When I was asked to write something about the Jamestown Office for Connec ons, my first thought was, that is a fantas c idea! My second thought was, this is also a great opportunity to remind staff that we are not the “Jamestown” Office, we are the “Southern Tier” Office. It might not sound like much of a difference, but for those of us in the Southern Tier it is pre y significant. When people hear Jamestown Office it sounds like we serve people in Jamestown, which we do. However, we also service all of Chautauqua, as well as Ca araugus and Allegany Coun es, i.e.: the Southern Tier. We are currently serving 115 clients through our Care Coordina on program, only 54 of which live in the city of Jamestown. This means the majority of our clients live anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours away from the office, and most do not own a vehicle. Care Coordinators in the Southern Tier spend a lot of me in their cars, otherwise known as mobile offices! So how long has the Southern Tier Office been around? Evergreen Health Services has had a presence in the Southern Tier since the 1980s! A Case Manager used to travel out of the Buffalo office. As the client load increased, in 1991 we had our own Case Manager who occupied office space in the local Family Services office and traveled throughout the three coun es to provide services to infected individuals and their families. Around 1994, the first Community Educator to serve the Southern Tier was hired and we moved into our own office space in the basement of the Tew Mansion in Jamestown. In 1997 the number of staff in the Southern Tier had grown to six, including
our first Director, Kim Lombard. 1997 was also the year the Chautauqua County Department of Health made na onal news by publically disclosing the HIV status of Nushawn Williams, but that is a story for another me; Google at your own risk. What goes on down in the Southern Tier? Throughout the years we have o en said, “we do everything the Buffalo office does, but on a much smaller scale.” This s ll holds true with a few excep ons. We are currently in a larger office space and we have eight full- me and one part- me staff. We have four Care Coordinators and an Assistant who provide services to clients in all three coun es and beyond. With the guidance of the Center for Community Services, we are moving forward into the era of Health Homes! We do not have a Wellness Center or a lunch program. We do have our own food pantry and we work closely with the Special Services staff to provide Housing, Nutri on, and Transporta on Services to our clients. This can be a challenge with our clients living in such rural areas, so far away from both the Buffalo and Southern Tier offices. The Special Services staff works well with Care Coordinators to meet these challenges. We do not have our own medical center; however, we work very closely with ECMC’s Rural Care team, which provides HIV specialty care in Jamestown, Dunkirk and Olean. Many of our clients u lize ECMC’s Rural Care program, but others choose to receive their care at Evergreen Medical Group or ECMC’s Immunodeficiency Clinic, despite the challenges of long distance travel. We do not have our own (continued on next page)
Did You Know? Care Coordinators in the Southern Tier put over 20,000 miles a year on their vehicles in order to serve clients.
(Southern Tier Continued from Previous Page) pharmacy, but our clients are able to u lize Patrick and his team for their medica on needs. We do have a tes ng program. We currently offer the ten minute Rapid HIV test. Although we do not have staff dedicated to tes ng, we do have 4 staff members who are cer fied testers and it is a very rare occasion that someone is not available to do a test. There is not a syringe exchange program in the Southern Tier, but we are a part of the Expanded Syringe Access Program; we can give 10 clean needles but we cannot accept used ones. We do provide outreach and educa on as best we can. In the past, for many years, the Southern Tier did have a full me Community Educator and at one point had two. Due to changes in state budgets we were unable to con nue this service. In 2011 we were able to use a one year grant to hire a full me MSM Outreach Worker and through the use of community funding we have been able to keep him on part- me for a few hours a week. Almost everyone in the office has at one point or another a ended outreach events or provided in-services for local agencies. The Southern Tier does not have a Founda on of its own, but we CAN and DO fundraise! With assistance from the Founda on, all of our staff pitching in and our dedicated volunteers, we have been quite successful in regards to fundraising. In the 1990’s we held two AIDS Walks and in 1999 we held our first Cause for Celebra on. We con nued this annual event for seven years, changing the venue three mes to accommodate its growth. Our big fundraiser these days is Dining Out For Life, which we have par cipated in from the beginning. The popularity of this event con nues to grow and we are looking forward to the next one on April 9! We receive a lot of technical assistance from the staff in the Buffalo office. Without the staff in Administra on, Finance, Human Resources, and Informaon Technology we would not be able to perform our job func ons and we are grateful! In a nutshell, we are a small satellite office with a lot to cover. Through the hard work of the Southern Tier staff and support from our “home” office in Buffalo, we are able to successfully meet the needs in the Southern Tier. We welcome and appreciate visitors! C
Healthy Self-Care Checklist
Strength Training for Life
Here are some of the most important self-care measures for improving your health. Check how many of these statements apply to you... 7 or 8 is good; 9 or 10 is excellent. Use the results to identify new health habits you hope to achieve in the coming months.
