Penny Ray
Maternal and Child Health

Since coming to DCHD, Penny has been consistent, diligent and conscientious in regards to the billing she does for Maternal and Child Health. Last fiscal year, Penny was given all of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Encounters for the Health Department in addition to her other duties. She was provided with instructions in billing procedures for STD encounters and the division saw a steady increase in revenue. She researches every encounter for all divisions, (approximately 330 per month alone for the STD division) to make sure any Medicaid reimbursement for services rendered to the department is not overlooked.

The edit error list that comes in from the State for billing (submitted monthly) has declined significantly due to Penny’s attention to detail. Last fiscal year we experienced months where the error rate was) % due to accuracy in data entry.

At the end of this fiscal year, Penny has obtained and surpassed the anticipated budget revenue for the STD division by 617%! Increased revenue for FY 08 will allow for one more purchasing power for expenditures for this division.

I applaud Penny’s efforts in bringing revenue to this division, and for these reasons her efforts are noted. I ask the committee to recognize theses efforts and award her the Pamela Wall- Brame award.

Earlene Moore Cameron
Receptionist
January – March 2007

Here are only a few of the many reasons I believe that Earlene Moore Cameron, “Earl” to me, should be the next Employee of the Quarter.  She has occupied her position for 20 years, done a great job even when five lines are ringing, and has made many friends along the way.

As her supervisor, I consider it a privilege to know her and to work with her during these years.  In addition to working with other Divisions, purchase orders, deliveries, mail, etc. the switchboard duties are a huge part of her responsibilities. 

I have personally witnessed her response to many calls and her gentleness in dealing with people of all ages.

• Serves as a resource, on a frequent basis, to seniors in the community seeking a telephone number that they can not locate in the telephone directory because they are not sure how it is listed, many would acknowledge that they could not see or read the print. 
• Listens to young callers looking for help or information and refers them to the correct program or agency without being judgmental and without giving the person the feeling that she has five incoming lines that need to be answered.
• Shares a smile, as well as directions, to external customers who came to the Administration Entrance looking for a county agency or office.
• Provides directions to visitors in route from the West, East, North, and South trying to locate the Health Department.  Many times these visitors were on the downtown loop.  Some of these calls provided “moments of comedy” once the caller was on the right street, calmed down, and seen turning into the parking lot.  
• Young employees, when they get to know “Ms. Earlene”, see her as a confidant.  This is certainly a testimony of her approachable manner and her superb listening skills.
• Public Health’s logo “Everywhere, Everyday, Everybody” is one that is certainly understood by this phenomenal lady.  She has certainly made a difference to those who call this Health Department’s main line.
  
  “Earl” would certainly be missed by this Health Department employee.

Here are some comments from other Program Managers of Ms. Cameron’s contribution to their Divisions.

Becky Freeman had this to say:

• Whenever we are short staffed, Earlene gladly lets us forward the main Nutrition Division number to her phone.  She graciously transfers the calls or takes messages for us.
• We frequently give Earlene names and phone numbers for students working with us temporarily.  Earlene gladly adds those names to her list, never complaining about the frequent changes of student listings.
• We can always count on Earlene handling our mail and checking incoming deliveries quickly and efficiently.  
• She has helped us with Federal Express pick-ups.
• Earlene always has a kind word and sunny smile for us whether we are just walking by her office or needing her help.

Diana Coates shared some things about Earlene.

• Earlene serves a very important role in assisting the Immunization Clinic. No time is this more apparent than during influenza season when Earlene serves as the messenger to the public of the flu vaccine availability. The past several years the DCHD has had difficulty getting enough flu vaccine to start clinics in Oct. Earlene in her sweet and friendly way expresses to the caller that she regrets that the DCHD does not have the flu vaccine available to which she has encountered being yelled at, hung-up on, and sometimes being told off by people that didn’t want to hear that message. She can be overheard saying “I’m sorry”. It was thought that the flu-line would take care of this problem but Earlene related that many callers referred to the flu line call back and say “I don’t want to listen to all that I want you to tell me” and Earlene does. Discretionary judgment is a skill that Earlene possesses and utilizes in dealing with callers and referring calls whether it is for communicable diseases, immunizations or a mercury spill. 
• Earlene is very conscientious about getting vaccine to me as soon as it comes into her office by UPS. She immediately gets Mike to bring it over or she alerts the Immunization Clinic that the vaccine has arrived and Mike is not available. This is extremely important as the vaccine cold  chain must not be broken or else the vaccine will be ruined. 
• Earlene is patient. How many times has Earlene been called by a DCHD employee who wants another employees extension?? Yes we have directories but it’s just faster and easier to ask Earlene. How many times does Earlene get asked have you seen Bonnie, Runnie, Mike or another employee? How many times has Earlene answered the door buzzer when staff didn’t want to walk to the main entrance?  Earlene is always ready and willing to assist her co-workers and does  so professionally with a smile and warmth that is just Earlene!!

Earlene’s kind and gentle spirit exhibited each day in the workplace could serve as a role model for each of us.

Joyce Snipes
Community Nurse Assistant
October – December 2006

Joyce Snipes often goes above and beyond the call of duty as she assists the PHN in the neighborhoods she serves.

Joyce assisted 4 families with obtaining employment for their teen children. She assisted 2 seniors in obtaining food for a month through the Angel Food Network (donated through a local church). She has just completed a Food Assistance and Community Partners training offered by DSS and has immediately identified 2 senior citizens and 2 single moms that would qualify for food assistance.

