March, 2006 Working@Duke by Working Duke

WORKING@DUKE

HELP WITH YOUR TAXES

Tax returns are being prepared at no charge by the Duke Law School.

N EWS YO U CA N U S E

5 ::

TALKING WITH TALLMAN TRASK A Q&A session with Duke’s Executive Vice President.

Vo l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Meet Rekayi Isley, Community Service Officer for the Duke Police Dept.

March 2006

Why you really need this paper

“

The burden so far has been too much

on you to find information and connect

the various dots to see the bigger picture of Duke and to make sense of it."

Willie Mae Daye, a housekeeper in the Allen Building, has worked at Duke for six years.

elcome to Working@ Duke – your source for useful news, features and information about working at Duke. You might be thinking, “Why is Duke sending me more paper about stuff that does not affect me and I do not have time to read.” The truth is that we’re actually sending you less paper with more concise and better information. Let me explain. This new publication evolved out of work by a Duke-wide committee that spent more than a year assessing internal communications across the university. In its 2004 report, the committee wrote that “many members of the Duke community now feel overloaded with e-mail messages, newsletters, and other information while, at the same time, feeling uninformed about developments that affect their lives.” The conclusions led the committee to a self-evident truth — communication is more than a process of distribution. And it shouldn’t be a scavenger hunt, either. The burden so far has been too much on you to find information and connect the various dots to see the bigger picture of Duke and to make sense of it. Since the committee’s study, much work has gone into improving the flow of information and rethinking how best to connect people with the information they need and want from across Duke. As a result, several initiatives are under way. They include the new online newspaper, Duke Today; a publication called This Month at Duke that features events and Duke’s community outreach efforts; and this new publication. Working@Duke will consolidate information currently included in several department publications, including Benefits Advantage. Working@Duke also replaces Dialogue as the primary internal publication on campus. Thus, less paper. David Jarmul, who chaired the internal communications committee and is associate vice president of news and communications, believes that all members of the Duke community will benefit from these changes. “This new package of printed and online materials reflects what our committee heard from faculty, staff, students and others across the Duke community,” he said. “We’ve taken a hard look at what we’ve been doing and made significant changes to help people get the information they need.” We hope Working@Duke provides you with a better way to find out

— Paul Grantham, director Office of Communication Services

what’s going on at Duke and gain a better understanding of issues that affect your daily work and the resources available to support you. For instance, in this first issue, you will learn about tax assistance the Duke School of Law provides at no charge to many of our staff. You will also read about an innovative health program that may help do something few, if any, employers have done in recent memory — lower the cost of health insurance for their employees. In Working@Duke, we also plan to share stories about the work of you and your colleagues, stories that highlight the many ways in which you contribute to the education, research, and health care missions of Duke. Newsletter ~ continued on back page

In a recent study, Duke community members reported feeling overwhelmed by publications, yet uninformed. Working@Duke will replace several print publications and serve as a primary source of information for people who work at Duke.

This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber.

LOOKING

AHEAD @ DUKE

Newsbriefs

March 21 :: President Richard H. Brodhead will talk at 4 p.m. in Griffith Auditorium. He will offer an update on strategic planning for the Duke student community. April 7 :: The Duke Farmers Market opens, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in front of the Medical Center Bookstore and on the walkway between Duke Hospital and the Medical Center.

Bob Dean Named Director of Duke Police

Robert H. “Bob” Dean Jr. has been

programs available in the Durham area. The programs include athletic

named director of Duke Police.

and academic camps sponsored by Duke, as well as other arts and

Dean, who served the Duke com-

recreation camps. Visit <www.hr.duke.edu/child-family/care.html> or

munity for 41 years before retiring

call Staff & Family Programs, (919) 684-9040, for more information.

Human Resources is developing a list of the summer camps and

and returning last year as interim

Robert H. “Bob” Dean Jr.

director, will lead the department’s

Duke Fitness Club Expands

day-to-day operations and report

Two new health clubs have been added

to Aaron Graves, associate vice

to the Duke Fitness Club. Faculty, staff,

president for Campus Safety and

and family members can now join any of

Security. Dean’s appointment

12 full service fitness facilities at dis-

comes after he served seven

counted membership rates. The fitness

months as interim director while

facilities of the expanded Duke Fitness

the university conducted a national search for associate vice president

Club offer 24 locations throughout the

for Campus Safety and Security. Graves started work Jan. 9.

