Many of us continue to work from home or other work locations during the fight against COVID-19. In this video, we check-in with Animal Medical Operations Manager Manny Balcazar. See how he is creatively working to provide services.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer
It was a big week for San Diego and all of us working on the COVID-19 response. You’ve no doubt seen that the governor gave us the OK to move through Stage 2 of reopening, meaning restaurants and retailers can now have customers back inside.
What most folks didn’t see is all the work that went into preparing our “attestation” that we’re ready for this next step. It required extensive documentation and a huge effort by some of our colleagues. Big shout-out to them for a job well done.
While we’re making progress, it’s essential to remember where we are – in the middle of a gradual process that has to put the public’s health first. As we head into a holiday weekend, a reminder that gatherings are still off limits. No backyard barbecues with anyone outside your household. You can walk on the beach, but no setting up a traditional Memorial Day beach party.
We’ve kept the impacts of the virus at a manageable level because of our preventive actions. The stay-at-home restrictions, the face coverings, the rules for reopened business. It’s all hard, but it’s paid off in lives saved. We have to remain careful and continue to take the direction of our medical professionals.
As places continue to open, it will be less about stay home, more about stay safe. I appreciate everything that everyone has gone through to get us this far. Let’s not let up. Enjoy your long holiday weekend, and do so safely.
Photo by William Dunigan
Escape with this picture-perfect photo of Ramona Grasslands County Preserve. The 3,521-acre preserve is popular with hikers, cyclists, equestrians and photographers. Take a fun virtual hike of Ramona Grasslands from your desk (or couch if you are working from home).
Share your fabulous photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it. Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. One image will be posted to InSite every Friday.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer
It’s the time of year we celebrate one of life’s big milestones: graduation. From high schools, college, or other levels of education. I know it’s a huge disappointment to grads – and the families that helped get them there – that it’s happening this year without all the pomp and circumstance. That shouldn’t in any way dampen the sense of achievement everyone feels. If anything, getting to that finish line with all the recent hurdles makes it all the more impressive.
In a normal year, they’d be listening to commencement speeches telling them how life will bring many challenges and about the need for persistence and determination. This year, we’re all living those words.
And they always talk about looking forward. We’re in a rough time, and we still have a difficult road ahead, but we will get through. What you’ve shown in responding to this crisis gives me great hope for the future.
I hope you’ll join me in offering congratulations to all of the grads out there, and that includes those in our County family – our student workers and those pursuing degrees on top of their job. It’s an immense accomplishment. If the moment comes without some of the traditional hoopla, it still deserves our recognition and should be a source of tremendous pride.
All County staff will have their computers updated with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC automatically. The update is required due to licensing requirements by Adobe.
The County Technology Office (CTO) will be automatically forcing the installation on the following dates:
Land Use and Environment Group – May 16
Finance and General Government – May 20
Health and Human Services Agency – May 23
(The update was already pushed out to Public Safety Group employees.)
Installation Process
No reboot will be required and the install will happen automatically in the background. The process can take up to 30 minutes depending on network speed. You may be prompted to close any office application such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook as well as your existing installation of Adobe Acrobat. If you’re not present, these applications will be closed automatically.
How to Use
Adobe Acrobat and its use will not change much. The only notable change is a new requirement to log in to the application in order to use it. Here’s how:
Shortly after opening the application, users will be prompted for credentials with an Adobe login screen. Follow the relevant prompts and be sure to click the option to sign in with an enterprise ID.
Your credentials will be your full County email address.
No password should be required if you’re already logged into the device with your County credentials.
You may be prompted with an Oracle Access Manager login screen as well. If so, please login with your County computer USERNAME and PASSWORD.
Once authenticated, the application will function as normal and you shouldn’t be prompted again for at least another 99 days.
For specific instructions on the new Adobe Logins, please see this detailed document.
Employees are assigned a QR code that you can pull up on your phone or print and add to the back of your badge as seen here.
Normally when the Emergency Operations Center activates, there is a sheet for staff to sign in and out. Everyone touches the same clipboard, paper and pen. That’s something to avoid during the current COVID-19 emergency, since it is a way to spread the virus, even with the use of hand sanitizer.