You don’t have to be an olympic champion to protect muscle mass and build strength. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) offers these helpful guidelines for beginners:
I stay within 10 or 15 pounds of my healthiest weight. I follow a schedule of preventive screening and exams with my health care provider and dentist. I accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week. I eat a variety of fruits (at least 2 cups) and vegetables (at least 2.5 cups) daily. I limit red meat and other foods high in saturated fat to 2 servings a week. I don’t smoke and/or have asked my provider for help quitting. I manage work stress in healthy ways, such as regular exercise. I feel generally positive about life. I relax nearly every day. I have a network of friends for mutual support and fun I get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day. Remember... it’s never too late to change for the better! Note: this is not intended to be medical advice. Talk to your health care provider about your individual needs.
1. Work each major muscle group - chest, shoulders, arms, back, abdomen, and legs. Your goal is 2 or 3 30 minute sessions per week. 2. Select 1 or 2 exercises per muscle group. To improve strength, do 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise against a resistance that’s hard for you to repeat 10 times. Perform 2 to 4 sets of each exercise per workout. 3. Allow 48 hours before you exercise the muscle group again (don’t do the same exercise every day). 4. It’s best for older persons and previously sendentary adults to start with light intensity - when it’s hard for you to repeat the exercise 15 times against the resistance. As you gain strength, you can increase the amount of resistance as your ability to repeat the exercise increases to 15 times. For best results, consider investing in a few sessions with personal trainer. Important: talk to your provider before starting a resistance exercise program if you have health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes. C
Be on the lookout for these colorful posters hanging around town! The Fearless campaign was conceived by the Marke ng Team (Jus n Azzarella, Theresa Woehrel, Lindsay Zasada and John Carocci) as a way to promote this year’s Pride Fes val, which will feature an expanded schedule of exci ng events. Watch for more informa on in future issues of Connec ons, or visit the Dame PrideAcademy. websiteThe at Buff val.com.in the Aaron Pry recently spoke to his son’s 2nd grade class at Notre topicaloPrideFes was Aaron’s experience 865th ARMY CSH (Combat Support Hospital), which contains an opera ng room, emergency room, x-ray facility, lab and pharmacy. He also explained that as a reservist you have your “real” job and the Army job whenever called to duty. Aaron then spoke about what goes on here at Evergreen, and gave the students “Swag Bags” for their parents. Great job, Aaron!
We’ve been collec ng staff baby photos to dress up some of the bare walls in the Connec ons offices. Unfortunately, our intern forgot to label any of the photos, so now we don’t know who is who! Can you help us guess which Evergreen staff members these kids grew up to be? Answers on page 21.
O 5
March Birthdays
fiverandomfacts oneisalie! C A N YO U T E L L T H E D I F F E R E N C E?
1
(see page 21 for answer)
If you spell out consecu ve numbers, you won’t use the le er “a” un l you reach one thousand.
2 Every me you lick a stamp, you’re consuming 1/10 of a calorie. 3 The cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II moves about six feet for each gallon of fuel that it burns. 4 If you toss a penny 10,000 mes, it will not be heads 5,000 mes, but more like 4,950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bo om. 5 A shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.
S U B M I T T E D
B Y
B R E N D A N
O R R A N G E
Siobhan Fitzgerald-Cushing- 3/11 Carrie Sentz – 3/12 Theresa Shankland – 3/12 Nichole Frank – 3/15 Patricia Hopkins – 3/17 Mindi Mietlicki – 3/18 Kaitlyn Cieri – 3/20 Theresa Woehrel – 3/20 Siobohn Moley – 3/23 Kate Gallivan – 3/22 Johanna Aponte – 3/26 Joshua McClain – 3/27 Cord Stone – 3/28 Alvin Jackson – 3/29 Diana Pa on- 3/30
March Anniversaries Jus n Azzarella - 1 year Melissa Lacount – 1 year Ashlee Rudolph – 1 year Tayrin Torres – 2 years Alain Rodriquez – 3 years Angela Palmer – 12 years
Your Con nued Dedica on and Hard Work Are No ced and Appreciated!
connections MARCH 2013
PUBLISHER/LAYOUT John Carocci EDITOR Kimberly Harding CONTRIBUTORS Maisha Drayton, Sheila Marcheson, Laurie Matson, Brendan Orrange, Cord Stone, Talor Struckmann Gary Williams
I won a Na onal Junior Olympic gold medal in Synchronized Swimming. - Shari DeMarco My sister gave me a gi box of handmade soap from Lush last year that had a golden cket inside. I didn’t put much thought into it, and had forgo en all about it un l I came across it about a month later and decided to scratch it off. I won $500 worth of awesome shampoo and other hair care products from Lush. My bathroom looks like a store now. - Gloria Kornowski Back in the day before Project Reach was part of Evergreen, radio sta on 96.1 was having a contest – 100 ckets to the circus. The ques on was “How is your office like a circus?” I submi ed a response on the last day of the contest and our office won the 100 ckets. - Lucille Venezia The AIDS Community Services “ACE” Award. - Elisa Luciano
Evan Greene Ten Li le “Gnome” Facts About the Customer Service Gnome! 1.
People o en mistake me for the Travelocity Gnome. We look very similar because we are indeed cousins. 2. I’m a rela vely young Gnome: I’m 150 years old. 3. I was a finalist to star in the movie Gnomeo and Juliet; however I refused to trim my beard and dye my eyebrows, so the producers decided to “go another way”. 4. One of my fave things to do is rubbing noses. Gnomes by nature are very affec onate and sen mental. We express this by rubbing noses with our family and friends. Plus, with it being a low risk ac vity it’s a win-win. 5. Although it may not seem like it to the average human eye, I’m considered an “extravagant dresser” within the Gnome community. Female Gnomes only wear neutral earth tones, so as a male, I get to wear cu ng edge colors like “red” and “powder blue”. 6. The word gnome is derived from ‘Kuba-Walda’ of the ancient Germanic language which means “home spirit”. In rural areas gnomes o en live in the ra ers of barns, where, if we are treated well, we keep an eye on the livestock as well as the crops. Another variant of our name translates as ‘to put in order’ or ‘do odd jobs’. 7. I have a twin sister named Evelyn. (All Gnomes are born as sets of twins: one boy and one girl) 8. I was hired to work at the Evergreen Associa on by Ray Ganoe a er a “chance mee ng” in his office. 9. My Birthday is May 27, which is actually called “World Gnome Day”. I accept gi s and remember, Cash is King. 10. I am about 7 mes stronger than a man, can run at speeds of 35 miles per hour, and have better sight than a hawk. So in other words: Don’t try me.
How much do you really know about your co-workers here at Evergreen Health Services? Read 10 Fun Facts to learn all the juicy details! If you’d like to be featured in a future issue, write down 10 fun facts about yourself and send them to either Kimberly Harding or John Carocci. There are only three rules: there have to be ten, they have to be fun, and they have to be facts!
the extra mile
Gary Williams Connections wants to highlight staff who go the extra mile and volunteer their time to causes close to their heart. If you volunteer, or know of a fellow staff member who volunteers, let Connections know! This month’s featured Volunteer is Gary Williams. have participated in AIDS charity bicycle rides – Empire State AIDS Ride (ESAR) which benefited AIDS Community Services; NYCDC benefitting HIV research at George Washington University; and the AIDS Red Ribbon Ride benefitting AIDS Rochester since 2005. In 2005, I signed up to ride with one of my best friends and co-worker Ron Gonzalez to ride in the Empire State AIDS Ride. ESAR was a 560-mile, 7 day ride from Niagara Falls to New York City. We thought the Ride would be a great test of our mettle and I knew if anyone could keep my head in the game along the way, it would be Ron. As it turned out, Ron backed out due to scheduling difficulties but I remained committed. I rode, along with
I
two other co-workers and other friends of the agency, on our agency team, the Buffalo Wings. Kim Lombard and Kathy Oczek provided excellent road support along the way, ensuring Ron Silverio that I’d return safely. Members of our team had trained at varying levels of intensity, and thus some were stronger riders than others, just like other riders on other participating teams. I hadn’t trained all that hard so you can imagine I was in the middle to the end of the pack most days. During the ride, I quickly became friends with a fellow rider, Dan Abbott. Dan, for me, ended up taking Ron’s place — keeping my head in the game, teaching me how to properly stretch before and during the ride to see me through. Dan was with me many a time when I would fall off my bike, yes, I said fall of my bike. You see, I broke the cardinal rule and changed equipment on my bike (clipless pedals) and I wasn’t used to using them yet. I also never got the hang of shifting gears, therefore would pop my chain at inopportune times and would end up pedaling like crazy going nowhere and then not be able
to clip out of my “clipless” pedals and fall — once just inches away from a freshly dead squirrel. (It was one of the funniest things I’ve ever done.) Anyway, Dan was with me most of the ride it seemed, through the long lonely stretches of road and up the steep hills we had to climb — always encouraging me and pushing me further. It wasn’t until the last day that I learned Dan was HIV+. I broke down and bawled. Here I was thinking that I should have been somehow stronger because I am HIV-. But instead, there was this wonderful man, who just happened to be HIV+, that was much stronger in every sense of the word. My “crewing career,” began in 2006 with Kathy Oczek, providing road support for the ESAR riders. I navigated our vehicle down each road and around each turn while we kept track of and provided support, hydration, and nutrition for up to 100 riders, keeping them safe every mile along the way. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 I provided the same support to the same ride with Tom Needham as my driver and co-captain. Also in 2009 Tom and I drove to NYC where
I was in charge of coordinating the entire SAG crew, in a new ride — NYCDC, a 300-mile ride from New York City to Washington DC. I provided training and guidance to individuals who had never supported such a ride and provided navigation skills to my good ol’ buddy Tom as he drove. In 2010, another new ride came on the “circuit” — the AIDS Red Ribbon RIDE (ARRR), a 420-mile ride around the Finger Lakes that benefitted AIDS Care in Rochester. I became a member of the planning committee and SAG Crew Coordinator, once again providing training to and guiding new SAG support crew in addition to my road support function. Tom and I supported ARRR and NYCDC in their last ride. I provided the same support in 2011 to ARRR. In 2012, in addition to being a member of the planning committee and SAG Crew Director, I had the responsibility as liaison between the DOT and our ride director, keeping everyone abreast of any detours, road repairs/construction, and any possible dangerous conditions. This year (2013), I was appointed Co-Director of the ride as well as SAG Crew Director and DOT Liaison. As CoDirector, I am responsible for all activities associated with the ride from the moment it begins on Wednesday to the moment it ends on Sunday. My planning duties this year will entail obtaining all necessary permits (health/food, signage/parade) in every county we pass through. Every year I look forward to spending a week on the road with some of the most amazing people I know, in a bubble where everything else in the world is standing still or on hold. It’s very much like a family reunion with returning riders and crew along with some “long lost cousins” that have come into the fold. I get to dress up (see my Facebook for pictures) and act silly — which serves to inspire our riders who ride through the heat, wind, rain, up grueling hills and mountains, and along long desolate roadways. However, these AIDS charity bicycle rides are very near and dear to me. It is because of my friend Dan, that I continue to support him as a rider and these charity rides. It is also because of my friend Ron, may he rest in peace (Flight 3407), that I was able to meet and be with these amazing people. If I could spend all my time off supporting rides in this way, I would. Do you know of any other small ride families that could benefit from my services? C
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!
The only thing ho er than the crock pots was the spirit of friendly compe on at the 4th Floor’s First Annual Souper Bowl. Connec ons was there to bring you full coverage of this exci ng new event. Just click on the video camera icon (above le ) to see the whole story... if you dare!
Shari DeMarco and her mom pose with some furry friends at their very first 5K race... the Disney Family Fun Run!
WHY SHOULD I TRY? Under the Criminal Jus ce Ini a ve, a Peer Facilitator Training is administered to a small group of inmates who want to gain knowledge of HIV, STIs and Hepa
s. This training was created in hope
that the graduates would educate addi onal inmates who are not able to a end the course. An added segment was created to give the peers an opportunity to express their personal sensi vity toward these infec ons; including the impact these infec ons have had on their lives. Wri ng poems has become a way for the inmates to genuinely express their own experiences while being infected or aected by these infec ons. The following poem was created by a current inmate within Collins 2 Correc onal Facility. - Cord Stone
Fun Facts Answer: #3 is a lie... the QEII actually only travels 6 inches for every gallon of fuel burned. Photo Disaster Answers: Top Row, Le to Right: Elisa Luciano, Mindi Mietlicki, Ma hew John Pasquarella, John Carocci, Jess Lehsten, Jacquelyn Dixon. Bo om Row, Le to Right: Patrick Butler, Kimberly Lombard, Keisha Leavy, Trish Hopkins, Brian Planty