Helping Our Patients At Evergreen we pride ourselves on helping people get to where they want to be in their lives. The Transportation Services Program (TSP) takes this mission a bit more literally than most of us, helping our patients get to and from the medical appointments and other supportive services they need to get and stay healthy. Chris DeVoe is the Transportation Coordinator at Evergreen. She processes patient requests for bus passes or tokens and documents each patient interaction. Chris also links TSP patients with any of the other Evergreen programs or services they may want or need. Something as simple as reliable transportation can have a huge impact on the lives — and health — of our patients, but Chris notes that it’s about more than just getting to and from their medical appointments. “The TSP helps patients access a wide variety of important services that aren’t covered by their insurance benefits,” she said. “For Medicaid-insured patients this includes food pantries, social services, health education services and the pharmacy. It can also include medical services not covered by Medicaid or the Care Coordination/Case Management program.”
Chris is proud of the way the TSP helps our patients
take control of their own health. “Addressing a patient’s transportation needs helps them to achieve a better quality of life, physically, mentally and emotionally,” she said. “I’ve had patients who were going through more than they could handle.
s Stay on the Move Toward Good Health Linking them with services — and providing transportation
“I’m a Navy baby,” she explained. Chris attended Hutch Tech
to get to those services — made it possible for them to find
High School, and even did volunteer work here when we were
support and build relationships that benefit their overall health.”
still AIDS Community Services. She went away to Norwich
Chris admits it’s not always an easy job. Like many who work
University in Vermont for the first years of college, where she
directly with patients, Chris faces the challenge of engagement.
helped start the school’s LGBT student organization. “Then I
“At times it can be difficult to keep patients engaged,” she said.
transferred home to Buffalo State College where I was elected
But also like many who work directly with patients, Chris feels
president of the PRIDE Alliance for two years and earned my
that overcoming challenges leads to great things. “Working in
bachelor’s degree in health and wellness, with a concentration in
the TSP is very rewarding. I get to work with our patients to
specialty populations.” After graduation Chris worked for Ciox
help them find support and stable ground. Being a part of their
Health, the largest ROI (release of information) company in the
success in finding their own path in a safe and healthy way
country. Her home site for Ciox was the medical records office
makes it all worth it.” It’s especially rewarding when that path
at ECMC, but she had her eye on Evergreen. “I’d been wanting
leads to a better place for the patient. “I have one patient who
to work for Evergreen since I graduated from college. I kept
has struggled with mental health and substance use, on and off,
pursuing that goal and gaining experience in the field. In May of
for many years. I was able to help that patient by linking them
2017 that goal became a reality.”
with the services they needed and the transportation to get to
and from those appointments. That patient is now on all proper
children. “We have a beagle mix, Cooper, and a tuxedo cat, Mr.
medications, is adherent with all of their appointments and has
Man,” she said. “Life is never dull with those two around!” Chris
been substance-free for six months.”
is also grateful to have “an incredibly supportive family that is
Another thing Chris finds rewarding is being a part of the
the epitome of unconditional love.” In her spare time she loves
Evergreen culture. “It’s an amazing place to work,” she said.
to cook (she’s a self-described foodie), reading and puzzle games.
“Working in such a diverse environment with such a diverse
“I enjoy spending time with Becca and going for random drives
population is a wonderful thing. I’ve never felt so comfortable
on the weekends, making an adventure out of where ever we end
and at home in a job as I do here at Evergreen.”
up.” And finally, Chris admits to being a bit of an old soul. “You
can always find Werther’s Originals on my desk.” Connections
Chris grew up in Buffalo, but was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Chris lives with her partner Becca and their two fur-
Everybody that knows me knows my favorite way to chill is with my grill, lawn chair, cooler and listening to my old school music. — Marlyn Moore a My favorite way to chill on a hot summer day is by the water and drinking lemon ice tea. It is so refreshing. — Magali Maldonado a A nice long drive in the country with the music (and air conditioning) blasting. — John Carocci a Ice cream! Lately I’ve been obsessed with the Mini Mango Mochi at Trader Joe’s. — Rachel Voelkle-Kuhlmann
In July, we celebrate Americans with disabilities. According to the United States Census Bureau, nearly one in five Americans has a disability. In July, we recognize the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination in the areas of employment, transportation, and public accommodation.
