Jan. – March 2025
Service and Compassion go a long way!
The Service and Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) awards are bestowed upon OC Health Care Agency (HCA) employees who have gone “above and beyond” in their service to clients, community partners, or staff, and to any employee who accomplishes outstanding achievement beyond their scope of duties.
Exhibits positive and professional interaction with others, builds strong team spirit by contributing positively to the work environment through encouragement and support and demonstrates high performance standards of excellence.
Demonstrates a dedication to excellence, service and integrity; is an independent thinker who exhibits excellent leadership and good judgment to deliver efficient and effective services to staff, clients and community partners.
Initiates and seeks new challenges; displays a willingness and desire to learn new approaches for the effective delivery of excellent customer service.
Exhibits stellar performance on a department project or task and significantly contributes to the strength and vitality of the department or Agency.
Demonstrates value-added performance on program or Agency initiatives; integrates improvements that benefit the Agency.
Initiates and implements new, innovative ideas or processes that notably enhance operations or administration by increasing productivity and efficiency.
Behavioral Health Clinician II
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Sang-Patty Tang is an excellent clinician, easy to work with, and a seasoned Quality Improvement staff here on our Adults Older Adults Support Team. I am constantly in awe of the knowledge that she already has regarding County and state policies, and standards, etc. as well as her ability to absorb new information. She thinks outside of the box, and has the most calm demeanor, even under pressure.
Sang is a true asset to our team, especially when it comes to trainings--she is the gold standard. I go to her with all my questions specific to billing codes which there are SO many, yet she can rattle them off easily! Most recently she worked diligently in creating a new chart review tool for our team that will make our reviews more efficient because of the hours she spent inputting formulas into Excel. When I think of leaders in our BHS-Quality Management Services division, Sang immediately comes to mind. I am grateful to learn from her vast knowledge base.
I am pleased to nominate Staci Lopez, LMFT for the SOAR award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the OC Health Care Agency as a Compliance/Privacy Administrator with the Office of Compliance. Staci is a dedicated and dependable team member who consistently goes above and beyond in her role. She has demonstrated a remarkable ability to partner effectively with program, ensuring compliance requirements are met while fostering a collaborative environment.
Her commitment to excellence is evident in her proactive approach towards compliance investigations and her efforts towards implementing effective solutions that correct areas of non-compliance.
Staci's strong work ethic and positive attitude not only enhance our team's performance but also inspire those around her to strive for the highest standards. Congratulations Staci and thank you for all you do!
Marlon-Ray Velasco, is a Program Supervisor II with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Planning and Coordination (HIVPAC) unit. He is being recognized with a SOAR award for his outstanding performance, dedication to excellence, willingness and desire to learn new approaches to serve the community, and value-added performance. Marlon displays an exemplary work ethic and positive attitude in every aspect of his performance.
In his role, he is responsible for overseeing service delivery, monitoring performance, and providing technical assistance to contracted partners to align with funding requirements and improve quality of care to clients. Marlon has demonstrated outstanding performance with his expertise and skillful implementation of complex federal and state funded HIV prevention, treatment and care initiatives, service standards and quality assurance which is unmatched and heavily relied upon by the OC Health Care Agency and our community partners for effective and efficient service delivery to clients. He has maintained excellent working relationships with community-based organizations throughout the county who provide a vast array of STD and HIV services.
Additionally, Marlon plays an integral role with the Orange County HIV Planning Council (Council), a federally mandated planning body, to ensure Ryan White grant funding is allocated to needed services. He collaborates with the Council by providing data insights and analysis, local and national trends, changes in service component delivery and qualifications, and recommendations for continued quality improvements to enhance client health outcomes. His client-centered approach to working with the diverse populations and his commitment to public health services is admirable.
His leadership among the team provides expertise, support, and growth opportunities for staff related to the comprehensive nature of HIV services. He is always willing to help other HIVPAC team members by providing mentorship and guidance and often volunteers to take on additional responsibilities to ensure program goals are met despite his demanding work load.
Marlon is higly regarded by all who work with him and goes above and beyond to truly exemplify the spirit of the SOAR award through his enthusiasm to ensuring quality care for all Orange County residents.
Public Health Nurse Trainee
Kristen Lee, Public Health Nurse Trainee, is an asset to Employee Health Services (EHS). She possesses a keen eye for identifying areas of improvement and promptly takes action to implement them. She serves as the Safety Representative for EHS and is proactive in implementing any necessary changes to ensure a safe office environment. Kristen consistently demonstrates professionalism through her strong work ethic and reliability.
Her ability to handle tasks efficiently while maintaining a positive attitude contributes to a productive and collaborative work environment. Kristen’s positive demeanor consistently enhances the atmosphere in any environment she enters. While developing her Occupational Health skill set, Kristen has been willing to tackle projects with varying complexity. She makes valuable comments on provision of services and methods of delivery and regularly consults senior staff with questions.
Kristen has demonstrated a positive mindset toward accomplishing goals and is a collaborative teammate. She consistently receives comments from clients on her excellent service delivery. Kristen is hardworking and quick to help others. She is detail oriented and diligent. For every offsite event, she is prepared for the day and thinks ahead for any potential obstacles. Her professionalism in the workplace is also to be noted. She ensures every employee she interacts with feels comfortable (especially during vaccines, physical exams, and fit testing) and she is accommodating to their requests and needs.