Triangle. If you join a fitness center through the Duke Fitness Club, there

April 24-30 :: North Carolina Festival of the Book, at Duke and throughout Durham, www.ncbook.org.

Up for a Challenge? Clock in for Better Health

April 26 :: 2006 Presidential Award Luncheon, noon, Washington Duke Inn.

are no annual fees or contracts, and

Duke is challenging faculty and staff to work together to accumulate

membership dues can be deducted from your paycheck. Visit

one million minutes of exercise in 12 weeks. In January, LIVE FOR LIFE

www.hr.duke.edu/eohs/livelife/fitness.html or call LIVE FOR LIFE at

began Duke On the Move — The Million Minute Challenge, a new

(919) 684-3136 (Option 1).

program. In the first two weeks of the program, 2,100 people signed up and have logged more than 350,000 exercise minutes. You can report

Need A Babysitter or Eldercare Services?

your minutes online and be entered into a drawing for multiple prizes.

Human Resources recently printed its bi-annual Babysitting and

Every time you accumulate and report 100 minutes of exercise, your

Eldercare Guide. This referral guide lists the names of Duke students,

name will be entered into a drawing for prizes such as gift certificates

staff and family members, and Duke alumni who are available to pro-

to local restaurants, an iPod Shuffle, free fitness memberships, and a

vide child and elder care. Most care is part-time or one-time and is pro-

spa package. To register, visit the Duke On the Move Web site at

vided at the child’s or elder’s home. The guide is available in Staff and

www.hr.duke.edu/onthemove, stop by the LIVE FOR LIFE office at

Family Programs located in 154 Trent Hall and online at

04290 Red Zone, Duke Clinic, or call (919) 684-3136 (option 1).

www.hr.duke.edu/child-family.

For more events, check the university’s online calendar at http://calendar.duke.edu

Duke Law School prepares tax returns at no charge TO BE ELIGIBLE, CLIENTS MUST EARN $35,000 OR LESS

IF YOU GO Duke Law School student Stacey McGavin is volunteering to prepare tax returns at no charge for Duke employees.

WHAT: Duke Law School Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) prepares returns at

tacy McGavin sits with her laptop open in the Duke University Federal Credit Union. A yellow highlighter and copy of the “2005 Volunteer Resource Guide” rest by her side. It’s tax time, again. McGavin and other volunteer Duke Law students, staff and faculty members are offering free tax preparation services to people who work at Duke, as well as residents of Durham. To be eligible for the service, clients must earn $35,000 or less. The Law School’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, VITA, has been a staple at Duke for many years. Last year, volunteers logged more than 2,000 hours and filed more than $300,000 in refunds and credits for more than 200 clients, many of whom work at Duke. Volunteers started seeing clients Jan. 27 and will continue preparing

no charge. To be eligible, clients must earn $35,000 or less. WHERE: E.K. Powe Elementary School, 913 Ninth Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 4; Duke University Federal Credit Union, 1400 Morreene Road, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 7; and the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 725 Burch Avenue, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 19, March 26 and April 2. DETAILS: Walk-ins are accepted, but clients with appointments receive priority service. Contact the site to make an appointment. MORE INFO: Visit http://www.law.duke.edu/ student/act/vita/index.htm or call the VITA Hotline, (919) 613-8526

returns through April 7. Ayoka Harding, who works in Duke Environmental Services as a housekeeper, was among the first clients Jan. 27. She has used the law school service for the last few years. “I think it’s an excellent benefit,” said Harding, 29. “More Duke employees should take advantage of this service. There aren’t too many jobs that offer this for free.” The VITA volunteers do more than prepare the return. They help determine whether workers at Duke are eligible for child and earned income tax credits — refunds easily overlooked. “Our goal is make sure people not only get their refunds, but they get the credits they deserve,” said Chris McLaughlin, a 1996 graduate of Duke Law and assistant dean for Academic and Student Affairs. “We also help them avoid $100 to $200 in tax preparation fees.” VITA volunteers receive two days of tax preparation training from the Internal Revenue Service and are qualified to prepare and file tax returns electronically, which allow taxpayers to