The infection risk became apparent to Office of Emergency Services (OES) Assistant Director Stephen Rea and Public Safety Group IT Manager Darius Fattahipour. They brainstormed with OES staff and came up with an innovative idea to deploy GOVbox, a touchless kiosk normally used to provide services to the public. In this case, they adapted it for employees reporting for essential duties. Staff scan a QR code to log in and out at the EOC and two other facilities. Employees working remotely can use the system by logging into a website as well.
“This is a perfect solution for a virtual Emergency Operations Center. It’s great example of the adaptability of County staff and County-developed technology being leveraged for purposes never considered,” said Rea.
The system doesn’t replace Kronos, but it allows people to know who is on duty and where they’re working. The system connects with Microsoft Teams, so people working in the EOC can look up people by name or section, see if they are working and where and then message them as needed.
Another feature is that GovBox sends text or email health checks to employees. They need to reply to a short questionnaire, asking if they have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient within the past 14 days; whether they have had a fever of 100 degrees or more, and if they have a cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or a sore throat.
Fattahipour said they were able to quickly reconfigure kiosks on hand, and the County will look at bringing the system to more worksites. The project has been co-sponsored by the Public Safety Group, Child Support Services, and the joint County Technology Office-Perspecta Innovation Program.
Many of us continue to work from home or other work locations during the fight against COVID-19. In this video, we check-in with Senior HR Analyst Jessica Carlson. See how she is creatively working to provide services.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer
With encouraging trends continuing in our fight against COVID-19, you’ve seen the careful reopening of certain businesses recently. Yesterday, Gov. Newsom added office-based businesses to the list. I’m happy to tell you that includes us.
The County will begin the safe reopening of offices this Friday, May 15. That will be a gradual process taking place over weeks, with different timelines and unique circumstances for each department. Many of you will continue teleworking for now. Please don’t report to an office until your supervisor tells you to do so.
Let me emphasize safe reopening. Protecting your health remains a top priority. When you return, we’ll have temperature and/or symptom screenings at all of our facilities. We’ve added new sanitation procedures at all worksites. We’ll provide personal protective equipment appropriate to your duties as needed. Workstations may be changed to ensure social distancing. You’ll see the same Safe Reopening Plan we’ve required of businesses posted at our offices.
The way we operate will continue to look different for a while. And make no mistake – reopening will have challenges of its own. But this is a huge step in a welcome direction. It’s been nearly two months since we started closing our doors, and I’m thrilled to start inviting the people we serve back.
A big thank-you to those who have been working hard on the plans to reopen. And my appreciation to all of you for hanging tough through this trying time and everything you’ve done to get us to this milestone.
In honor of National Nurses Week, The Knowledge Center at Health and Human Services Agency created a heartfelt thanks to County nurses.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer
I’ve mentioned before in these mails that living with the restrictions of the stay-home orders, plus all the changes we’ve had at work, can cause a huge emotional strain. The situation can cause anxiety, stress and depression.
Those are normal reactions. That’s an important message we try to get out every May, which is Mental Health Month, but it’s really worth driving home this year. These are trying times, and it’s perfectly understandable if the circumstances are weighing on you or people you know.
Also part of that message is that being a normal reaction doesn’t mean you just live with it. Breaking a bone isn’t unusual, but of course you get it treated. Mental health is health. It’s not just acceptable, but encouraged to get help coping.
Early in this crisis, we realized mental health was a key element of our response, and our Behavioral Health Services put together resources for the public. Share those with anyone you know who may need them. The County Administration Center lighting will be green this week to help boost awareness of mental health.
I’ve given reminders about our Employee Assistance Program in these updates, but it’s worth repeating. EAP makes free, confidential counseling available to all employees and their family members. Please take advantage of the program if you need it. Visit the website or call 888-777-6665.
And continue to look out for each other. Your friends, your family, your co-workers. You don’t have to wait until there’s a sign someone’s having trouble. Check in, see how people are doing. We’re in this together, and we’ll get through by helping each other along.
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