Thank You for Marching for Babies

More than 200 County employees along with family and friends got up early last Saturday and laced up their walking shoes for the March for Babies walk in Balboa Park. They were among an estimated 7,000 who walked a three-and-a-half-mile loop across the Cabrillo Bridge, up to the edge of the San Diego Zoo and back across the bridge.

The  money raised is used by March of Dimes to help  prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Walkers included representatives from all five County Groups and Supervisor Dave Roberts. Walking were CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer, Assistant CAO Don Steuer, HHSA General Manager Nick Macchione,  FG3 General Manager Tracy Sandoval, HR Director Don Turko, County Counsel Tom Montgomery, and CTO Michael Haas among others.

The March of Dimes will release a final total of money raised in the next few weeks. They are still counting. Some money was turned in at the event and some was contributed online. Before the walk, County employees raised more than $22,000.   

But don’t stop now! You can still raise funds or contribute. The March of Dimes campaign is year-round at the County.  Blue Jeans for Babies stickers can be purchased for $2 which allows employees to wear jeans on a day approved by their supervisor. Stickers can be purchased from your departmental March of Dimes coordinator. Some department supervisors may not allow sticker sales if jeans are not appropriate for that office. (Stickers are on backorder at the moment from the March of Dimes.)

A handful of fall beanies and limited quantities of winter beanies will also be sold later in the year. Some departments may also choose to hold departmental fundraisers and donate to March of Dimes.

If you’d like to make a donation online, visit our March of Dimes page. Please donate through one of the five County groups to make sure our employees get the credit for raising the funds.

Employee Turnout Nearly Triples at Health Screenings

Hundreds of additional County employees now have a better sense of their health, after taking part in last month’s free Kaiser Permanente Wellness screenings.

Record numbers of employees turned out for the series of screenings, held at nine County office locations March 11-29. In all, 1,448 employees participated, up from 565 last year. The screenings took place in Kaiser Mobile Health Vehicles. Employees got to learn their blood pressure, glucose levels, body mass index and height and waist measurements.

Human Resources Director Don Turko said the high turnout showed employees are paying attention to “their numbers” and taking greater responsibility for their wellness.

“I am confident we will build upon this year’s progress when we repeat the program in 2014,” he said.

The screenings first started in 2010. That year, a total of 523 employees participated.

This year, the turnout was so robust that Kaiser had to bring in additional medical staff to handle the demand, said William Erese, the County’s wellness coordinator.

Among the changes that likely helped increase turnout this year: the Department of Human Resources linked the screenings to its Employee Health & Wellness Incentive program, offering employees $100 each to complete the health screenings and fill out a Health Risk Assessment. Employees could also visit the Kaiser Health Vehicles during work hours. And the screenings were available to all employees, regardless of their health insurance provider.

Employees can earn the $100 payout until June 30, when the incentive program ends. Employees will just need to fill out the required paperwork and visit their doctor.  

For more information or to get started, visit the Employee Health & Wellness Incentive Program web page or call HR’s Employee Benefits Division at 888-550-2203.

Parks PSA is CREAM of the Crop

First the silver screen, now an award of excellence. The County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is showing off a new plaque these days from the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS). During a recent CPRS awards ceremony in San Jose, Parks took home the 2012 Award of Excellence for a public service announcement (PSA) video in the marketing category. (Watch the PSA below)

You could even say it won the C.R.E.A.M. of the crop! That’s because the PSA met the CPRS award requirements showing County Parks met Challenge, Resourcefulness, Execution, Accomplishment and Mission principles.

“County Parks has so much to offer with more than 45,000 acres of parks, trails and open space,” said DPR Director Brian Albright. “A PSA for neighborhood movie theaters was the perfect answer so that the next time these folks were thinking of getting outside, they would think of our parks, trails and facilities first.”  

So what was the PSA about exactly? You know how old family movies take you back in time to the wonderful times you had together? This PSA takes on that same nostalgic look and showcases all the family fun you could have at a County park campsite. The video vignettes highlight hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, bird watching, quiet times playing board games, marshmallow roasting over a campfire and of course, camping.