“

I think it’s an excellent benefit. More Duke

employees should take advantage of this service. There aren’t too many jobs that offer this for free.” — Ayoka Harding

receive their refunds in less than a week. McGavin, the Duke Law School student, also volunteered to prepare tax returns last year. “I like participating in this program because some of us don’t know much about the Durham community, and this gets us out more,” McGavin said. “A lot of the Durham community is made up of employees at Duke. There is another community at Duke besides the students and the faculty.” — By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke

Stayingsafe TY SAFREST

DUKE’S BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL

Those tall yellow poles topped with blue strobe lights can be used for more than just serious emergencies. “You can use them any time you need help or to report suspicious behavior or unsafe conditions,” said Sarah Minnis, a major with the Duke University Police Department. “You can ask for directions, or, if you have car problems, we can assist with getting you in touch with home, a friend, your automobile club or a local repair service. Our dispatchers will stay on the line with you to make sure the call goes through and assist with directions when needed.” Of more than 500 emergency phones, 139 of these are blue light help telephones, and they are scattered throughout the university - along jogging trails, in parking lots, near bus stops and between Duke Clinic and Duke Hospital. Some of the phones are attached to yellow poles; others are mounted on utility poles, buildings and in elevators. Pick up the handset or press the red button, and you are immediately connected to a Duke Police dispatcher, who will know your FI

location and can carry on a two-way conversation. “When you press the button to talk on the phones equipped with a blue strobe light, the light will be activated, so responding officers and others in the immediate area will know where you are located and that assistance is being requested,” said Sandy DeWeese, a crime prevention specialist with Duke Police. “We strongly encourage the use of these devices as a means of rapid communications with the Duke Police Department, no matter how serious your concern or issue may be,” said Aaron Graves, associate vice president for Campus Safety and Security. If you believe an area at the university or health system might benefit from the installation of an emergency or blue light phone, call the police department’s crime prevention office at 668-3106. An assessment will be conducted to determine if a phone can be installed. — By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke

Of more than 500 emergency phones at Duke, 139 are equipped with a blue strobe light that is activated when a call is made.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DUKE POLICE? Visit www.duke.edu/web/police/

New safety policy requires employees to report unsafe conditions arl Ward knows that what lies behind some doors can turn your life upside down. A plumber at Duke, Ward opened a fourth-floor door in Duke Clinic and stepped into an open shaft that was once a room. The 4-foot fall was interrupted by duct work, leaving him with a shoulder injury. But he was grateful to be alive. “I honestly thought I was gone,” said Ward, 52, who has worked at Duke for 16 years. “If that equipment hadn’t been in the way and caught me, I wouldn’t be here now.” Ward’s accident in 2001 highlights the significance of a recently revised safety policy for Duke. The policy focuses on eliminating or reducing conditions and behaviors that could result in injury or illness. Dr. Wayne Thomann, director of occupational and environmental safety, said Duke is working to create a culture within the university and health system in which everyone feels a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for students, patients, faculty, staff and visitors. Under the revised policy, everyone who works at Duke is required to identify and report safety issues in a timely manner. “Safety is not just the responsibility of the safety office. It is the responsibility of each and every person who works here.We all need to be aware of our environment, identify potential problems and help seek remedies before an accident happens,” Thomann said. More than 1,300 workplace accidents were reported at Duke between July and December 2005. In addition to the personal toll, these accidents disrupt productivity and result in high medical expenses for Duke — money that could be applied to other programs, benefits and services. In Ward’s accident, which Thomann said is uncommon, a metal grate had not been placed over the open shaft to prevent someone from falling through. Soon after the incident, a grate was installed. While most accidents are not as severe as Ward’s, the majority are preventable. Thomann, who helped coordinate revisions to the safety policy, is now working to raise awareness about the role each person plays in creating a safe environment.