Marie Curie
“We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.�
Birthdays Jovino Morales......................July 1 Jesse Gasbarro.......................July 1 Gerrod Bennett......................July 2 Nakia Fears...........................July 3 Alicia Williams......................July 7 Danielle Shaw.......................July 8 Corrin Carey.........................July 8 Rebekah Russell....................July 10 Katherine Mego.....................July 11 Kaitlyn Hamm.......................July 12 Mel LeMay............................July 13 Christina Sheppard................July 13 Ray Ganoe.............................July 14 Gary Williams.......................July 15 Renee Posey..........................July 15 Joseph Sieracki......................July 15 Arti Gupta.............................July 16 Ian Schunk............................July 16 Brigidann Rauch....................July 17 Laurie Abbatessa...................July 17 Mark Mondanaro...................July 18 Keisha Leavy.........................July 19 Gloria Kornowski...................July 19 Rebekah Bongiorno...............July 22 Andrew Mattle......................July 24 Heather Fangsrud..................July 25 Shannon Curry-Izzo...............July 25 Cheryl Brunetti.....................July 26 Antione Reese.......................July 26 Edward Wedlington...............July 26 Christine DeVoe.....................July 27 Linda Colburn.......................July 27 Thomas Green.......................July 27 Cecil Sutton...........................July 29 Kathryn Kraft........................July 31
Anniversaries Amanda Thornton................... 1 year Corinne Miosi......................... 1 year Christina Radice...................... 1 year Rose Serrano........................... 1 year James Gerwitz......................... 1 year Wallace Benson....................... 1 year Steven Thompson.................... 1 year Brianna Cabrera...................... 2 years Nakia Fears............................. 2 years Melissa Gulino........................ 2 years Maria Marchinda..................... 2 years Lorraine Cullis........................ 2 years Brittany Price.......................... 2 years Melissa Murray........................ 2 years Shaun Woods........................... 2 years Shaquita Wilson...................... 2 years Annette Pabon........................ 2 years Melissa Delgado...................... 3 years Harry Berkoh-Asamoah........... 3 years Gianna Puckett........................ 3 years Emma Fabian.......................... 3 years Bianca Morris.......................... 4 years Renee Hartson........................ 4 years Becky Siuta............................. 4 years Steven Rein............................. 4 years Cameron Schraufstetter........... 4 years James Konidis......................... 4 years Marlyn Moore......................... 4 years Stephani Miranda.................... 5 years Christina Turner...................... 6 years Barbara Poff............................ 6 years Patrick Hildenbrandt............... 7 years Tara Monaco........................... 8 years Dale Kingston.......................... 12 years Norma Bocanegra.................... 13 years
We’re pleased to announce a new Roth option available to 403(b) Retirement Plan participants. Currently, plan participants can save money for their retirement on a pre-tax basis, allowing you to defer tax payments until you withdraw money, typically upon your retirement. The Roth option allows you to make after-tax contributions to your account. With the Roth, you’ll be able to make tax-free withdrawals because you have paid the taxes prior to investing your money. If you expect your income, and subsequently your tax bracket, to rise in the future a Roth 403(b) may be an effective way to reduce the overall taxes that you pay. By contributing a portion of your retirement savings to each bucket, you’re able to customize your retirement savings and withdrawals based on your life events and tax situation. For example, in retirement years that your income tax rate is higher, you may want to withdraw money from your Roth 403(b). Conversely, during years that your income tax rate is lower in retirement, you may choose to withdraw from the traditional 403(b). The decision to designate all or part of your contributions as traditional or Roth will depend on your unique circumstances. You should weigh the value of tax-free withdrawals at retirement against the value of reducing your current taxable income. Consider your current financial situation, your retirement goals and your timeline until retirement. Don’t forget, Evergreen will match up to 5 percent of your contribution to your retirement plan. Evergreen’s match will be in pre-tax dollars. If you’d like to take advantage of the Roth option email Melissa Delgado in HR to find out how to defer all or a portion of your retirement savings to the 403(b) Retirement Plan using the Roth option. You can also contact Lawley Benefits Group’s retirement plan advisors with any general plan or investment related questions. Their contact information is listed below:
James J. Rehak, Jr.