Joyce volunteers as a reading buddy at a local elementary school. She has read to more than 100 students. Joyce is also instrumental in assisting families with the process of obtaining Medicaid and Health Choice. She recently took a homeowners class to assist residents in the community on the road to becoming homeowners. Joyce has worked tirelessly with Share Your Christmas along with Ann Milligan-Barnes for the residents in McDougald Terrace and Fayette Place. She and Ann work every year to make sure the children in the community are not overlooked at Christmas time. They also work to make sure families are not overlooked at Thanksgiving by going to community agencies to solicit donations for the residents.  Joyce worked with the PHN in starting a food give away in the neighborhoods especially to help those residents whose food stamps do not last through the month.

Joyce also makes it a priority to attend workshops to enhance her skills which enable her to work more effectively with the nurse, in fact any workshop that the nurses attend that does not specifically ask for only RN attendance, Joyce is there. Examples are a breast feeding workshop and UNC Horizons program (a program which helps pregnant women reduce or stop alcohol and drug use during pregnancy). She co-chairs the Granny Group, a support for grandparents who are raising grandchildren in the community. Joyce has been asked by RTI to speak to a group of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. She also co-chairs Keeping It Real, a support group where residents can come and voice their frustrations in a safe and supportive place.
With her skills as a phlebotomist Joyce volunteered to draw blood and assist at several ICEES (Intensive Community Education Effort) health fairs to test and counsel residents for HIV/syphilis. She has completed the LPN client centered HIV/syphilis prevention training.

Joyce devised and maintains a computer record of all the women in the community she serves who are enrolled in the Folic Acid Program which is part of the TIMR grant to decrease the incidence of infant mortality in Durham.
Joyce Snipes is a CNA. She received her certification in order to be better equipped to assist the PHN in caring for the residents in the community. She has excellent observational skills and will point out things she sees during the postpartum newborn visit that strikes her as wrong with an infant or mother being assessed. She and Ann Milligan-Barnes have intervened and reported several situations that have saved mom and baby. Here is an example: during a postpartum newborn visit, Ann was busy checking mom’s c-section incision. Joyce noticed the baby’s limp body and brought it to Ann’s attention. The baby was taken to the E.D. and diagnosed with meningitis.

Joyce is an asset to the community and an invaluable assistant to the nurse in her role as the community health assistant. We only wish we had at least 2 more like her.

Sheila Madison-Reid
Community Nurse Assistant
July – September 2006

Shelia Madison-Reid has been employed at the Durham County Health Department over seventeen years.  She does an excellent job in her role as Community Health Assistant.

Shelia is dedicated to her work in the OB clinic.  She is definitely a worker that will go the extra mile and a true team player.  Shelia wears many hats.  She is definitely a great resource person.  If anyone need something or wants information they ask Shelia.  If she doesn’t know she will find out.  Shelia has always taken the initiative to learn and do new things and go beyond “what expected.”  She volunteers for many things, such as assisting the processing clerk with her duties so the clinic can run smoothly.  Shelia is always thinking of others and how to make the clinic run smoothly.  She always volunteers to do tasks beyond her job expectation.  She volunteered to schedule ultrasound appointments while helping in the nurse screen classes, so patients can have their appointments in hand when they leave.  This cuts down on patient time spent at the center.  Shelia volunteers to participate in many health fairs to promote the well being of others.  Sheila served on the DCHD Recreation Committee.  She really enjoyed working and helping in organizing the activities.  One of the most outstanding tasks Shelia has volunteered to do is give glucola to patients that were scheduled to have a glucose tolerance test the day of their visit.  She has learned the steps in giving glucola to patients, including giving instruction on when to report to the lab for blood draw.  This act has made a great improvement in decreasing patient time spent in the center.  Shelia gives the patient the glucola drink before patient sees the nurse.  After the nurse and provider has seen the patient and patient has been discharged, its time for the patient to report to the lab for their blood to be drawn.  This decreases an hour of the patient’s time at the center.  This is a task beyond her job expectation.  Shelia volunteered to be the trainer for OB staff on use of the Multistix 10SG for urine testing.  Shelia is very specific and very detailed in her instruction to staff.  She understands the importance of having accurate test results.

First she tells them step by step what to do, such as, when to open the bottle, when to close the bottle, where to lay or not to lay the strip.  Next she demonstrates the procedure.  Then she has the staff to do the procedure.  If they don’t do the procedure exactly as she has instructed, they have to do it again.  Shelia maintains a good sense of humor so the staff is very receptive to her teaching.

Shelia goes out of her way to help others.  She took on the tremendous responsibility of organizing a system to collect donations for care-packages to be sent to our troops in action.  Once the donations were received, she personally did the packing and mailing of these packages.  Shelia helped a mother in need that had lost everything to a fire.  She solicited donations and items that would benefit the mother and her children.  Recently she gave an expectant mother the coat off her back, so the patient would have something to keep her warm.

Shelia has good rapport with her peers and clients.  Clients (English and Spanish speakers) often return to see Shelia after they have had their babies to show her pictures.  Shelia has learned phrases in Spanish so she can communicate with the Hispanic population.  She had asked the Spanish interpreter to write sentences so that she can increase her Spanish communication.  Shelia receives many positive comments from clients and co-workers.  One recent comment from co-worker, “Shelia is always generous and kind, bends over backwards to help staff, she is good for morale”.  Lincoln supervisor reported a patient commented that Shelia is the person that we should pattern our customer service after.  One recent comment from client, “Shelia always makes me feel comfortable and that she’s here to help me.”