“Some of the things I honestly people can do are simple, but thought I was significant,” Thomann said. “If you see a spill on a floor, gone. If that equipment take the time to find somehadn’t been in the way thing or someone to help and caught me, I clean it up before someone gets hurt. Or if we have icy Carl Ward wouldn’t be here now.” conditions, use designated — Carl Ward parking decks and walkways to get to and from work safely. We want to eliminate accidents entirely, especially those caused by unnecessary risks or people not paying closer attention to their surroundings.” Top Three Causes of Injuries Ward said he can certainly appreciate the value of creating a safety culture at Duke. "Anything that can be done to help with safety in the work place is good," he said. On the day of his accident, Ward was following a ceiling water sprinkler line in an area being renovated in Duke Clinic. As he looked up, he unlocked the door, stepped out and immediately fell into the dark, open shaft. Still clutching his keys in the door lock, Ward hung by Falls, lifting and being hit by an his right arm briefly, before falling about 4-feet on heating object or person are the most frequent causes of injuries at Duke. and air equipment. He was able to crawl out and call for help. There have been 118 more incidents In May 2002, nearly five months later — after shoulder reported this year in these catesurgery and rehabilitation — Ward returned to work with a gories compared to last year. Still, the number of accidents that healthy perspective on the importance of safety and being resulted in lost work time has aware of his surroundings. slightly decreased. “Today, I don’t open doors without glancing down before I walk in,” Ward said, “especially in the dark.”

“

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

— By Jane Paige Working@Duke Correspondent

Visit www.safety.duke.edu or call (919) 684-2794

GladyouAsked Each month, Working@Duke selects a question about working at Duke. We’ll research and print the answer. Send us your questions by e-mail at working@duke.edu; by fax at 681-7926 or by campus mail at

Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham,NC27708

Whom can I talk with about arranging for an employee to work some days at home and some days at the office? My employee is a payroll clerk, so the situation would entail a computer at home with access to appropriate programs. You should contact Staff and Labor Relations at 684-2808 to learn more about the considerations and procedures for flexible work options that involve working from home. Because telecommuting arrangements often require offsite computer equipment, Duke requires that these arrangements be filed with Staff and Labor Relations for auditing purposes. We talked with Denise Evans, director of Staff and Labor Relations. She said that telecommuting is unique because it requires a higher degree of trust between employee and supervisor. “Telecommuting works best in cases where employees have a proven track record for managing their time effectively and performing at a high level, especially on projects that involve greater autonomy. It’s important to have good communication and review how the arrangement is going at regular intervals to help

“

Telecommuting works best in

cases where employees have a proven track record for managing their time effectively and performing at a high level, especially on projects that involve greater autonomy.” — Denise Evans

address any issues along the way.” You can find more information about flexible work options, including guidelines, forms, procedures and examples on the Human Resources web site at www.hr.duke.edu/flexwork.

A closer look at the cost of health care he cost of health care at Duke and AVERAGE HEALTH CARE COST other employers across the country has PER EMPLOYEE IN 2005 risen steadily during the last few years, but some early signs point to a better prognosis for containing future cost increases for Duke faculty and staff. Duke has introduced moderate premium increases for its health plans over the last several years with the exception of Duke Basic, which remained unchanged. “In an effort to keep health care more affordable, we have tried to balance the increasing cost between monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs for specific services,” said GENERIC DRUG USAGE Lois Ann Green, director of Benefits. “During 60% the last several years, we’ve managed to keep Duke’s premium increases below the national and state averages, and they compare favorably 50% to both local and regional peer institutions.” Health experts believe the best way to 40% contain the rising cost of health care is to use medical services more wisely and improve the health of people covered, especially those who 30% have or are at risk of developing chronic con2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 YTD ditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Although chronic diseases are among the most TOP: common and costly of all health problems, they are also THE AVERAGE COST OF HEALTH CARE the most preventable. During the last several years, Duke is about $5,311 per Duke employee, has offered new programs and incentives to encourage which is significantly below the national average of $7,048. participants to adopt healthier lifestyles and habits. Preliminary indicators suggest Duke’s “The exciting news is we are seeing progress in several efforts to improve the health of preliminary indicators that suggest participants are making those who have and are at risk of developing chronic health conditions better decisions about how they use Duke’s health plan is helping curtail rising costs. services and are taking a more active role with their BOTTOM: health,” Green said. “If we see this trend continue, we may GENERIC DRUGS COST 30 TO 60 be able to actually hold down the rising cost of health care PERCENT LESS than brand-name premiums in the next couple years — a feat few employers equivalents. Requesting generic have managed in recent memory.” prescriptions can help reduce the

overall health care costs.