Kristen Chambers
Managing Partner Client Service Specialist (716) 849-8219 (716) 849-1560 jrehak@lawleyretirement.com kchambers@lawleyretirement.com
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
Adam Costanza Alex McGann Amanda LeFleur Amanda Thornton Brittany Price Carly Casali Cathy Neidermayer Chris Banks David Setlock Deion Simmons Jacob Marsh Joseph Ryan Julie Vaughan Katherine Marrero Katie Mego Keisha Leavy Kelly Kalicharan Kevin Bidtah LaTanya Walton-Brown Linda Colburn Melissa Delgado Melissa Murray Michael Canty Rachel Parrino Robert Diaz Ronda Ivory Rose Serrano Teresa Lane Theresa Woehrel Tia Johnson Tina Cornell
Employees were the number one cause of data breaches at small- to mid-sized companies in 2017. Most fell victim to some form of malware from a website or an email phishing scam. Others didn’t adhere to best practices for account password security. Here are some tips for building a strong password, identifying the different types of attacks you’re most likely to encounter and recognizing the signs of a compromised computer. Build a Strong Password You Can Remember | Many people recycle passwords by making minor changes to a previous password. Why? Because it’s hard to remember the string of special characters (!, $, #, %, etc.), uppercase letters (A-Z), lowercase letters (a-z) and numbers (0-9) that are required to build a strong password. It’s easy to create a strong password that you can remember. Keeping in mind that Evergreen requires a minimum of 8 characters for a password, start with a famous or favorite quote, such as “if music be the food of love, play on” for example. The first letter of each word gives you “IMBTFOLPO”. Add complexity by making some letters uppercase and others lowercase, and substitute special characters and numbers for similar letters. IMBTFOLPO then becomes 1Mbt(0Lp0. You can also choose two random words that will stick in your head, such as “red daisy” for example. Add the required complexity and red daisy becomes ^3Dd*1Sy. Never use personal information such as your name, street address or
date of birth in a password, and avoid the use of sequential
an attachment or click on a link from a suspicious email.
numbers (1234…) or full words that haven’t been modified
Malware | Malware is a software program designed to
by special characters or numbers. A strong password is
damage or do other unwanted action on a computer.
hard to crack, but it can still be stolen. Guarding your
Common examples are viruses which can cause havoc by
password is just as important as its complexity. Never
deleting files from your computer. Spyware can steal user
share your password or write it down and hide it near your
data such as stored passwords or credit card information
desk. Be aware of who may be standing over your shoulder
and ransomware encrypts a computer’s files and asks for
when you enter your password. Phishing Email Scams
bitcoin in exchange for the encryption key. Malware can be
| The goal of phishing is to steal user names, passwords
harder to detect than phishing scams but there are a few
or personal information by tricking an email recipient
precautions you can take. Be aware that malware can be
into clicking on a malicious URL or email attachment.
hidden in PDF or document files that you download from
Phishing emails usually impersonate a legitimate company
online, so visit only trusted websites. Inspect the file size
or person and frequently use threats designed to create a
of an email attachment or potential download. If it’s really
sense of urgency or to remedy a problem. Protect yourself
small, around 1kb to 22kb, it’s most likely a virus. Know
and Evergreen by recognizing the signs of phishing emails.
Signs of a Compromised Computer. | Your computer
Is the email from an unfamiliar or unexpected sender?
may spontaneously shut down or reboot. Files may appear
Is the email from a familiar sender but the company
or software start to run that shouldn’t be there. Disk space
contact information or graphics don’t match past emails?
begins to disappear and your computer slows to a crawl.
Does the email contain multiple misspellings or unusual
There are unusual messages, sounds or displays on you
grammar? Does the subject line create a sense of urgency?
monitor. You receive an antivirus software warning. If You
If the email seems suspicious take a closer look at the
Identify a Problem | Contact IT immediately to report the
sender’s email address. Email addresses can be spoofed
suspicious email or potentially compromised computer.
to look like senders you know but are usually wrong in
IT will tell you what to do and assess the situation. Never
some way (evergreenhs.net instead of evergreenhs.org)
ignore the problem or try to fix it yourself as time is of the
or it may have a different country’s domain in it (Billing@
essence in stopping the spread of malware or notifying staff
PayPal.com.ru(Russia)). It’s crucial that you never open
about suspicious emails.
Connections