Shelia has been a member of the NCPHA CHAT and has served as the Financial Secretary and Program Committee co-chairman for almost 10 years.  She is busy recruiting others to join the organization.  Shelia uses her own time to meet with her peers to organize the yearly conference.  Shelia takes her responsibility seriously and does all she can to help make the conference a success.

Because of Shelia’s excellent work as a CHA and her dedication to her work and the helping of others, I nominate Shelia Madison-Reid for the Pam Wall Brame’s Award.

• The nutrition classes really make our students want to try to eat healthy.
• Children really enjoy and internalize the nutrition lessons. This is evident in their conversations and choices at lunch.
• She does a great job!
• The students enjoy the lessons and talk about what they learn.
• I have recommended this service. She's great!
• Excellent instructor! Very knowledgeable.
• My students looked forward to these sessions and so did I. Every morning we walk around the playground.
• Not only my class, but I use many of the nutritional information and share with my family.
• Our students were always enthusiastic about their lessons-often their conversations during lunch and snack time reflected what they were learning.
• Mrs. Creech's lessons are always exciting and informative. My students look forward to her visits. In fact, she's a celebrity in our classroom!
• Mrs. Rumer does an excellent job presenting age appropriate lessons and activities.
• Becca is knowledgeable, courteous and patient with the children. All lessons are geared to their level of understanding.
• Ms. Smith was a great addition to our day. My students enjoyed her "kid-friendly", but informative lessons. We will miss her!
• Ms. Privette has been great to work with!

• "Good program; children learned a lot and enjoyed the classes"
• (Teachers) "Want to participate in the program next year"
• "Lessons well planned and at the right level for the students"
• "Our children need this information because they do not always have the best influences at home"
• "Parents should attend the classes"
• "Program is interesting. High level of activity-oriented, brisk, fast pace. Ample time is allotted for student feedback"
• "Thanks! The classes helped me especially. I am able to refer back to the lessons while I'm teaching"

• Now we eat apples, oranges, and bananas
• We have made a goal to eat healthier foods/snacks because of the information we have been receiving from the school
• Started to eat more fruits instead of sweets
• Tried new meals
• My son has cut back on dessert and bread and requests more fruits and veggies.
• My boys like to cook using the kid-friendly healthy recipes they bring home from school.
• Snack ideas were very helpful to add new healthy things.
• My family stopped eating so much candy.

Heather's job over the past year has been to develop the newly funded nutrition consultation program for childcare centers and homes in Durham County. The project's goal is to assist, through consultation and training, child care centers and homes in meeting and maintaining minimum nutrition standards for licensure in North Carolina. From the beginning, Heather has regularly evaluated her program delivery to assure that she is providing services that are efficient, effective and customer friendly.  Upon her own initiative, Heather researched the environmental rating scales used in child care star ratings and noted that the area in which nutrition falls under is typically scored low by child care settings. The rating scales are highly relevant to directors wanting to improve their star rating. Heather revised the implementation strategies of the project so that it is now closely aligned with the Division of Child Development licensing standards and the nutrition consultations services can help child care settings improve their star ratings.  The result has been a stronger program that has a greater impact as well as an increased interest and participation level in nutrition consultation services among childcare settings. The funding agency for the nutrition consultation project has expressed great satisfaction with this revised focus since improving star ratings for the county's child care settings is one of their primary goals.

A second example of going the extra step to better meet her customer's needs involves the training provided in project. Initially, Heather developed ten training programs for the child care settings with all of them receiving two hours of approved credit from the state Division of Child Development, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.  Although the child care providers were very interested in training and requested them frequently (childcare providers are required to have a certain number of continuing education credits a year), barriers were discovered early on in the program's development. The main problem was limited time for child care staff to attend training, they had to schedule training during their lunch hour or while children were napping, times that created problems in maintaining adequate child-to-provider staffing ratios.  To address this problem for her clients, Heather developed self-study modules for child care teachers.  The modules have the benefit of providing more comprehensive nutrition information to child care teachers, while at the same time allowing teachers flexibility in the pace of their study. Each module is approved for 5.0 contact hours through the Division of Child Development.  The modules are a major success.  Directors and teachers like the flexibility of the self-study format and Heather is enjoying the discussion that occurs during the wrap-up sessions.  Infant teachers are appreciating the importance of breastfeeding, a topic heavily emphasized in one of the modules, and have even expressed an interest in promoting breastfeeding in their classrooms. One teacher, who did not breastfeed her first child, said, I think if all African American women had the chance to read this (referring to information provided in the self-study materials), they would choose to breastfeed their child. I'm going to breastfeed my next child.

Continue to be an asset to our nutrition staff in getting our families in better shape.?

There is nothing that will stop me from using the exciting new things I learned today.?

Please continue to offer this service?.

Heather has so impressed the Durham Partnership for Children, the agency that funds the project she works on, that they nominated her for the GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition Award. And she won! The award is for full- or part-time employees or retirees of local health departments to recognize outstanding service in preventive health activities in North Carolina communities.  In the nomination, the Partnership wrote: "She's always willing to spend extra time evaluating classrooms to address specific problems and developing tailored action plans to help the centers raise their licensing ratings. Under Wasser's guidance, many children in Durham County are eating healthier meals and becoming more productive students.   Upon hearing about the award, the Evaluation Coordinator for the Partnership commented in an e-mail to Heather (and copied to me)  "We are so happy for you. No one ever deserved an award more than you do, for the wonderful work you have done for the Nutrition Consultation Project. We are so fortunate to have you working with the Partnership."