Duke has introduced several plan options that provide a financial incentive for using health care resources more wisely. To promote generic drug use, Duke has not increased the generic drug co-pay since 2002 while the copay for other drugs has increased. Typically, generic drugs cost 30 to 60 percent less than brand-name equivalents such as Prozac. Last year, participants of Duke’s health plans increased their generic drug use from 49 percent to 54 percent. Another way health plan participants can help stabilize health care cost is choosing the best type of facility to receive care. In years past, participants often visited the emergency room for treatment better suited at an urgent care clinic. Consider: the average cost of urgent care is $88; the emergency room, $966. Over the last several years, Duke has maintained the $35 and $50 co-pays for urgent care, as the co-pay for the emergency room has gone up. During that time, Duke has seen more participants using urgent care for non-emergency health concerns, which helps reduce overall health care cost. Duke has also introduced new programs such as Duke Prospective Health to encourage employees to understand their personal health risks and to be more involved in their own health care. Through this program, and the services of LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, participants have seen a decrease in high blood pressure and cholesterol. “This is important because three of the top five health care claim expenses at Duke pertain to the treatment of chronic disease,” Green said. Duke’s efforts to encourage better health and the better use of health care resources have helped Duke manage the cost of health care premiums better than most. The average health claim cost for a Duke employee is $5,311, which is nearly $2,000 below the average for employers across the country. “Our health care decisions today will impact our wellbeing and health plan costs for the future,” Green said. — By Jen Mathot Senior Communications Specialist, Human Resources

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Visit www.hr.duke.edu/health or call (919) 684-3136 (Option 1)

Q&A

EXECUTIVE

TALLMAN TRASK III :: Executive Vice President

What do you hope to see change as a result of the new internal communication initiatives?

We haven’t done a particularly good job keeping Duke’s employees informed, and it’s time we changed that. How do employees learn

about major initiatives or projects? How do

they find out about new policies or benefits? Right now, there is no one place where

employees can obtain such information or an

understanding of what is happening here and

why. It’s important for faculty and staff to see

how developments on campus relate to Duke’s broad mission and how decisions affect all of us. I hope the new communication tools we

are implementing, such as this newsletter, will help members of the Duke community stay

informed and help them understand the deci-

sions, and the process for making them, that will define the university’s direction in the years ahead.

How well do you think people at Duke know you and other administrators and the issues important to you as Executive Vice President?

How will the creation of the Office of Communication Services help improve internal communication?

Not as well as I’d prefer. I visit with some groups, but

Our administrative areas have tended to communicate inde-

to change that. Employees need to know who is responsi-

pendently, and this has led to inconsistent and sometimes confusing information. In establishing the new Office of

Communication Services, we have brought together staff

from several administrative areas to improve the quality and

flow of information across the university. Our main goal is to provide timely, accurate, and useful information and make it

easier for employees to find the information they need to get their

jobs done and the resources available to support them. Why was Working@Duke created?

For many years, the Duke community has relied on Dialogue

to provide news and other information about working here.

Dialogue was published weekly during the academic year. The advent of the Web makes it a lot easier to provide daily

information. Since Dialogue is being replaced with an online

daily newspaper, Duke Today, we still need to provide a printed

publication, especially for the many university employees

probably not as often as I should, or would like to. It’s time ble for what at Duke, the key people in the administration, and the role they play in helping move Duke forward.

Through Working@Duke, we hope to help people learn

about these administrators and the perspectives they bring

to their jobs. Employees should understand how their work contributes to the goals of our university as well as the

underlying values that Duke holds about ethics and stan-

dards of behavior. So, we need to do a better job of com-

municating with the people who work here so they can help to make these things happen.

TRASK PROFILE Duties: Duke’s chief administrative and fiscal officer Joined Duke: August 1995

who do not have access online. Working@Duke was developed

Education: AB in history, Occidental College; MBA, Northwestern University; Ph.D., UCLA

news, profiles, features on Duke operations and significant

Nickname: T3. His namesake, a life size cardboard cutout of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie

information, as well as some inspiration, for its readers.

Fun Fact: Collects memorabilia. Among books in his office on architecture and management are photos

to be the primary printed news source and will include

Memberships: American Institute of Architects, honorary member

developments. We hope Working@Duke will provide useful

Terminator 3 (T3), guards the office and is occasionally redressed for the season.

of family and friends, a 1/2-inch think chip of paint from the bridge near East Campus, several NCAA Final Four passes, and a Styrofoam cup crushed under pressure at the ocean floor two miles below the surface.

