CECO Celebrates 60 with Breakfast, Baseball & More

/

Employees like you have been paying it forward for 60 years through the San Diego County Employees’ Charitable Organization. Through County and Superior Court employee donations, CECO has distributed more than $6.7 million throughout the San Diego region to local non-profit organizations and employees in crisis since its founding in 1956. And now, it’s time to celebrate the next 60 years of caring for our community with festivities and fundraisers.

CECO is kicking off its diamond anniversary year doing what it does best—giving. A total of $177,000 will be awarded in 69 grants to numerous local non-profits at the 2016 CECO Breakfast March 22 at the County Operations Center’s Hearing Room. Grant recipients will be on hand to receive their awards, joined by special guests Supervisor Greg Cox and Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer. You’re also invited. County employees can purchase tickets to the breakfast for just $6.

The annual breakfast is just the start of an exciting year. CECO will take you out to the ballgame April 16 for a gem of a day: a Padres game against the Diamondbacks. A portion of every ticket sold through this CECO fundraiser will go directly back to the non-profit. Tickets are $30 for field pavilion level seats, $45 for field box level seats, or $75 for a VIP Landing experience package with ticket and buffet including food, drink and beer. To learn more about the charity event and purchase tickets, visit CECO’s website.

The fun does not stop there. Keep your eyes and ears open for future CECO celebration announcements including a summertime barbecue with entertainment and a fall social event.

CECO would not be able to celebrate 60 years without its supporters, so please consider contributing. Here are five easy ways to give:

  1. Make a one-time donation by emailing your CECO Department Representative or a member of the CECO Executive Committee.
  2. Sign up for a biweekly paycheck deduction for as little as $2 per pay period via Employee Self-Service.  See CECO Pledge Instructions for details.
  3. To help with an upcoming fundraiser event, please contact your CECO Department Representative or a member of the CECO Executive Committee.
  4. Shop AmazonSmile and a portion of your purchase will be donated CECO. Learn more.
  5. Volunteer your time. Contact your CECO Department Representative or a member of the CECO Executive Committee.

5 Ways to Keep Ethics Front and Center

/

March is Ethics Awareness Month, and two events are among the opportunities to revisit this important principle at the foundation of our County culture.

Here are five ways to reaffirm your commitment to do no harm, treat others appropriately and do the right thing:

  1. Attend the fair! The Office of Ethics and Compliance is hosting an Ethics Awareness Information Fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 24 at the County Operations Center plaza. There will be music, a raffle for prizes, free goodies and resources for County employees. Confirmed participants include several County departments, employee resource groups (ERGs), and providers such as Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Blue Cross. There will be a special presentation at noon, and an opportunity drawing at that time.

  2. Speak up or listen in at an open forum. A town hall discussion will be held from noon to 1 p.m., March 18 at the County Operations Center Chambers. The event “Our Ethical Responsibility in Advancing Live Well Communities” will feature former County executive Harold Tuck as the moderator and will include Don Steuer, Assistant CAO, and Joe Cordero, Director of OEC.

  3. Refresh your memory in just eight minutes. Take Ethics 101. The video training can be found on LMS by searching for “ethics.”

  4. Visit the Office of Ethics and Compliance on InSite to review the County’s Code of Ethics, frequently asked questions and additional resources like “Ethics in a Box” team exercises. If you would like more information regarding class offerings or to schedule a training for your employees, call (619) 531-5174.

  5. Report unethical activities: County employees who suspect or are aware of fraud, waste, abuse or other misconduct by other County employees, contractors, vendors or other business partners have an obligation to report such activity to their immediate supervisor, manager, department head, Department of Human Resources or Office of Ethics and Compliance. If you’re not comfortable with any of these options, or would like to make an anonymous report, the Ethics Hotline is always an option. Call (866) 549-0004.

Have an Ice Time: County Night at Gulls Game

/

The San Diego Gulls hockey team will host San Diego County Employees Night at their March 18 game. Chill out rinkside with co-workers as the home team takes on the Bakersfield Condors at 7:05 p.m. at Valley View Casino Center.  

County employees will have ticket service fees waived, and it’s free gift giveaway night! The free Gulls gift can be picked up in section 4 of the concourse at the game.

Tickets are just $18 each for this cross-division matchup. Order tickets by filling out an online request form. All tickets will be sent to the email address you provide. This offer is valid online until 3 p.m. on game day. It is not valid at the Valley View Casino Center box office. For additional questions, contact Melissa Werman at (619) 359-4716.

Making Sure Our Vision is for All San Diegans

/

I have a topic this month that’s extremely important to talk about.

Numbers play a big role in running our organization. Data can tell all kinds of stories. Some stories grab our attention because they’re not what we want to hear. They do tell us we need a shift in our thinking and strategy.

Our County vision is a region that’s healthy, safe and thriving. We have ways we measure these things. If you look at measurements around the region, you’ll find our vision is closer to reality for some people than it is for others. Dig at the data and you can see patterns: certain segments of the population struggling to reach the outcomes of what it means to Live Well. They have more health issues. They’re affected more by crime. They’re less engaged in ways like election turnout.

The disparities show up when you cut the data by where people live, their age, race and ethnicity, gender or economic level. Across those communities, measurements of well-being don’t come out evenly. Nobody expects perfect distribution, but for some groups, the differences are beyond what’s reasonable or expected when you compare them to how the whole region is doing.

