ENSURING
the safety and security of our patients and staff is a big job. Marlyn Moore, security manager at Evergreen, plays a critical role in this ongoing process.
"I wear many hats," said Marlyn. "First and foremost, making sure all staff are safe and secure. Second is making sure our patients, vendors, or visitors are getting that great patient experience and good customer service. Making sure everyone that comes into our buildings feels a sense of comfort and are getting their needs met."
When Marlyn joined Team Evergreen, he was working out of the drop-in center. "That gave me a lot of the tools I use now to understand and show empathy to our patients."
Now Marlyn oversees a staff of approximately 12, spread out across all Evergreen locations, including Community Access Services and the Pride Center. Each location has its own unique needs and challenges, but there are common threads. "We understand that some of the patients that come to Evergreen are under stress, dealing with personal issues, or need medical attention. We deal with both the good and the bad on a daily basis. Our priority is to make sure everyone is safe, and we do our best to de-escalate any issues that arise."
Marlyn gets a great deal of satisfaction from the results of his work. "I like to see our patients feeling like they belong. Building relationships based off trust and satisfaction makes me feel like I've done my job. Even so, there are challenges when it comes to working in Security. There’s always the unknown of what could arise and when." Marlyn’s goal is to keep his team motivated and provide support for whatever circumstances come their way.
Marlyn has played several roles at Evergreen and has a bird's-eye perspective on our culture. "When I think about Evergreen’s culture, the first word that comes to mind is family. I like to think we implement respect for co-workers and patients. If you work here, I think you already have the compassion. I've never worked at a place that really showed as much compassion. I consider a lot of people here family. Working with them and enjoying good times together, who wouldn’t like that?"
Speaking of family, Marlyn's family has been well-represented on Team Evergreen. "I do have a family member that works here (son William, and wife Deanna is a former employee). I love it. I couldn’t be more proud of my kids. One college graduate, one enrolled at Buffalo State and the last entering first year at UB. Being a role model, a great dad, is what it’s all about. Watching your kids grow into adulthood and guiding them."
Outside of work hours you can often find Marlyn at the grill. "I love to cook. I'm always grilling or making food. I love to bring food in for co-workers to share (Editor's Note: the Connections office is located in the garden level of Evergreen Commons). And if you haven’t already been to a cookout at my house you’re missing out."
Marlyn grew up here in Buffalo. He notes that security jobs and working with those who need services prepared him for his current role. "I love working here. I've learned so much from co-workers and supervisors. To know where you came from makes it easier to know where you are going. I like to lead by example and be humble with your success."
Thank you, Marlyn, for helping keep us all safe and secure!
Team Evergreen marched in Buffalo's annual Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day parade. Our contingent even won an award - first place in the marcher category!
I am treated with kindness and respect.
My concerns are always addressed.
Checking in/out and scheduling is easy.
The front desk staff is courteous and helpful.
Comment card boxes are available throughout all Evergreen locations, providing an opportunity for patients to offer feedback and advice, which helps ensure quality care. Comment cards are a valuable tool for sharing suggestions and experiences, and play a powerful role in meeting patient needs and enhancing staff engagement and patient support. Collin Ranney, patient experience manager says, “Evergreen's Dental Clinic receives outstanding ratings on every card, achieving 100% satisfaction on all questions! Patients always express that they are treated with respect, courtesy, and kindness by our dental staff.”
Addressing dental concerns is crucial to overall patient health, as oral health significantly impacts general well-being. Dental care helps prevent a range of issues, from cavities and gum disease to more severe health complications like heart disease and diabetes. Good dental hygiene and regular check-ups are essential, and it is vital that our patients fully understand the information provided during their visits. This understanding empowers them to maintain proper dental hygiene practices after leaving the office.
Patients at Evergreen’s Dental Clinic continually express gratitude for the exceptional care they receive. They are impressed with the thorough attention and personalized treatment provided by the Dental team, which not only addresses their immediate concerns but also contributes to their long-term health and wellness. Evergreen’s Dental Clinic staff care about more than just our patients’ teeth, they care about their entire experience. This commitment to excellent patient care and communication fosters a positive and trusting relationship between our patients and Evergreen. - Collin Ranney
Jamestown Public Market
This summer, staff members from Jamestown and Buffalo volunteered at the Jamestown Public Market. "We traveled to three locations in Jamestown to help load and unload food from the mobile market van and distribute it," said Eric Poniatowski. "Each day was busy, and residents we met were appreciative of the fresh fruits and vegetables. We look forward to continuing this initiative next summer!"
Big Big Table Community Café & Friends of Night People
We'll resume volunteering at these organizations, one mile from Evergreen’s Downtown Buffalo Campus, in the fall. Big Big Table is a pay-as-you-can community café. Its mission is to “provide a dignified response to hunger, increase access to healthy food and improve food security for everyone, especially the most vulnerable, in our community.” Friends of Night People provides meals, clothing, linkage to medical care, counseling, and hope to those in need. Contact Evergreen Training and Development if you'd like to volunteer. Both organizations are on Evergreen’s list of approved organizations for volunteer time off (VTO). Note: new hires will be awarded VTO upon successful completion of their 90-day evaluation period. To access VTO, an employee must be in good standing and cannot be on any type of disciplinary action. For more info refer to page 35 of the Employee Handbook. - Eric Poniatowski
Publisher/Layout
John Carocci
Copy
Editors
Jean Conway
Kristy Mangel
Maggie Carrig
Contributors
Eric Poniatowski
Melissa Delgado
Christopher Cline
Andy Kiener
Collin Ranney
Ventenese Palmer
Connections is the official monthly newsletter for employees and board members of Evergreen Health and its affilliates, the Pride Center of Western New York and Community Access Services. You can submit photos, comments or a "hello" via Outlook at Evergreen Connections.