What do Terry Sanford, Shelden Williams and Duke’s Personnel Policy Manual have in common? n 1983, Terry Sanford served as the university president; Duke senior Shelden Williams — the alltime shot blocking leader for the men’s basketball team — was born; and Human Resources distributed a printed copy of its Personnel Policy Manual. Times have changed. Policies have been added and updated over the years, but this is the first time in 23 years that a comprehensive compilation has been redistributed. Over the years, Duke has grown and the workplace has changed. Since the Personnel Policy Manual was distributed, many divergent practices have emerged. This spring, Human Resources will distribute a new Duke Staff Handbook and post a new online HR Policy and Procedure Manual that consolidates personnel policies and updates language to reflect today’s work environment.

The printed handbook will provide an overview of employment expectations, policies, benefits, and available resources for staff. It will be distributed to all Duke staff this spring and given to all new hires during orientation.The online policy manual will offer comprehensive details including all policies, procedures and forms. For example, a new staff member may be interested to learn in the handbook that Duke offers a Parental Leave benefit that provides the primary caregiver three weeks paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. But he or she may not need any additional information at the time. Later, if she became pregnant, she could find additional information and forms to help her apply for this benefit by visiting the more extensive online manual. “These complementary resources are intended to help staff become well oriented to what Duke expects from

him or her as a staff member, and in turn, what staff should expect from Duke as an employer,” said Clint Davidson, vice president of Human Resources. “Regardless of whether you are newly employed or have years of service with Duke, the information is intended to help you establish successful working relationships as a member of the Duke community.” The online manual will be updated twice a year to ensure information is accurate and current. The policies and procedures in the staff handbook and online policy manual do not apply to employment of faculty, students, Duke Temporary Service staff, or staff covered by a bargaining agreement. Other resources are available that address employment provisions for individuals in these categories. — By Jen Mathot Senior Communications Specialist, Human Resources

FROM TOP: Terry Sanford, Personnel Policy Manual, Shelden Williams

e mployee spotlight MEET REKAYI ISLEY, COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER FOR DUKE POLICE

“

It’s a great feeling to be

able to help someone in a time of need. That’s just what I like to do.” — Rekayi Isley

ekayi Isley is not a professor, but he is as much an educator as anyone with such a title. Isley, 36, is a Community Service Officer for the Duke University Police Department. The department has two other community service officers — one on West Campus; the other at the Medical Center. Their job is to work closely with faculty, staff and students to develop innovative ways to promote safety and reduce crime. “It’s a great feeling to be able to help someone in a time of need,” said Isley, who works on East Campus. “That’s just what I like to do.” Isley, who attended East Carolina University, was drawn to criminal justice. His father was a major in the North Carolina Highway Patrol, where Isley also worked before joining Duke in 2002. Isley patrolled eight years with the highway patrol and then decided on law school. He attended North Carolina Central University Law School in Durham for a year but missed law enforcement and applied to Duke. As a Community Service Officer, Isley speaks to staff and student groups about crime prevention and drug and alcohol awareness. His office is in Bell Tower residence hall — the

Duke Police Officer Rekayi Isley, right, is developing a community watch program on East Campus.

newest residential life building that sits on the border of East Campus and is home to 140 students. Isley said working close to students builds positive relationships and communication. He is currently developing a community watch program, fashioned after a neighborhood crime watch. “This location makes it easier for our students and staff members to speak more freely and openly about issues in the community,” Isley said. “It also fosters consistent, positive interaction between Duke Police and students.” Isley said he finds much reward in helping people and raising awareness on how to stay safe — whether the

topic is how to prevent a car break-in or how to report a crime or describe a suspect. When he was in the highway patrol, he said he enjoyed changing a motorist’s tire more than writing a speeding ticket. “What I like about Duke is that I’m allowed to do what needs to be done to educate the students, to educate the staff and faculty here,” Isley said. “Sure, we arrest people who break the law, and we sometimes approach people at the worst possible moment, but always remember we are here to help.” — By Eddy Landreth Working@Duke Correspondent

SHINE THE SPOTLIGHT

Know of someone at Duke who is working to make a difference? Drop us a line at working@duke.edu or call (919) 681-4533

