Director's Message

June 15, 2007

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., Director

"A smile is the shortest distance between two people."

 ~Victor Borge

It's always a pleasure when I have the opportunity to share good news about our successes, and this week I get to do just that. Thanks to the efforts of the CAF Training Services staff, we're helping employees throughout DHS continue to collaborate and stay in touch regardless of their work locations. And at the same time we are saving time, money and the environment. These benefits are an excellent example of what can happen when we challenge our thinking, are willing to test new ways of doing our work and use new technologies.

What has brought all of this about is a well-thought-out pilot project that began in April 2004 to test the effectiveness of video conferencing throughout the department. The goal of the project was to determine whether using video conferencing -- or V-Con -- was a cost-effective alternative to traveling to meetings. The project's originators thought there might be a potential for reducing in-state travel costs and time spent by staff, so they proposed a pilot test to see if V-Con was a cost-effective alternative to in-person meetings.

An important aspect of the original proposal was that the pilot test included a well-defined measurement component that allowed DHS to systematically track costs, related savings and other data. To conduct this test, however, the department had to be willing to step up and invest in purchasing, installing and operating the V-Con equipment without any guaranteed results. That took some courage, and I applaud everyone who was part of that decision.

The pilot test has proved to be a success. The results are very impressive and they more than offset the costs of installing and using V-Con technology.

During April 2007 alone, DHS staff held as many meetings as before V-Con equipment was installed but traveled approximately 80,000 fewer miles, reduced related mileage and per diem costs, saved nearly 2,000 hours of travel time, and reduced the fuel emissions and environmental impact associated with 80,000 miles of vehicle use. And that's just one typical month's worth of savings. That's an amazing accomplishment.

Equally important is what the use of V-Con did not reduce -- the ability of agency staff to meet and see each other, share ideas and interact in settings that provide most of the benefits of in-person meetings, and maintain a collaborative approach to problem-solving and idea generation that only personal contact can provide.

The pilot has been so successful that we will be expanding the number of V-Con installations throughout the state so that more DHS offices and partners can share in these benefits.

But what pleases me even more than the savings and benefits of using V-Con is what it represents. The pilot test has been an excellent example of a process improvement effort. Staff proposed and tested a new idea for improving the department's use of resources, used data to track the results of implementing the proposal, and spread the improvement throughout the agency. Leadership was willing to support testing a new technology. And staff who were used to attending in-person meetings were willing to try a new method of meeting. In addition, the project is using technology in a way that's meaningful to the business needs of the department and to our staff's desire to work together.

This combination of creativity and project management is essential to an organization's success. As the needs for DHS services grow and change, we in turn must find new ways of conducting business and delivering services that are more effective and efficient. V-Con is one example of how we can do this. I look forward to hearing more ideas.

To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

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.