Additionally, I have received many unsolicited comments about Heather such as:

• From Marsha Basloe, Executive Director, Durham's Partnership for Children:
  Heather is "terrific".

• From Dorothy Conrad, RD, LDN, Health Department Nutrition Division: Over the past weeks I have had an opportunity to work with Heather on the "5 a Day" professional display project.  She has contributed creative ideas for the presentation, identified needs for her target population, and assembled needed resources.  She has worked in an organized manner, including recording minutes and meeting schedule deadlines.  During this process, Heather has been an asset to the team.  She brings her "spark" that is an encouragement to others.  I believe her skills have had a positive impact on the collaboration between the clinical and community teams.  I just wanted you to know that her efforts are appreciated!

Wanda regularly demonstrates her commitment to assuring that Family Planning patients receive timely, high quality care. She does this both by strengthening her own clinical skills and by improving systems in the clinic to allow patients to be seen more efficiently.

When Wanda recognized the need for better access for patients to have coloposcopies (a procedure for women with abnormal Pap Smears), she obtained state grant funding for training, went to Atlanta for the course, and arranged for a preceptor to monitor her practice after she received the training. The grant funding included equipment valued at $10,000. The result is a reduction in wait time for women needing the procedure.

When our agency changed to a new computer Patient Management System, the report allowing for tracking of abnormal Pap Smears follow-up was not available. Wanda set up a tracking system of her own to be used by clinic staff so that patients would not "fall through the cracks."  In addition, she has updated clinic forms, so that documentation and assessment of patients is both thorough and complete.

• Duke AIDS Research and Treatment Center Advisory Board
• NC Governors AIDS Advisory Council
• Allicance of AIDS Services - Carolina
• NC Council on Positive Living
• El Centro Project Life

• Ms. Bates organized a press conference at a local Durham restaurant, one of four locations strategically involved with the statewide Winner's Circle media campaign. The Durham Press Conference achieved the most attention, including media representatives in attendance and/or coverage from WRAL/FOX 50, WTVD 11, WB 22, The Herald-Sun, Carolina Parent, Health and Healing, Triangle Lifestyle Magazine, the Senior Post, the Durham Skywriter, the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau and Durham County Public Relations.
• Tracey helped organize the Durham Mix It with Milk n'Jell-O Contest/Kid's Day Celebration sponsored by Family Fare, Maola, Southeast United Dairy Industry Association and the Durham County Winner's Circle Healthy Dining Program. Children submitted recipes and the top four entrants competed in a Mix Off at Kids Day. Judges included Police Chief Steve Chalmers, WDNC Mike Sleyman, and The Herald-Sun's Al Carson - sampled and rated recipes. The Herald-Sun mentioned the contest for three weeks leading up to the event and followed with a two-pate article revealing the winners. Additional publicity included three live interviews on WDNC, a radio ad, and press release to local media.
• On very short notice, Ms. Bates drafted a press release and compiled press packets on the "Safe Food National Park" life-sized board game being used by the DINE for LIFE nutritionists to teach summer camp students principles of hand-washing and safe food handling. This event, cosponsored by the Nutrition Division and the FDA regional office, garnered coverage by WRAL/FOX 50, interviews and footage by WE 22, a half-page article and pictures in The Herald-Sun, and contact by a Hispanic newspaper out of Charlotte, La Noticia, for quotes and information on summer food safety.
• Ms. Bates coordinated and typically answers questions for the monthly Fitness Forum Q   A nutrition column in the Healthy Living Section of The Durham Herald Sun. Peg Wolfe, retired School Nurse Team Leader, remarked that she "liked the Fitness Forum section in the newspaper and looked forward to reading it".
• Al Carson, Food and Features Writer with the Herald-Sun Newspaper, stated that "Tracey's dedication and imagination make her cause interesting and newsworthy, which makes my job easier. Helping consumers to identify healthy choices while dining out is her goal and Tracey's diligence in this area has put her in the winner's circle."

• She Chairs the Department's Communication Committee.
• She Chairs the Durham County's Community Health Assessment Committee.
• She is a Certified Personal Trainer. She assists staff in conducting the Lunchtime Aerobic exercise for county employees.
• She provides CPR training/ certification to agencies and community residents.
• She precepts student interns from NCCU's Department of Health Education.
• She is one of three public health employees who is actively involved in improving media relations for the health department and health education.
• She is the editor of the Department's newsletter, The Messenger.

• Received informal "award"/certificate from a teacher at Fayetteville Street Elementary School recognizing her for outstanding teaching in nutrition.
• Ms. Shearer, the principal at E. K. Powe Elementary School, told Ms. Hooper she "heard good things" about her nutrition class in Ms. Beahm's classroom. She stated that she thought that the activity (placing real foods on a paper placemat that was divided into food group sections) was a good learning tool.
• Ms. Bass, the principal at Fayetteville Street, introduced Ms. Hooper to the DPS Superintendent, Dr. Denlinger, and told her that she does a great job. Ms. Hooper informed Dr. Denlinger that she worked for the Durham County Health Department.
• The PTA president at Fayetteville Street decided to replace the chips, cookies, and sodas with healthy snacks at the PTA meeting since Ms. Hooper's presentation was about healthy snacks.
• Ms. Barnes, a teacher at Fayetteville Street, reported to Ms. Hooper that she always learns something from her nutrition classes.

• Was able to get Ms. Hewitt, the cafeteria manager at Fayetteville Street, to take down her posters advertising Fritos, etc. and replace them with "Got Milk" posters.
• The principal at Fayetteville Street requested that Ms. Hooper decorate the school with nutrition posters to represent the nutrition program for a group of visitors coming to the school.
• Ms. Spruill, a teacher at Fayetteville Street, had her students create food art and used the artwork to decorate a bulletin board in the 5th grade hallway. The bulletin board also featured the Food Guide Pyramid.

• Ms. Hunt's 1st grade class at Spaulding was journaling about what they like to do on a rainy day. One of her students wrote that she likes to eat "healthy foods like celery and carrots." (The class was journaling prior to the nutrition lesson).
• Ms. Daniel and Ms. Sawyer, teachers at Fayetteville Street, told Ms. Hooper that their classes always look forward to her nutrition lessons.
• A 3rd grade student at Spaulding reported he had made the pudding (low fat milk and chocolate pudding) at home after learning how to make it in nutrition class.
• A 4th grade student at Fayetteville street reported he and his mother made the "breakfast sundae" at home after he learned how to make it in nutrition class.
• While walking down the hall, a student in Ms. Linebaugh's 1st grade class at Powe was talking to the counselor, Ms. Shippey. She asked him if he had any plans for spring break. He said, "Yes, I am going to exercise." Then she asked what else he was going to do, he said "eat healthy foods". She then said, "I bet you are also going to watch TV and play video games." He responded, "NO." (This sounds too good to be true, but Ms. Hooper actually heard the conversation going on in the hallway.)

• She investigates and assures case management beyond what is considered normal investigative procedures because of the uniqueness of each case. Hattie views these cases as opportunities and challenges.
• Durham County faces many unusual TB cases on a daily basis. Hattie responded to one such case in an exemplary manner when she worked diligently to arrange a surgical placement of a PIC line, infusion services and follow-up for an elderly patient with drug resistant TB. The patient was considered non-compliant and reacted in a very difficult manner.

• She facilitated the administration of medication to a nursing home client during off hours and to many other patients when treatment is necessary on weekends or holidays.
• She exhibits excellent listening skills and is responsive when her patients bring issues and questions regarding communicable diseases to her.
• She serves as a Teamleader in TB outreach efforts where she is responsive and understanding to potential TB contacts.
• She is a key player on the Epi-Team.
• She seeks additional education and resources on her own initiative.

Takashia (or Tosh as she is kindly known) is the "computer guru with grace".  Her gift for teaching is unquestionable; her patience never fails as she spends sometimes hours answering questions and explaining technological intricacies.  She also helps others outside the division with computer issues and operation of the LCD projector.
Tosh is known as "Granny Grapes" or "Suzie Strawberry" at some elementary schools, where she assisted countless times in nutrition lessons or participated in skits and assemblies for children.
She recorded radio ads with nutrition and physical activity messages that were broadcast on 97.5 FM and even recruited family members to assist in this effort.  Tosh posed with her son for some "family" pictures used for nutrition education outreach.
Tosh purposely left herself out of an office supply purchase in order to stay within the budget.
She has driven co-workers to downtown County offices for appointments so they wouldn't have to walk in the rain.
Tosh is a "handy woman", making repairs to furniture and other office equipment.  She fixes, patches, repairs and cleans--even when it is not her assigned kitchen duty month.
If you can't find it, ask Tosh.  She knows where everything is.

Takashia is described as not only cherished as a co-worker and employee, but also as a wonderful person and friend.  The Nutrition Division, the Health Department and the Durham County citizens are blessed to have her providing remarkable service every day.

A Department Health Educator and Pharmacist also supported Takashia's nomination with accolades of: helpful beyond the basics--important especially with external customers, helps the Safety Committee run smoother, approaches her responsibilities with enthusiasm, and helpful, energetic and competent in all of her professional activities.

Elisabeth devotes much of her time to making home visits where it is not unusual for extended family members and neighbors of the Baby Love client to ask her for assistance. For example, people frequently bring stacks of unopened mail (including medical bills) to Elisabeth asking for help in sorting though and translating information into Spanish.  

Daily Elisabeth receives calls from Spanish-speaking non-Baby Love clients asking for help with Medicaid, Food Stamps, Work First, and other programs because they've heard that she is a social worker that speaks Spanish. She takes the time to refer the callers to the appropriate resources.  Since there isn't a maternal outreach worker for Spanish-speaking Baby Love, Elisabeth also regularly delivers food donations and other supplies to families in need.

Recently, Elisabeth worked with a family that included two pregnant sisters.  Both women were also legally blind due to severe cataracts.  Neither of them had ever had an eye examination in Mexico, their homeland.  Elisabeth spent many hours arranging appointments for them at the Duke Eye Center.  She also managed to get a doctor to provide surgery and to waive the physician fee for the procedures.  Today these women can see and can provide better care for their families.  Another client came to Elisabeth after she lost her job and was raped while pregnant.  This client had also had a baby to die 48 hours after birth in Guatemala. Needless to say this 16-year-old was in great distress.  During the course of the pregnancy, she developed gastric ulcers.  Elisabeth arranged for GI care at Duke University Medical Center.  The client's ulcers improved and she delivered a healthy baby.  Elisabeth also spent time helping this client secure a job by serving as an interpreter at job interviews and arranging transportation.  These are just two examples of the complex, time-consuming cases that Elisabeth manages during the course of her day.