The causes of these disparities are very complex. But we need to recognize first of all that these differences exist and acknowledge they’re a challenge to reaching our vision. And then we need to let that knowledge help shape how we operate. If we see an area with needs out of proportion to its size, we’ll have to put together an outsized response to tackle it.

We’ve launched an effort to counter these disparities, calling it Live Well Communities. The name captures that it’s still our Live Well vision we’re promoting, but it puts special emphasis on creating opportunities for it to reach all residents.

That’s the key word: all.

It’s an audacious goal. It will take stages to get there. To figure out a place to start, the Live Well Communities team went back to the data to identify where the need was greatest. They decided to focus first on the southeastern San Diego city area.

The team has members from across County departments, because making changes will take a multifaceted, coordinated approach. And a very deliberate approach. Rather than us just running in and trying to come up with solutions, the team is starting by engaging community members. We’ll work with them to figure out the best use for our resources.

It’s not that these neighborhoods are new to us. But we’ll look at ways to strengthen services we offer there and get rid of barriers that might be preventing people from receiving our services. That may mean having more of a physical presence, so it’s easier for people to reach us and get to know us – and trust us. It will mean expanding our network of partnerships.

Part of the regional effort is understanding that we’ll need different tactics to have success in different communities. We’ll repeat what we can as we move to new areas, but also be prepared to customize our approach. 

This is where Live Well Communities works hand in hand with our Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. Part of Diversity and Inclusion is helping our employees recognize and appreciate differences, among both co-workers and customers.  And understanding that those differences mean we can’t resort to one-size-fits-all solutions. It’s a mindset that is critical to have as we serve a diverse population and take on the disparities we see in certain communities.  

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In that same vein, I’d say we can’t be a region that’s healthy, safe and thriving unless all residents are healthy, safe and thriving. Live Well Communities represents our commitment to that goal – one we can all get behind.

 

 

 

Perk Alert: Discounts on Cellphone Service

/

How would you like a discount on your cellphone service? Get up to 18% off your cellphone bills just for being a County employee. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon offer discounts on monthly fees through PerkSpot.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts to County employees through hundreds of service providers and retailers from movie theaters to florists and jewelers.

Using PerkSpot is both easy and free! Simply go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and click on the “Create an Account” heading to complete the registration process.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

Earn $100 for Completing a Wellness Screening

/

Staying on top of your health really pays. If you participate in the County’s upcoming Employee Wellness Incentive Program, you can earn an extra $100 in your paycheck.

Employee Wellness Coordinator William Erese encourages all County workers to be proactive by attending a free onsite biometric screening and completing an online health risk assessment.

“The rewards are two-fold. You can gain insight into your health status and earn a monetary incentive,” Erese said.

You have the option to go to your personal doctor, but Kaiser Permanente will be setting up its mobile health vehicle at various County worksites from March 2 through March 28 for free screenings. Kaiser will provide screenings for all employees regardless of your current insurance provider. See the full list of dates and locations here.

Employees will get their blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and body mass index checked. All screening results will be kept confidential.

Don’t miss this opportunity to know your numbers and to earn the payout. Go to kp.org/wellness to make an appointment now. New users will enter signup code “CountyofSD.” Returning users will enter their email address and password.

There are three steps to earn the payout. Follow them carefully:

  1. This one is a two-parter. First make an appointment. Then attend a biometric screening and have the medical professional sign the confirmation form while at the screening. Tip: Print the form out now and have it ready. Be sure to bring your employee ID to County onsite appointments.

  2. After completing the wellness biometric screening, go to your provider’s website and take their online health risk assessment. Please note that the biometric screening results will be needed to fully complete the assessment. For those covered under a County plan, the providers are either Anthem Blue Cross or Kaiser Permanente. For those who waive coverage through the County, your provider will be listed on your medical card.

  3. Send both the signed biometric form AND the assessment confirmation to Benefits at MS O-7 or to DHRWellness.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov by June 30. Please do not send medical information. And remember to keep a copy for your own records.

Incentive payment will be disbursed within 60 days after you submit both a completed Wellness Incentive Form and proof that your assessment was completed.

Look for additional screening dates and locations to be added in April.

For additional details, visit the Department of Human Resources on InSite.

Employee Wellness Celebrated at Awards Breakfast

/

The County celebrated a year’s worth of strides employees took toward better health at the 2015 Wellness Awards and Recognition Ceremony held recently at the County Operations Center.

“This is an opportunity for us to show our appreciation for all the marvelous work County employees have been doing in the program, and it also gives us an opportunity to showcase all the great things the wellness program has achieved,” said Employee Wellness Coordinator William Erese.

A total of 77 employees received beach cruisers as part of the opportunity drawing for participation in selected Employee Wellness programs throughout the year. To be eligible for the drawing, they had to have taken part in six of the programs offered, including Colorful Choices, Maintain Don’t Gain, Thrive Across America , health and wellness classes, and a Healthy Cooking Demonstrationvideo. 

The County Wellness Program and its participants had several significant accomplishments in 2015. County employees attended more than 500 free fitness classes. The farmers markets were expanded to additional County worksites with employees buying more than 19,000 pounds of fruit. Employees also took note of their numbers as there was a 23 percent increase in participation in the annual biometric screenings.

In addition, the County was named the 2015 Healthiest Company in the mega company category by the San Diego Business Journal.

See additional program accomplishments below: