for Ethics Awareness Month with this short video parody from “The Office.”

Happy Ethics Awareness Month!

It Pays to Get Screened

Being proactive about your health has plenty of rewards – including some extra cash in your paycheck.

The Employee Wellness Incentive Program is back, which means employees can once again get a biometric screening and, in return, receive $100.

In 2013, the beneficial screening actually helped transform one of your colleagues’ life after he found out how high his blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure were.

“This is a win-win situation for the employees,” said William Erese, wellness coordinator. “They get to know their numbers in order to be proactive in addressing any concerns and also get $100 for completing both the biometrics and online health risk assessment.”

You can go to your own personal doctor for the screening, but Kaiser Permanente will be setting up camp at various County locations to offer them up for free during the work day for all employees. You can find a full list of dates and locations here. Spots fill up fast, so book your here appointment ASAP using Employer Code CountyofSD.

In order to receive the payout, you must:

1. Have a nurse or physician at the screening facility sign a confirmation form. (*Note: If you are doing your screenings at one of the County locations, you can have one of the medical personnel sign your confirmation form.)

2. Go online to your provider’s website and take their online health risk assessment

3. Send in the signed confirmation form and the health risk assessment completion confirmation to Benefits at MS O-7

A biometric screening includes blood pressure readings, glucose screenings, a measurement of your body mass index (BMI) and height and waist measurements. A one-on-one consult is also available with a nurse to discuss results.

More details about how to reserve a spot and where to find all the mandatory forms can be found on the Wellness website.

IT Innovation Day: Where Technology Meets Creativity

Sprout (pictured above) is one of the new HP desktop platforms to be presented at IT Innovation Day on Wednesday, March 4.

It’s the end of the day, you suddenly need a flash drive and don’t have one. So you run down the hall and get one from the new IT vending machine. Just like that, the day is saved!

That’s one of the possibilities you’ll hear about at the upcoming County Information Technology Innovation Day. The event, presented by the County’s Technology Office, HP and AT&T, will showcase new information technologies and web-based solutions that may greatly improve how our business runs.

“IT Innovation Day is where technology meets creativity,” said Chief Information Officer Mikel Haas. “The goal is to spark our imaginations with the latest and greatest technology.”

The event is open to all County employees and will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., March 4 in the County Operations Center Chambers at 5520 Overland Ave.

HP, the County’s IT outsource partner, began putting on these demonstrations a few years ago as a way to collaborate with employees and brainstorm ideas to increase work efficiency and improve customer service. 

More than a half-dozen new technologies and web-based solutions will be showcased at this year’s session, including a desktop computer with camera for capturing images of 2D and 3D objects, a document security practice, and that vending machine.

Instead of sodas or snacks, it could be stocked with IT accessories and other key supplies. At the vending machine, users would swipe their employee badge or purchasing card for the machine to dispense the supplies right at a County facility. The idea would ensure 24/7 access to supplies to reduce user downtime and decrease procurement time.

Another idea being shared at IT Innovation Day is an onsite mobile engagement application for smartphones. The app would provide real-time, location-specific information to visitors of County facilities such as County buildings, parks or libraries. For example, a visitor to the County Administration Center might receive a welcome message on their iPhone as they arrive in the lobby. The app would list available services at that site such as passports, marriage licenses and getting copies of birth certificates. Then based on visitor selections, additional data would be provided regarding the onsite County departments, services and relative location to the visitor.

CTO project manager Patty Carpenter and HP’s Kathleen Self organized the event, with support from Haas and HP Account Executive Cathy Varner. They encouraged departments to attend and see if the concepts presented could become a reality.

“IT Innovation Day is an opportunity,” Carpenter said. “These technologies could be a perfect fit solution or an idea to build on.”

Let's Be the Best!

We all like to think we make a difference. When it comes to our jobs, rest assured we do! Every one of us has something to contribute, even if sometimes it’s tough to see where our piece of the puzzle fits. We now have a new plan to show how those pieces come together to create the big picture.