Elisabeth's empathy, dedication, and commitment to her work and organizational causes are truly exemplary.  She is a worthy recipient of the Pamela Wall-Brame Employee of the Quarter Award.

In addition to these activities, she works with the Durham Coalition on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (DCAPP). In the past, she has served as the Event Chair for DCAPP where she implemented. "Youth Educational Musical Explosion" (Y.E.M.E). Over 200 students and 50 adults participated. This event was planned for Let's Talk Month. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Publicity Committee for DCAPP.

Erline can always be counted on to do the right thing for the right reason.

Sandy McFall was nominated and chosen for the Pamela Wall-Brame Employee of the Quarter Recognition Award for her willingness to always help others with whatever needs to be done at the Durham County Health Department.

According to her colleagues, when "Sandy was approached by the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) committee and asked if she could help the committee process some of the data, Sandy willingly agreed to do so.  She developed the Excel formulas needed to analyze the data and provided her expertise on how best to summarize the data.  Each quarter she enters data from 800-1500 customer satisfaction surveys for all the divisions in the Health Department.  This means producing over twenty different reports each quarter.  Additionally, when Sandy receives preliminary data that is not completely tallied, she finalizes it herself.  When special manipulation of the data has been needed for additional reports, such as reports for the Board of Health, Sandy again has willingly spent extra hours to develop and modify the reports."  Sandy does all these things even though she is "not a member of the CQI Committee, nor was she ever delegated these responsibilities as part of her usual job duties.  When the customer satisfaction survey process was being developed at the Health Department, it was difficult to anticipate the time commitment needed to process the data.  Yet processing and tracking customer satisfaction data is the principle premise of the customer satisfaction process.  Sandy has been a vital link to the successful development of the customer satisfaction process through her willingness to give of her time and expertise."

In their nomination of Sandy, Health Department staff also recognized her for her help with Kindergarten Health Assessments, influenza vaccination outreach, data entry and completion of forms for the lab, and assisting the pharmacy during a pertussis outbreak.  Her colleagues commented on her "commitment to quality," her "consistently positive attitude," her "professionalism," her "reliability," her "communication skills," her "patience," and her ability to "learn very quickly."  They noted that regardless of whether the task is outside of her regular work hours or her assigned duties, Sandy "quietly steps forward to fill the need, always with a smile?.and helps all of us in the Health Department to complete our jobs more easily and more efficiently."

For all of these accomplishments, Sandy McFall is the recipient of the Pam Wall-Brame Employee of the Quarter Recognition Award.

Kim Bartholomew is a Public Health Nurse II in the Child Service Coordination Project. Because of her fluency in Spanish and her previous experience in missions in Central America, she is assigned to Spanish-speaking families served by the project when the child has diagnosed health needs. She has been very active in advocating for these families who often are not yet able to speak up for themselves.

The biggest triumph for Kim is related to Social Security Supplement Income (SSI) for children with disabilities. Kim has a number of children in her caseload with significant medical or developmental disabilities. These children are American citizens and have been determined to be eligible for SSI. The children were not receiving the actual payments. Staff at the Durham Social Security Administration (SSA) Office said that the children did not have a responsible adult to take charge of the money because the parents were not documented residents of the United States. 

Initially the Department of Social Services tried to serve as payee for these children, but the volume and complexity was too great for DSS staff to manage, especially for families where the adults were completely competent.  Kim raised the issue repeatedly; first with various people at the Durham SSA, then with minority health advocates in state government.  She obtained a copy of the related law and brought it to the attention of SSI workers, the state ombudsman for Hispanic health issues, and others who contacted her.  Eventually, she spoke to the Federal Director of the Division for Payees from Baltimore, MD.  This person has now sent information nationally to SSA's informing them that undocumented parents can and should be payees in this situation, unless there is some other reason to think that they are not competent to manage the funds.  In Durham, parents are now routinely being named the payee.

Kim has also identified other system problems for Spanish-speaking children with disabilities. When they enter the Preschool Program for Children with Special Needs, they are legally required to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These plans are always done in English and given to the families. Kim has continued to request that the IEP's be translated into Spanish, so that they are available for the family's use. Although this is not always successful, her persistence in bringing the issue up is likely to lead to a system change in the future.

In fact, persistence is an art form for Kim, who regularly pushes for appropriate services for her individual families. Whether it's insisting that medical providers provide interpreters or asking if this or that written material will be available in Spanish (and then asking when it will be available, and then reminding us that it's still not available, etc., etc.), Kim does not give up! 

Kim has also recognized the problems of Domestic Violence in the Hispanic community and served on the Domestic Violence Task Force facilitated by the Health Department Health Education Division.

 Mike serves as the Health Department's Maintenance Technician.   He is a faithful, courteous and caring person.  Mike not only goes above and beyond the call of duty but he does so with a warm and contagious smile.  He exhibits an unselfish dedication to his job in that he does so many tasks without ever being asked to do so. 

He is dedicated to both his job and his co-workers, which makes him truly deserving of this meritorious award.

 Mike has been assigned additional duties that were once performed by the General Services staff.  He performs these new assignments in the same prompt and efficient manner that he responds to all of the other Department's maintenance needs. As a result of a heavy workload, General Services has been unable to assist the Health Department as it has done in the past.  The Department was experiencing a problem with starlings on the back dock. Mike was observed installing Styrofoam squares into the overhang located on the dock area.  He eliminated a potential public health problem and the unsightly condition created by the starlings that gathered to roost in the overhang. 

 Mike is always willing to assist all the Divisions in the delivery and pickup of documents, electronic tapes, etc., from a state agency or county agency in order to meet deadlines that are critical to the funding of various programs. He frequently picks up medical supplies and medications when there is an immediate need in order to serve a client(s). 

 He delivers boxes of screens for the School Health program to the various schools, picks them up, and transports them to the next school.  These deliveries occur during the Kindergarten Health Assessment Clinics and the two rounds of Hepatitis B Immunizations during the school year. Mike works these requests into a busy workday and he always has the screens available according to schedule. 

 Mike has been observed on many occasions assisting Health Department staff with the loading and unloading of supplies in their preparation for or return from a presentation or a meeting.  He provides transportation for staff during inclement weather when it is possible.  He provides assistance to many of our customers who experience car trouble or lock themselves out of their cars.  If you call the Department's main telephone line and hear a male voice, it's Mike providing the switchboard receptionist a brief break.  In his quiet manner, he truly goes above and beyond the call of duty for all of us. 

For all of the above reasons and many more, no list of awardees would be complete without including the name of Carl "Mike" Fuquay.

Peg serves as the Nursing Division representative on the "Epi" Team.  When the initial community outreach Rubella initiative started she was on vacation.  She returned as the team was trying to decide how to take the outreach efforts to other sites used by the Hispanic-Latino population.  The plan was to try to use the restaurants and grocery stores.  Peg immediately jumped in to help with the planning.  She attended a neighborhood outreach initiative to get a feel for the process (use of staff, interpreters etc.) already in place.  She visited one of the proposed restaurant sites (ordered dinner to get a feel for the site) and had a follow-up conversation with the owner.  After much discussion, it was decided that the restaurant site was not the best place to do immunizations. 

When the soccer matches were recommended as a way to reach a large group of Hispanics, Peg took the leadership role in organizing and staffing several outreach clinics on Sundays.  Peg, being the organized person that she is, wrote detailed procedures for operating these off-site clinics.  One of her co-workers commented that anyone could conduct the clinics without difficulty using the procedures written by Peg.  She also was present at each of the clinics. With temperatures in the 90s, Peg was concerned about the stability of the vaccine kept in the cooler.  After measuring the temperature several times during one clinic, she decided to bring half of the vaccine supply for the morning session and to leave the rest refrigerated at home until she took a mid-day lunch break. 

Peg solicited and scheduled other health department staff for the clinics.  In an effort to reduce the number of times staff worked the clinics, she worked with physicians from Duke as staff in one clinic.  She even coordinated with a local funeral director for the use of a tent for cover from the heat and rain. As a result of her hard work and dedication, 352 MMRs were given at the soccer matches.  Peg was also very willing to work with a peer from Orange County Health Department to plan and staff an outreach clinic in Orange County. 

Peg's performance in addressing the needs of the community clearly is beyond her job expectations.

In 1996, Kat Turner joined the Division of Health Education as the HIV/STD prevention educator.  Under her leadership, HIV/STD prevention education was expanded beyond the target communities of inner city neighborhoods.  Prevention education became available to a wide range of population groups in Durham County.

Kat is a strategic planner.  Since she joined the Division, she implemented strategies that increased staff involvement in prevention education not only at the community level, but also at the regional level.  Recognizing the financial constraints that programs traditionally face from county sources, Kat successfully embarked on securing funding from outside sources.  She wrote grant proposals that generated additional funding for HIV/STD risk reduction education.  Within just three years, the amount of funding for HIV/STD risk reduction education has nearly tripled.

Kat promotes professional development by encouraging staff to participate in professional development seminars, training sessions and workshops.  She encourages staff to take advantage of opportunities that increase their knowledge and skills in all areas of health education.

Kat is very committed to serving others and fighting the war against AIDS and other social injustices.  You may often find her working long after her co-workers have turned off their lights and gone home.  Even when on vacation, she calls in to make sure all bases are covered.  Several months ago while in the hospital, she actually called to ask if perhaps she could help by making some telephone calls from her hospital bed. Everyone in the Division of Health Education holds the highest opinion of Kat, her intelligence, hard work and deep concern for real problems.

Sally was nominated for this honor by her peers for the daily "exceeds expectation" contribution she makes to the patients, the clinic and to her co-workers. "Everyone in the clinics love Sally, for she is 100% honest and real.  I can't ever remember her refusing to help out anyone who asked.  This level of commitment to work is exceptional.  She represents the Health Department in such a positive light; it is an honor to be one of her co-workers".

She precepts me for Adult Health/STD clinical training.  This means spending extra time with a patient who agrees to let me examine her while Sally observed and critiqued the examination for thoroughness and correctness.  Sally is a rare combination of excellent teacher and superb clinician.

There are two Spanish interpreters in the clinic.  Fortunately, Sally is a willing volunteer to help Spanish-speaking clients in Family Planning, TB, Immunization and STD clinics.  No matter who the patient, she assists with such empathy that she makes an otherwise frightening or uncomfortable situation better.  I have seen nervous young men and women emerge with a shy smile after her compassionate care.

The TB clinic delivers medications to clients twice a week.  Many of the clients are Spanish-speaking only.  In the absence of the TB outreach nurse, Sally willingly steps in and takes over the task.  While not assigned to the STD Clinic, Sally can often be found helping out when the clinic is short staffed.  You don't have to ask her; she's usually aware of the situations and steps in voluntarily.  I have observed Sally work through her lunch hour to provide care for clients. 

