Connection Newsletter

February 6, 2012

News Releases:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Employee Deaths:

Standards in the Works for Office-Specific Emergency Action Plans

State and regional agency staff are working on a set of universal standards for emergency action plans to be used in all health and human services offices statewide.

These standards, scheduled for release soon, will enable offices — whether they house co-located agency staff or workers from one agency only — to develop facility-specific plans for responding to violence, threatened violence, or other major safety or security threats.

All health and human services offices are expected to have their own emergency action plans developed by June 30. The plans will cover a range of basic emergency responses such as office lockdowns, evacuation, taking shelter within a facility and dealing with false alarms.

Regional Administrative Services offices in each region will be available to help in the plan-development process.

Associate Commissioner Les Butler said the soon-to-be released standards will help facilities develop emergency action plans that are adaptable based on variables such as a facility’s size and layout, number and type of employees and availability of emergency equipment such as public address systems.

Emergency action plans developed from the standards will include input from all agencies within co-located sites and made available to all employees through means such as Sharepoint, online video instruction and individual desk references.

Bright Spot

Health and human services employees are showing that they are willing to go to amazing lengths to provide Texans with exceptional service and support. Here’s a look at what supervisors are saying about employees who went the extra mile.

Alyce Rosenthal, who works in food services at DSHS’ North Texas State Hospital in Wichita Falls, was commended by her supervisor for the outstanding job she did in developing a new meal card for the facility. Rosenthal included each client’s picture on the disposable cards to ensure both safer and easier delivery of their meals. “Alyce is very motivated and a self-starter,” her supervisor said. “She has great leadership skills and is an asset to the unit.”

A supervisor at DSHS’ Austin State Hospital praised Vincent Ferrer for assuming the administrative duties of a co-worker who retired. The supervisor said Ferrer took over as the lead for the hospital’s “canteen team” and handled multiple duties, including ordering food, bookkeeping and developing new menu items for the kitchen. Ferrer’s supervisor commended him for his dedication to the team for the last six months while continuing to perform his usual duties.

Cindy Glass, a nurse in DSHS’ Alice office, was recognized for what her supervisor described as “superior work” with the tuberculosis program at DSHS. “Cindy routinely travels long distances in rural South Texas to get patients the proper medicine and doses to ensure quality care,” her supervisor said, adding that — of Glass’ many talents — her greatest strength would be her “people skills” as she deals with a diverse population with equally diverse needs.

[More Bright Spots]

Black History Month Presentation

In 1926, author, editor, publisher and historian Carter G. Woodson created and promoted a week in February to honor the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. That week is now a month-long observance that recognizes the rich heritage, struggles, achievements, progress and diversity of black and African-American people in the United States. Learn more — including 15 little-known black-history facts — in the Office of Civil Rights’ presentation on Black History Month.

Shirley Boykin: 50 (Yes, 50!) Years of Service to Rusk State Hospital Patients

Editor’s Note: On Jan. 1, 2007, The Connection launched its popular column about employees who’ve observed four decades on the job with a story about employees who had at least 40 years of state service. One of the people featured in that story was Shirley Boykin. On Feb. 5, Boykin observed her 50th anniversary with the state. Her colleagues at DSHS’ Rusk State Hospital recently hosted a surprise reception in honor of her anniversary, and we figured this would be a good time for a brief update. Wonder why she’s stayed for 50 years? Read on.

Shirley Boykin

Shirley Boykin looks back on 50 years at Rusk State Hospital and wonders where all the time went.

Still, she says, she wouldn’t trade a day of it.

“The state hospital has been good to me. You don’t go looking for something better when you have the best already,” she said.

Boykin, who has been a radiology technician at the hospital for approximately 40 years, says she’s garnered many friends along the journey from the early 1960s, "when the hospital was a totally different place in time."

One of her earliest memories is of shelling peas on the porch with the women clients after the men had spent the afternoon harvesting the fields. [More about Shirley Boykin's 50th Anniversary]

Diverse Impressions, a choir consisting of health and human services employees who work in the Winters Complex, performed at the Feb. 2 kickoff for HHSC Black History Month events in Austin. A cultural expo featuring some of Austin’s African-American business owners followed on Feb. 3. Coming events include a Lunch and Learn session, soul-food tasting and grand finale.