Every employee, no matter what the job, is part of the County’s audacious goal to become the best county in the nation while living up to our motto – the noblest motive is the public good.

For example, let’s say your job is to help homeless veterans find housing, recycle tens of thousands of gallons of used oil, or book inmates into the County jail. These three job descriptions are wildly different but they all have an essential place in the County mosaic.

No matter what your work is for the County, it helps meet goals: your department’s, cross-departmental and enterprise-wide. Those goals support strategic initiatives that lead to realizing our overall vision.

This stuff doesn’t just happen. If you’ve been with the County for any time at all, you know excellence starts with our business model called the General Management System (GMS). We’ve used it for 15 years now. It works. The County is considered one of the best-managed in the nation.

While GMS has made us successful, could we do better? Always! With that in mind, a new vision, a new strategic initiative, a new strategic plan, a new strategic framework and an improved GMS page for InSite were all developed in recent months.

Maybe you’ve heard bits and pieces about the new changes. Here’s the scoop.

Our vision incorporates more than just the county now. It includes the region and the vision incorporates a new tag line – Live Well San Diego.  

The strategic plan has been streamlined and now includes a new strategic initiative. Operational Excellence has been added to Healthy Families, Safe Communities and Sustainable Environments.

The strategic framework ties the strategic initiatives to the County’s vision, mission and values. In essence, the four strategic initiatives help us achieve our:

• Vision: A region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely and Thriving - Live Well San Diego

• Mission: To efficiently provide public services that build strong and sustainable communities

• Values: Integrity, Stewardship and Commitment

“Everything we do as a County falls under this strategic framework,” said Asst. Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Operating Officer Don Steuer. “The GMS is the County’s foundation and business planthat upholds the strategic framework.”  

So why is this important to you? You may be an expert at your job but that doesn’t always mean you’re an expert on the County, how it works and is connected to you. Understanding that will help you create personal goals that mesh with those of the County overall. Employees who want to get ahead benefit by knowing how the GMS operates and why it’s successful. Just the basics will give you a better sense of the driving forces behind the County’s goals and why they matter.

It’s easy to get this information. There is a tab for the GMS on InSite.  The revamped webpage comes with a newly created GMS owner’s manual. Check it out.

The more you understand how your job fits in the greater County puzzle,  the faster we’ll become the best county in the nation. Let’s be the best!

ERGs Invite Employees to Inspiring Speaker Series

A new Speaker Series at the County is sure to spark conversation about diversity and leadership.

Local civic leader Tom Hom will be the first speaker at the inaugural program, presented by two Employee Resource Groups on Wednesday at the County Operations Center. Hom will discuss his journey to overcome adversity as the son of Chinese immigrants in San Diego and his recently released autobiography “Rabbit on a Bumpy Road, A Story of Courage and Endurance.”

Hom will share his San Diego success story to inspire others at the event hosted by the Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees (APACE), the County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees’ Association (CSDFEA) and the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum.

Now 88, Hom was the first minority elected to San Diego City Council in 1963 and was only the second Asian elected to the state legislature, representing the 79th District in San Diego County. He states in his book: “Diversity: There is good in every race and culture. It is just a matter of accepting it.”

In addition to Hom, Ha Dang, Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures, Michael Vu, Registrar of Voters, and Dr. Alex Stewart, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum Senior Education Coordinator will speak at the event.

Vanessa Cabiling, vice president of CSDFEA, said the new Speaker Series offers County employees access to community leaders, experts and advisors. Cabiling said she hopes the program will spark dialogue about diversity and leadership, plus promote professional and personal development.

“We are trying to inspire our members,” she said. “And we’re hoping to do so quarterly with this Speaker Series.”

The event is free and open to the public. It will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25 in the Chambers at the County Operations Center Commons, 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP online.

5 Misconceptions About Millennials

Calling all millennials! If you were born between 1979 and 1997 or are young at heart, come out to the launch party for the County’s newest Employee Resource Group—the Emerging Workforce Association (EWA).

