Director's Message

Becoming more efficient and effective

Frankly, we knew we could do better in operating the business functions of the agency. So in the past decade, we have made a concerted effort to streamline, eliminate duplication, and save money.

Our work in this area has paid off already in making us a more effective and business-like organization from an operational standpoint. Consider the following changes that have been made:

• Consolidation of the contract and purchasing functions of seven separate divisions, allowing standardized processes and procedures.
• Implementation of purchasing cards across department programs to reduce administrative costs and more quickly acquire goods and services.
• Consolidation of information technology functions that at one time were spread throughout the department into one Office of Information Systems, eliminating duplicated efforts and better aligning resources.
• Elimination of separate accounting by divisions and implementation of a functional support model for the department, allowing better accounting processes and procedures department-wide. This has also permitted converting seven different sets of accounting books into one set for the agency.
• Consolidation of the department's communication functions into a Public Affairs Office and a Web and Publications group, aligning work with the agency's cluster structure, and more efficiently deploying the limited resources in these areas.

These are just a sampling of the changes that have happened to make us more efficient and effective. During all of these consolidations, staff changes have occurred largely through attrition or redeploying staff to other related areas. By working together, we have been able to move our department from one that was very duplicative in its business functions, to one that is moving toward more shared services and efficiencies.

By making these improvements, we have also been able to accomplish an additional workload with the same numbers or in some cases fewer staff.

More work to do

The office is set to be established this summer and will involve pulling together existing units throughout the department involved in identification, investigation, and recovery of improper payments made in Medicaid, Food Stamp, TANF, Child Care, estates recovery, and third-party recovery.

Staff, for the most part, will not be moving from their respective locations as a part of this consolidation; rather, most will continue to operate from their existing locations.

Our intent is to improve communication, become more efficient, and maximize collaboration and cooperation in payment accuracy and recovery efforts. Currently, we have many pockets of the department involved in these collection and repayment activities resulting in multiple disjointed collection efforts often with the same individuals or providers.

By consolidating this work, as we have with other business service functions, we will be able to be more efficient with taxpayer dollars.

Helping all Oregonians everyday

Did you know…

• Eating in clean, safe restaurants is due in part to the work of public health statewide and locally through restaurant inspection and monitoring efforts.
• Drinking clean, safe tap water is due in part to the work of public health statewide and locally in monitoring drinking waters systems in Oregon.
• Being protected from serious diseases and disease outbreaks is due in part to the work of public health statewide and locally in coordinating immunizations and public information on these issues.

These are just a few of the 70-plus programs that public health is involved with statewide. Next week is Public Health Week - a time to focus and recognize the important work being done to help all of us stay healthy.

Many public health activities may be invisible to the general public but quickly become apparent when there are widespread health threats, such as a communicable disease outbreak, bioterrorism threat, contamination in the air, food or water, or escalating chronic disease.

In fact, many of the increases in life expectancy in the past 150 years are not due solely to medical care, but rather are due to public health measures.

It is through these partnerships and collaborations that this important work is carried out for all Oregonians. The Governor has also recognized this work by issuing a proclamation in recognition of Public Health Week.

Director's Excellence Awards

The winners of the Director's Excellence awards this quarter come from the field, administrative services, and public health. As you know, these awards recognize the innovative and creative colleagues among us and those who have gone the extra mile in accomplishing outstanding work in the department.

This quarter's winners are:

Bob Proctor, SDA 5, Progress Program - Bob spearheaded development and coordination of a project and staff team that provides job retention and career advancement services to former TANF clients as part of the nationwide Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) pilot project in Eugene.

The project is one of 15 federally-supported demonstration projects across the nation and is one of the few to show initial success in increasing participant wages and job retention. Data thus far show that clients engaged in this program are 30 percent more likely to stay employed and 36 percent more likely to have increased wages. Our program was selected, with Bob as a representative, to participate in an international ERA learning exchange with the United Kingdom.

DHS Leadership Academy Coordinators - Leadership Academy Coordinators Priscilla Cuddy, Judy Gerrard, and Elaine Stauffer, all in Administrative Services, were recognized for their outstanding work in putting together and supporting the department's annual Leadership Academy program. The coordination and support of the program is provided in addition to work responsibilities these coordinators already have as part of their regular positions.

Incident Command Flu Vaccine Team - Led by Dr. Grant Higginson, a team of public health and communications staff, successfully managed a difficult flu vaccine shortage issue, setting guidance and direction for the department, communicating to communities through a Flu Vaccine Hotline that answered 24,000 calls, and collaborating with partners, providers, county health departments and others to distribute approximately 200,000 doses of flu vaccine.

Members of this effort were: Higginson, Lorraine Duncan, Dr. Paul Cieslak, Dr. Mel Kohn, Tom Engle, Mimi Luther, Martha Priedeman, Mary Durbrow, Christie Holmgren, Nan Newell, the Immunization Staff including Janis Betten, Barbara Canavan, Linda Castaneda, Diane Colton, Nathan Crawford, Don Dumont, Rick Edmundson, Karen Elliott, Lydia Emer, Kelly Flinn, James Gaudino, Maria Grumm, Sarah Hale, Mary Hayes, Peggy Hillman, Donna Hucke, Malinda Iakob, Heather Kaisner, Mary Beth Kurilo, Juventila Liko, Terry Locke, Laura Mayhall, Jolene McGee, Jenne McKibben, Gail McMurchie, Ana McMurry, Lisa Moffatt, Mary Mundlin, Jacki Nixon, Janet Norgard, Anna Robbins, Launa Roberts, Steve Robison, Deborah Rochat, Lisa Rogers, Kathy Scott, Al Smith, Jennifer Steinbock, Cheryl Stokes, Jennifer Thomas, Amanda Timmons, Nhu To-Haynes, Shelby Tooze, Anne VanCuren, JoAnn Vance, Susan Weiner, Justin Weisser, Amber Wilson, and Office of Public Affairs Communication Officer Bonnie Widerburg.

Congratulations to all of this quarter's Director's Excellence Award winners for a job well done.

Food for thought

" Hard work, sacrifice and focus will never show up in tests." - Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, '92 and '96 US Olympic team member and winner of multiple Tour de France races.

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.

If you have a disability and need this message to be provided to you in another format, please send an email to dhs.forms@state.or.us, or call (503) 947-5107. You can also fax your request to (503) 373-7690, or call (503) 947-5080 for TTY service. If you know of others who need this accommodation, please let them know it is available.