Anthropologist McGhee to Speak Thursday
at Black History Month Event

Fred L. McGhee, an adjunct associate professor of anthropology at Austin Community College, will speak on “A Cultural History of Austin” Feb. 9 as the Austin HHSC Black History Month events continue.

Austin health and human services employees are invited to the Lunch and Learn session, which will be from 12:30–1:30 p.m. in Public Hearing Rooms 1420 and 1430 in the Brown-Heatly Building, 4900 N. Lamar.

Future Black History Month events include a Feb. 21 soul-food tasting and the Feb. 24 grand finale with state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, former state Rep. Wilhelmina Delco, and health and human services’ African-American leadership.

Details about times and locations will be announced in future editions of The Connection.

Rosie Sánchez: 40 Years of Caring
for Patients at the Texas Center
for Infectious Disease

What is your current job?

I currently am a nurse supervisor in the Nursing Department at DSHS’ Texas Center for Infectious Disease in San Antonio. I am responsible for scheduling and staffing, patient-family issues, patient education (diabetes and tuberculosis) and arrangements for ancillary services.

What was your first job with the state?

I started at what was then known as the San Antonio Chest Hospital in 1966 as an attendant and was almost immediately promoted to a charge attendant. During that time, Dr. Donald Campbell, thoracic surgeon, was instrumental in my career. He was my mentor. He guided me and encouraged me to go to nursing school, which I did. [Read more about Rosie Sánchez]

I Am Health and Human Services:
Charlese King of DADS

Name: Charlese Elaine King
Agency: DADS (Tyler)
Title: Record Room Management Clerk, Long-Term Care Regulatory

What I do
I manage records for the Long-Term Care Regulatory program in Region 4/5, which means I’m responsible for the storage and retention of files. I ensure protocols and procedures are followed by being up to date on any changes, amendments, additions or revisions in Record Room Management policy. I maintain the Record Tracking System and all logs created by Region 4/5 to ensure the integrity and security of file management. I handle external requests, including open records requests. I compile and send abuse/neglect investigation results letters to local law-enforcement personnel. And I assist, as needed, with any task and functions associated with the Home and Community Support Services Agencies unit.

What Makes Charlese King
So Special?

The person who nominated Charlese King for “I Am Health and Human Services” works in the DADS open records office in Austin, responding to requests from the public, the media, law firms and others for records of investigations done in facilities DADS runs or regulates. “Working with Charlese makes this job so much easier!” the nominator said. “Before I’m finished emailing requests to all the regions, I have already heard back from her. She has either scanned the paperwork that I needed, put it in the mail or sent an email explaining why she cannot send it at this time. She is just amazing! Prompt, efficient, friendly — I just cannot say enough about her. She makes our job so much easier.”

How I got started in this field
I was introduced to long-term care at a young age when my mother was a nurse at a nursing home in Wichita Falls. My duties were to visit residents, comb their hair and make sure they had fresh water in their rooms, and the nurses put money together to pay me because I wasn’t old enough to receive a paycheck. Still today, I remember the smiles on residents’ faces when visitors or helpers spent time with them. I feel these experiences played an important part in my personal growth and the person I am today. Even though I don’t get to interact with the residents, I am proud to do my part on the Long-Term Regulatory team.

My best day on the job
It is a wonderful day when I can give a kind word, a smile or a helping hand, knowing that I am able to be of assistance to my co-workers and managers and seeing I have given relief to someone and my duties were accomplished. I also ensure that what is needed to be done gets handled and that I accomplish my duties.

How I make a difference
I try to handle each task and all my responsibilities with competence, enthusiasm and dedication. Developing and maintaining effective work relationships is important to me; I do my best to be uplifting and have a positive attitude with my managers and co-workers to show I am here for whatever is needed of me.

Do you work with someone like Charlese King— someone who provides wonderful customer service both to the people of Texas and his or her fellow staff members? Send that person’s name, agency, phone number and supervisor’s name, along with why you’re nominating him or her, to hhs.communications@hhsc.state.tx.us.