The launch event is at 5:30 p.m., Friday at the Waterfront Park. The event will include free refreshments and prizes. Food trucks will also be on site and accept cash and credit cards. RSVP now. And fill out a membership form online. Guest speakers are CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer, Director of Human Resources Susan Brazeau and Director of the Office of Ethics and Compliance Joe Cordero.

Much has been written and said about the millennial generation, with some of it turning into generalizations that are not accurate. Below are a few common misconceptions about millennials, followed by a short clarification from an EWA member.

 

Deadline Coming Up for Stairwell Campaign

You’ve got just one week left to reach the goal of 2,909 steps climbed if you’re participating in the Dare to Stair campaign!

Awards will be given to those who have climbed three times, four times or five times that. Don’t forget to keep careful track of your progress!

The campaign ends Feb. 27. Review the campaign guidelines and print out a log sheet before you start your ascent. The last day to file your log sheet is March 6.

Have a nice flight!

Celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year

The North Central Family Resource Center recently celebrated “Tết”, the Vietnamese/Chinese New Year. Health and Human Services Agency employee Southchay Bang, who works at the Resource Center, wrote the following about the importance of the celebration and recognizing diversity in the County.

The Vietnamese/Chinese New Year, Tết, is the first day of the Lunar New Year. It is the most important and popular festival in Vietnam. It could be said Tết to Vietnamese people is equivalent to a combination of a birthday, wedding anniversary, Memorial Day, Christmas and New Year to Americans.

Vietnam and China share a long history together and officially celebrate the Lunar New Year as a national holiday. There are large concentrations of Chinese expatriates in many countries, so it seems the Chinese New Year is celebrated everywhere.

In Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is called Tết. In the good old days this celebration may last up to a month, now only about a week.  A normal lunar calendar year has a fixed 12 months. However, every four years, it has an extra month. This is why Lunar New Year varies from year to year. This year, 2015, Tết falls on Feb. 19, 2015.

In the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac, this year is the Year of the Goat/Sheep/Ram. Here are interesting facts regarding Tết:

• Yellow and red are considered lucky; thus fresh branches of the yellow mai-flowers and the pink cherry blossoms are ubiquitously found adorning altars in every house.

• There is a general belief that what happens in Tết will foretell one’s fortune in the coming year, so people put on new clothes as a wish for prosperity.

• Foods would be intentionally over-abundantly prepared in the belief that they would be plentiful later.

• Parents remind their children to keep their voices down and not to quarrel, as to maintain harmony and tranquility in the coming New Year.

• To instill the respect for the elderly, older people usually give out money in brand new bank notes as a celebration of age to younger members of the family.

• All in all, Tết is the solemn opportunity to relinquish and release all burdens of the past, to renew and refresh relations and prepare the soul for a redeeming renewal in the coming New Year.

On behalf of the Vietnamese and Chinese staff at the North Central, I am conveying a sincere wish for peace, health and prosperity to everyone and their respective beloved families in the Year of the Sheep/Goat/Ram.

Cheers,

Southchay Bang

Will You Be My Wellness Buddy?

Roses are red. Violets are blue. We can’t wait to get fit with you!

This year the County’s Department of Human Resources is skipping the Valentine’s Day chocolates to prepare its next wellness program—Be My Wellness Buddy.

The four-week program, which starts Tuesday, challenges employees to find a wellness buddy and improve their health together. So ask someone to “be mine.” 

Employee Wellness Coordinator William Erese said the best way to reach health goals is to do it with a supportive fitness friend.

“A buddy can be more than a companion to walk with at lunch or great cook that knows how to make healthier and nutritious meal,” said Erese. “A wellness buddy can be your cheerleader, challenge you and hold you accountable to your goals.” 

The program is simple. Set a goal to be more active, make healthy food choices, drink more water or sleep better. Then recruit a mentor  who will help provide support and assistance along the way.

Establish roles and responsibilities. Decide how frequently you will meet up or email to discuss progress. Does the buddy offer tips and advice or just encouragement?

Once you found your pal and set expectations, print out a goal tracking sheet and mentor/mentee scorecards and track your improvements through March 15.

In addition to earning a healthier self, participants will qualify for prizes such as pedometer and rolling backpack.

To sign up, both partners will need to register in the LMS by searching “Be My Wellness Buddy.” The program begins Feb. 17, but the registration deadline is not until Feb. 27.

Review the full set of rules.

Hazmat Team Passes Disaster 'Typing' Test with Flying Colors

It had to be the most important typing test in County history; but it didn’t have anything to do with keyboards.

This “typing” test was all about disaster preparedness. And the members of the County Department of Environmental Health’s Hazardous Incident Response Team (HIRT) passed it with flying colors.

This last summer, HIRT — the region’s 24/7 emergency response team comprised of County DEH and City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department members —earned a coveted “Tier One Typing” certification, the highest level possible, from the California Office of Emergency Services.

The certification means that the San Diego County region has proved it has the top-rated “type” of resources, tools, personnel, training and capability to handle any hazardous disaster — even if it involves weapons of mass destruction: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and/or high-yield explosives.

“It means that the public is better protected,” David Cammall, a supervising environmental health specialist and member of the HIRT team, said simply.

Typing, Cammall said, is the terminology that California’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) uses to grade the levels of emergency situations and the tools, resources, equipment and training that would be needed to respond to them.

Incidents and response capabilities are ranked into three types: 1, 2 and 3. Type 1 incidents are the most complicated and potentially dangerous. Type 1 tools, equipment and training are the most sophisticated, advanced or which have the highest performance capability.

The idea behind typing is that when emergency responders coordinate their efforts they know exactly how complex the incident is that they’re responding to and exactly how sophisticated their response capabilities should be.

For example, a Type 3 hazardous incident would require emergency responders to be able to handle, clean and control “known” hazardous industrial chemicals. A Type 2 incident would require handling known chemicals and unknown industrial chemicals. And a Type 1 incident not only requires the ability to handle known and unknown chemicals, but also weapons of mass destruction — chemical, biological, radiological or even high-yield explosives.

To handle a Type 1 incident responders have to have, among other things, the special equipment and training to conduct field testing, monitor the air quality, capture and collect evidence, detect and monitor alpha, beta and gamma radiation, handle decontamination, to have self-contained protective suits with in-suit communications and breathing systems that can fend off biological and chemical vapors, and to have personnel and tools to conduct plume air modeling and map overlays.

Those are the things that are required of a Tier One Type team. With certification, the combined County-City team becomes one of just 29 certified as “Tier One” level in the state; there are only 58 teams in California that have been certified  at any of the three levels.

Cammall said the combined HIRT/San Diego Fire team was already close to qualifying for the state OES Tier 1 certification before the City filed the application last year.

The joint County/City HIRT team was created back in 1986 and is unusual among such teams in that it combines hazardous materials experts from agencies from two separate local governments: the County’s Environmental Health Department and the City of San Diego’s Fire-Rescue Department. They’ve been combining their expertise ever since to answer hazardous material emergencies.

The certification was rigorous, Cammall said, but well worth it. Not only does it show that the region has the expertise and training to protect the region’s residents, the certification will make it easier for the team to win grants to buy new equipment and training.

It also means the team could be called upon to help people in other parts of state or the country if necessary.

“Think of the urban search and rescue teams that have been used in disasters,” Cammall said, “when things like the Oklahoma City bombing or the (9/11) World Trade Center happen, urban search and rescue teams were called on to come and help. This could be the same way.”

Members of the County's Hazardous Incident Response Team (HIRT) Front row, left to right: Amy Paquette, Ron Isip, Manon Maschue, Hyve Porcioncula, Ed Abuyen. Back row, left to right: Leon Wirschem, Brad Long, Todd Burton, Dave Cammall, Brad Richardson, Jim Henderson, Keith Waara.