Lakeside REC Club Supervisor Ryan Flickinger (middle) accepts the 2012 Award of Excellence for marketing from the California Park and Recreation Society.

The PSA made its debut last September at four of the most visited movie theaters in San Diego County, the AMC theaters in Escondido, Mission Valley, Otay and El Cajon. The 60-second video ran on the silver screen during movie previews and patrons could also catch the PSA on large 52” television screens in theater lobbies while waiting in line to buy snacks.  

DPR and the County Communications Office worked together to produce the PSA and all the actors were volunteers or County Park employees. They should be proud. Their efforts paid off. During the five-week time period the PSA was shown, theater management estimates nearly 646,000 people saw the video each week. Cox Communications also aired the PSA on its channels 50 times during the same time period. Statewide recognition from the CPRS award was just a bonus.  

County Parks knows it has a lot to offer. It just needed to get the word out there. People watched and listened and who knows? Your neighbors might invite you over to see some home movies of their adventures at a nearby County park. Take popcorn!  

DA's New IT Chief Escaped Saddam's Iraq

Long before he was designing information technology systems for large companies, Usama "Sam" Georges was designing something far more important: his clandestine escape from Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Last month, Georges began his new role at the District Attorney's Office as Chief of the Information Technology Division. The journey to this point in his career took a path many only read about.

After Georges graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from a university in England, he was drafted into the Iraqi military. He was assigned to the paratrooper unit from 1984 to 1987 until he was seriously injured by a bomb. More than 200 fragments embedded in his skin after the explosion.

"Just one year ago a doctor removed the last fragment that remained in my back," he said.

Serving in the Iraqi Army under Hussein left little room for choice. One did as they were told or their families would be tortured Georges said. During his eight years in the military, he became known as an 'honest man' who tended to find himself under investigation on numerous occasions.

"The only reason I wasn't killed is because the army was weak after the Gulf War," Georges said.

Still, even though his life was spared, his assignments became more intolerable -- evidence he wasn't free of punishment for leading with integrity.

In 1992, Georges refused to take part in a violent assault in an area he was in charge of in Northern Iraq. Instead, he negotiated a peaceful end, which was perceived by military intelligence as defying orders. He was ordered to the capital to face an investigation, and Georges knew his family would never see him again if he went to the meeting.

Georges, his wife and their two small children managed to escape Iraq. The family was smuggled through check points until they reached relative safety. Ultimately, they settled in Turkey, where they applied for political asylum and were eventually relocated to San Diego.

"We've been through a lot," Georges said. "It's heartbreaking, but it's something I must talk about in order to influence future generations."

Georges worked at a gas station, a liquor store and did other odd jobs after arriving in San Diego in 1996. He finished his master's degree and eventually went on to work at a number of high profile companies in the information technology department including 10 years at Hubbs-SeaWorld as the director of information technology.

He has taught IT related courses at a number of area colleges including Foundation College, Coleman University and Cuyamaca College.
At the DA's Office, he oversees 27 employees who carry out the information technology mission of the organization, which includes courtroom prosecution and community outreach efforts.  

Probation and Sheriff Cross Relay Race Finish Line Swiftly

Probation Supervisor Carl Heidemann runs in the California-Nevada desert in the 2013 Baker to Vegas relay race.Over the weekend, the San Diego County Probation team crossed the finish line at 15:56:07 just ahead of the San Diego Sheriff Department team which came in at 16:32:31 in the Challenge Cup “Baker to Vegas” Relay Race.

Probation went from finishing in 92^nd place to 42^nd place and the Sheriff’s went from 104^th place to 69^th place. Both teams shaved significant time from last year’s race which went on despite record temperatures. This year it was hot and windy, temperatures peaked at 99 degrees and only dipped down into the 70s at night.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office also had a team in the race and finished at 16:55:30.

The three county teams were among 260 law enforcement teams from around the world to compete in this year’s 120-mile relay race.

“San Diego County Probation was the fastest team among all the probation teams that entered,” said probation team captain Linda Yoakum-Latimer.  “At the end, we were just ecstatic. We really surprised ourselves. We didn’t realize we were going to take back our title and that’s a nice feeling because we’d lost that title for a few years.”

The Hamburg, Germany SWAT team also thanked the San Diego County Probation team during the awards ceremony for helping them gather race supplies like water, food and race supplies which allows them to participate in the race.

Deputy Kim Nicholson assigned to the Encinitas Sheriff's Station starts her leg of the race this past weekend.San Diego Sheriff’s Department team captain Denese Deal said they improved their time by 37 minutes and moved up from 104^th place to 69^th place.

“It ran smooth, everyone got where they had to go and everyone had a good time. We actually had such a great race,” said Deal. “We’re excited for next year.  I know everybody is already training for next year.”

Next year, the race will be held the weekend of March 22-23, so temperatures will be less severe.

 The San Diego County Sheriff's team and support staff.

See Something? Say Something.

Boston’s tragic bombing Monday followed by revelations of two letters addressed to elected officials in D.C containing the poison ricin—including one addressed to the President—is news on everyone’s minds. 

While there’s no information that any of these violent acts has a San Diego or County government connection, such news makes safety practices relevant everywhere.  So it’s a good time for all of us to make sure we know what it means to be vigilant at home and at work and to review mail handling safety.

“At work and after hours, I want to remind employees ‘If you see something, say something,’” said Office of Emergency Services Director Holly Crawford. “Law enforcement has identified eight signs of terrorism and the County recently produced a video showing what you should look for.”  (See link below.)

At work, this might mean someone where they’re not supposed to be, acting out of place, or a package or backpack belonging to no one—anything out of the ordinary that makes you uneasy or raises your suspicion. If this happens, let your supervisor and security know.  If you think a threat is imminent, call 911.

The simple principles of vigilance extend to mail you might get at work.

Almost every County employee gets letters or packages through the mail from time to time. Depending on where you work, a U.S. Postal Service carrier might deliver the mail to a departmental mail clerk or other employee, who gets it to you. Or in some cases, the Postal Service sends mail to County Mail Services, who deliver it to your department.   

 While the U.S. Postal Service has Postal Inspectors and procedures in place to try to identify and investigate suspicious packages and letters, we should all know what a “suspicious” letter or package means too.

Obvious signs, according to the U.S. Postal Service, would be strange odors, protruding wires, oily stains on the package and suspicious powders or substances coming from the mail. If something like that showed up, you would notify security and call 911.

Less obvious suspicious signs might include no return address, excessive taping or string, a lopsided or bulky package, and generic addressees, such as a title with no name. Again, if something seems suspicious to you with a package or letter, say something.

 For more on being vigilant and current events, refer to these links and resources

County Television Network: If You See Something, Say Something

FBI: Tips on suspicious mail

CDC on ricin

Department mail clerks with questions on best practices for mail handling can contact the County Mail Manager, Bob Wilson at 858 694-3190 or email him at Bob.Wilson@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Recognition Where Recognition is Due…

Animal Control Officer Melissa Prettyman accepts the Humane Hero Award from the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. No one has done more to put County Animal Control Officers in the spotlight recently than Officer Melissa Prettyman. She rescued a family and their dog from a fire on their property and she jumped into the water off the Mission Beach Jetty to save a stray from being swept out to sea. Both rescues have been featured on local television newscasts, CTN and County News Center.             

In recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty, the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA gave her the Humane Hero Award and featured her in a video during a recent telethon on KFMB. The profile is now posted on the Humane Society’s website. As before, Prettyman gave credit where credit was due and emphasized she just did her job as any other County animal control officer would do.

“Melissa makes it clear that it is a TEAM effort,” said Animal Services Director Dawn Danielson. “We can all be proud of what we do.”  

County Team Marches for Babies in Oceanside

Cool coastal weather didn’t dampen the spirits of more than two dozen employees and their families who joined hundreds of others at the March for Babies in Oceanside this past Saturday. They walked the three-and-a-half mile loop from the Oceanside Pier along the beach. Walkers included employees from the Health and Human Services Agency, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, Department of Child Support Services, Clerk of the Board, Public Safety Group Executive Office and the Communications Office.

Funds raised by the walkers go to the March of Dimes, a 75-year-old non-profit that promotes healthy babies and the prevention of premature birth through research and education. See the stories of employees who have been helped by their work here.

You can still get involved and help the County reach its goal of raising $50,000 in the next two weeks – we’ve raised $10,000 so far. The next March for Babies walk is scheduled Saturday, April 27 in Balboa Park. Join about 100 other County employees who have already registered, or you can donate to someone from your department or group if you can’t walk. Visit the March for Babies page on InSite, and click the link to your group to register or donate.

If each employee donated just five dollars, we would exceed our goal and help countless babies get a healthy start in life.

Elevator? What Elevator?

HHSA Administrative Analysts Monya Tabor and Joe Garcia tackle the stairs at their Mission Valley office building. Inspired by the County's Dare to Stair program, they started squeezing the extra activity into their days during breaks and lunch.

Monya Tabor doesn’t sit much.

The HHSA administrative analyst rises at 5:30 a.m. every morning to exercise before work. She stands while she works during the day, using an adjustable desk.

During breaks, she takes on the stairs in her building, the Behavioral Health Services Administration building in Mission Valley. She walks 106 steps here, 111 steps there, easily walking a few hundred a day. She even uses a restroom on another floor to fit in more stairs.

Tabor added the extra stair climbing to her daily routine a few months ago as part of the County’s Dare to Stair exercise program. In January, the program started encouraging employees to take advantage of the accessible, free activity. It worked. Hundreds of employees signed up, logging a total of 4.1 million stairs. The average participant completed more than 10,800 stairs. Depending on how many stairs they walked, employees earned prizes such as T-shirts, jump ropes and gym bags.

Tabor started counting the number of stairs in each stairwell in her building, so she could easily calculate her daily totals and then submit them to the Department of Human Resources. She and co-worker Joe Garcia, also a Behavioral Health Services administrative analyst who sits nearby, started pushing and encouraging each other. Garcia  started incorporating more stairs into his daily routine, and when either returned from walking stairs in the building, they would mention it.

“She’ll say, I did my stairs,” he said. Then he would go tackle the staircase.

They haven’t stopped since the program ended last month.

Tabor said her wellness journey began five years ago after her grandmother died of complications from several conditions, including heart disease. Many of her family members have suffered heart attacks as well. A year ago, Tabor really stepped up her efforts to get healthy after being diagnosed with high cholesterol. Her doctor told her that if she “didn’t fix it, he would put (her) on medications,” she said. She wanted to avoid that.

So Tabor started eating healthier, exercising more and tracking both through the website myfitnesspal.com. As a result, she’s dropped her cholesterol by 26 points into a healthy range.  She cut her asthma medication by half.  

She’s also lost nearly 40 lbs. and plans to lose at least another 40 lbs. But she calls the weight loss the “icing on the cake.”

Her main goals were to get healthy and prevent long term illnesses like heart disease.

Another huge benefit, she said, has been the improvement in her moods and anxiety levels.

Tabor said she often used to feel stressed, worried and anxious.

Now, “I am a happy, upbeat, optimistic person, expecting that the best always happens even if it is eventually,” she said.

Though Garcia has long been into health and wellness---he practices yoga and rides his bike to work— adding more stairs to his daily routine has helped him keep limber during the work days.

“I notice that if I sit at my desk, I get really stiff,” he said. Walking stairs during breaks “doesn’t let me get as tightened up.”

For more information about health and wellness at the County, visit InSite’s Employee Wellness Program web page.