When hurricane Floyd hit eastern North Carolina, there was a call for nurses to volunteer.  Not surprisingly, Sally was right there.  She spent three days and two nights helping run a special-needs shelter.  When it was over and a forum was planned to talk about the experience, Sally couldn't understand what all the fuss was.  It just seemed to her that it was the right thing to do nothing for which one would expect recognition. 

In addition to these things which qualify Sally for this award, Sally has another factor: diabetes. You wouldn't know it if you didn't know Sally, because she doesn't focus on it.  Working closely with her, I have seen how she must monitor her blood glucose frequently during the day.  For most people, working through lunch is a minor inconvenience, but for Sally, it could affect her health.  Likewise, going to the eastern part of the state, and not knowing what she'd find when she got there, is in and of itself commendable.  For one with diabetes, this was an especially brave and selfless thing to do, because while she had to monitor the health of the people in the shelter, Sally also had to monitor her own health status to make sure she remained healthy enough to be an effective care-giver.

It is a privilege to work with one so committed.  Thank you Sally.

The Nutrition Division unanimously nominated Mrs. McClain for the Employee Recognition Award.  They wrote, "She performs (her) demanding job with excellence and is often referred to as the ?glue that holds our Division together'.  Yet, she still regularly accepts, and more than competently performs activities beyond her usual job duties."

Ms. McClain provides exceptional customer service to the public and often is instrumental in convincing the hesitant client to come to the Health Department for services.  One of our customers' letters stated, "I wanted to let you know that you have a wonderful person representing your company.  Each time I called, she was pleasant and helpful with what I was trying to accomplish...  It was truly a pleasure when you call, not really knowing what to do and someone takes the time to assist you in a professional manner."

In addition to her position responsibilities, Mrs. McClain serves as one of the three Webmasters for the Department, which included extensive training, meeting the county deadline for publishing the Health Department Web pages, and now, maintaining the site.  A member of the Department Web Page Committee wrote, "The support she has given to the Web Page Committee over the past few months has been unsurpassable, and we all owe her a debt of gratitude.  These duties went well above and beyond the normal facet of her usual job description, and being on the Web Page Committee myself, I know how unbelievably time consuming most of these tasks have been."

Another extra for Mrs. McClain is GIS mapping.  A City GIS Analyst wrote, "She has been self-motivated and tireless in her effort to use this powerful tool to improve the quality of service that she and her colleagues in the Health Department are able to offer.  With very little supervision and coaching, Rosalyn has overcome the natural intimidation that many users feel when confronted with new technology."

Mrs. McClain is a high achiever who readily takes on extra duties without calling attention to herself or her accomplishments.  She is consistent and persistent in performing exceptionally well.  Although Mrs. McClain has a busy family and personal life and is enrolled in a two-year computer technology degree at Durham Technical Community College, she can be counted on to go beyond what is expected for the Nutrition Division and the Health Department.

Pam Wall-Brame was nominated for the Employee of the Quarter by her supervisor and co-workers in the Jail Health Program. The nominations were filled with accolades lauding her patience, sense of humor, team spirit, thoroughness, diligence and consistency.  Pam was applauded for her ability to organize sick call so that 82% of the inmates were seen within 48 hours of their requests.  She was also commended for her special ability for dealing with rude and hostile inmates, her leadership of the Infrastructure Committee and her tremendous work ethic. 

 Her co-workers wrote, "She is always willing to take on extra tasks.  What makes this so exceptional is that she continues to come to work and to do an excellent job while undergoing significant medical treatment under a physician's care."

These nominations were made at a time when Pam was fighting her personal battle with breast cancer.  Pam lost her battle on March 11, 2000. 

Her physical presence in the Jail Medical Unit will be greatly missed. Her bright smile and her sincere desire to make the lives of her patients better will always be remembered.  We are so glad to have had the opportunity to recognize Pam for her dedication and commitment in her role as a Durham County Health Department employee.

Annette Carrington is deserving of the employee recognition award because she consistently volunteers and accepts additional responsibilities beyond her job expectations.  Many examples can be cited to demonstrate this:

Annette is currently involved in the department's GIS mapping projects.  Annette is one of only a few of the department's staff trained in GIS mapping; training that is beyond her job duties.  She also serves as a resource to other staff in this area.

Annette is highly involved in the training and precepting of students from area universities and colleges, a responsibility that can often be time consuming.  Currently she is precepting a student from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Annette additionally recently performed work above and beyond her usual job expectations in her work on the department's new customer satisfaction survey.  Annette worked (e.g. typing four versions of the survey, formatting, revising logo, etc.) on the survey at home on her personal time to meet the rapid deadlines initially set for the survey.  She remained very patient and professional when asked to many revisions and again may of these were done on her personal time.

Annette again came to the rescue, when it was discovered that the Spanish version of the customer satisfaction survey was not in a format for copying and distribution.  With a start date to begin administering the survey already set, Annette was asked if she could retype if needed and format all four versions of the survey in Spanish by the next day!  She willingly agreed to do so, even though she was scheduled to be on annual leave at that time.  The administering of the survey would not have begun on time without Annette's willingness to be available beyond usual job expectations.

Finally, Annette has recently been asked to run the department's new Teen Outreach Program at four high schools and one middle school in Durham County.  Annette has accepted this responsibility above her regular busy schedule.

Annette is a highly tasks oriented person who remains professional and pleasant to work with even when extra demands are placed upon her or when she accepts another challenge.  Good internal customer service and completing job responsibilities are expected job expectations; however Annette often exceeds these.