WE
are happy to introduce the newest Learning Pathway (LP), Data Investigator. This LP was developed for people to research, find answers in unconventional places, follow clues, and engage with our curiosity and inquisitive nature. It's a great opportunity for people who naturally seek answers, as well as people who'd like tips for this as it relates to their role at Evergreen.
Data Investigator
1. Ignite your curiosity (an inspirational Ted Talk)
2. External vs Internal Data
3. Chart Digging with Mistine
4. How to Google like a Pro
5. Credible Research
6. Using the CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose) Method to Evaluate Sources
7. Critical Thinking
The LP takes about 3 hours total to complete and can be completed in small bits of time. It includes conversation topics that can be used to set goals around data, or facilitate conversations with your team to help deepen understanding of our data and understand what is impacting our patients most and how we can use that insight to support our our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) of eradicating health inequity through unconditional care. Look out for the next LP - Data Reporter and Data Designer (Visual Storyteller) to launch this fall! The Data Reporter LP is a great introduction to how we use reporting at Evergreen as well as an opportunity to learn skills related to reporting, and includes interviews with multiple Evergreen subject matter experts, and the Data Designer LP will be all about how to understand and even create visual data storytelling.
Editor's note: For more information please contact Heather Wilson, business analyst, with questions about Data Foundations, Data Problem Solver, or Data Investigator content. Contact Evergreen Training and Development, with questions regarding navigating Evergreen University.
Congratulations to the following Evergreen employees who have finished a Learning Pathway since our last report in March:
Data Foundations
Andy Anderson
Nicole Dommer
Brittany Warham
Meg Murphy
Collin Ranney
Samantha Stroh
Data Problem Solver
Deiona Baldwin
Helen Graves
Glendalisse Lopez
Chris Mihalitsas
Andy Kiener
Christian Bryant
The Community Access Services annual backpack giveaway event was a great success despite uncooperative weather. CAS gave away 363 backpacks filled with school supplies. The event featured music, delicious food, games, health screenings, and representatives from a variety of community organizations.
The Finance team enjoys a fun day on the water.
Special thanks to Ventenese Palmer for the photos!
Erica Gonzalez ........................... September 1
Kala Morales September 3
Mark Wolf September 3
Neahsia Maye September 5
Melissa Miller September 6
Bridget McClain September 10
Brianna Zych September 10
Michael Lee September 10
Paul Hennigan September 10
Paulette Giarratano ................... September 11
Keith Garvey ............................... September 14
Robert Styles ............................. September 14
Lydia Guzman September 15
Charm Stone September 15
Latrese Myers September 15
Kimberly Lombard September 15
Dakota Huston September 16
Fatai Gbadamosi September 16
Eris Morgan September 16
Jessica Schanne September 17
Julie Vaughan ............................ September 17
Steven Argo ................................ September 20
Christopher Walsh..................... September 21
Julie Falk September 22
Ivette Chavez-Gonzalez September 24
Samuel Posey September 26
Emily McKeen September 26
Tiffany Torres September 27
Angelique Harris September 27
Jennifer Rivera September 28
Shanea McDougald September 28
Drew Williams ............................ September 29
Beth Barone-Gregory ............... September 29
TRAININGS
The first round of annual trainings are available in Evergreen University and must be completed by Monday, September 30. All Evergreen Health, Community Access Services and Pride Center of WNY employees are required to complete these mandatory trainings each year. Please contact Evergreen Training & Development with any questions.
NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UPS
Thank you to everyone that came out during our spring and summer neighborhood clean ups! Together we made a difference in the neighborhoods adjacent to our offices. We will be doing another round of clean ups in the fall. With supervisor approval, staff may sign up for a half hour time slot anytime between 11:30am – 1:30pm.
• September 13: Evergreen Lofts
• September 24: Bailey
NEW: Building Tours During Neighborhood Clean Ups! Staff are invited to visit a facility they have never been to and learn about the great services offered at the location! The Welcome Wagon
Employee Resource Group will lead building tours at the Evergreen Lofts, Community Access Services / Bailey, and Hertel for staff participating in the neighborhood clean ups, if they are interested.
AMBASSADORS NEEDED
We’re in need of ambassadors for Dining Out For Life, Wednesday, October 9! Dining Out For Life (DOFL) is the largest annual HIV-related fundraiser in WNY with proceeds going to Evergreen’s Supportive Services. By partnering with local restaurants, we’re able to raise awareness as well as donations for services like HIV testing, care and treatment, while combating harmful HIV-related stigma.
What is a DOFL Ambassador?
To help the fundraiser be as successful as possible, we turn to volunteers to serve as ambassadors for our participating restaurants. The job is simple, but very important! You’ll be tasked with promoting your participating restaurant by inviting friends and family to dine in or take out from your assigned restaurant on October 9. In addition, you’ll be at your restaurant that evening to approach tables and thank them for dining out, explain the raffle opportunities and encourage further donations.
Ambassador Sign Up
Interested in volunteering as an ambassador at one of this year’s participating restaurants? Click HERE to complete the form or reach out to eventscoordinator@ evergreenhs.org with any questions!