Road to health EMPLOYEE LOSES 50 POUNDS USING DUKE PROGRAMS enee Halberg’s wake-up call came when she visited the emergency room for an injured knee but doctors paid more attention to her heart. She had been hiking in the Duke Forest on a sultry summer day in 2004 when she grew dehydrated and dizzy and collapsed. Halberg was treated at the hospital and was receptive to a subsequent call from Duke Prospective Health. A year later and 50 pounds lighter, Halberg, 53, is grateful for the Prospective Health benefit program because she was introduced to practical tips on how to become the person she wanted to be: calm, energetic and fit. “I was introduced to the concept that we are our own partners in health care,” said Halberg, a licensed clinical social worker at the Duke Eye Center. Halberg said that before she got involved with Duke Prospective Health, she coped in unhealthy ways with stress. After she completed a health risk assessment to enroll in Duke Prospective Health, the bar graph results shocked her. “My risk factors — being overweight and my family history of hypertension and diabetes — were jarring motivators,” Halberg said. “I began my journey to wellness by walking on beautiful local trails.” Duke Prospective Health was very powerful in arming Halberg with a number of tools to help her break old habits and thought patterns. She spoke every few weeks with Karen Chase, a certified care manager with Duke

Prospective Health, and kept an open mind to opportunities and referrals Chase suggested. Halberg consulted with a nutritionist through LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. She learned about good and bad foods. Through health coaching, she participated in guided meditation classes and sessions that discussed the psychology of why people make unhealthy choices. Through these classes, Halberg learned about the food-hunger scale, an internal traffic light that helps her decide whether she is really hungry or eating for some other reason. Using her love of drawing, Halberg kept a journal with illustrations of how she hoped to look as a healthy, attractive woman. She now has a set of coping tools. Although walking outdoors is her favorite exercise, Halberg learned she needed a cooler alternative in the summer. She has joined a gym through the Duke Fitness Club and walks on the treadmill a couple of times a week. She is strengthening her muscle tone and bone density by lifting small weights, too. As the pounds melted away, the benefits of a healthy life motivated her to continue her good habits. “I look better; I feel younger than my age; I have more energy;” Halberg said, “and I have started dating.”

Duke has introduced a new service — provided through Premiere Global Services — that offers improved flexibility, operator-assisted calls, fast turnaround on settingup a teleconference, web conferencing, and improved pricing such as per-minute billing instead of purchasing blocks of time. The service is available to university and health-system employees at www.oit.duke.edu “Premiere offers some great features. If you’re having a large conference call and you need help, you can press a button and an operator hops in to assist,” said Debbie DeYulia, senior manager with Duke’s Office of Information Technology (OIT). Employees previously scheduled conference calls well in advance. Now, DeYulia, said, once employees set-up an account, they can schedule calls at their convenience. Callers can also share documents and applications through an interactive web feature, which allows whiteboarding, chat and messaging. Duke departments can use a procurement card or a purchase order to set up a teleconferencing account with Premiere. Visit http://collab.premiereglobal.com/partners/duke/ for more information. Employees who use a procurement card or purchase order will receive a toll-free number, ID, and pass code for the life of the account. Duke employees without Internet access can set-up an account with Premiere by calling 1-800-776-0700.

factors —

being overweight and my family history of hypertension and diabetes — were jarring motivators.” — Renee Halberg

— By Nancy Oates Working@Duke Correspondent WANT MORE INFORMATION? For Duke Prospective Health, visit www.dukeprospectivehealth.org or call 888-279-9445. For LIVE FOR LIFE, visit www.hr.duke.edu/eohs/livelife or call (919) 684-3136 (Option 1)

Renee Halberg, a licensed clinical social worker at Duke Eye Center, joined a gym through the Duke Fitness Club.

OIT

Tech talk Setting up conference calls just got easier

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My risk

BY THE NUMBERS

Order wireless phones online

DA new wireless services Web site is available from Duke OIT. It is easily accessible off a link on the OIT Web site at http://www.oit.duke.edu and contains information on special Duke pricing and equipment available for employee personal and department use. Staff can also sign up for department service directly on the Web site with an online order form. “Employees will be able to get better access to details about pricing, phones and wireless devices, including photos,” said Debbie DeYulia, senior manager with Duke OIT. With the new online form, the department orders are automatically entered into an electronic tracking system, dramatically improving order reliability, accuracy, and fulfillment. According to DeYulia, the increasing popularity of wireless devices at Duke over the past few years has made the traditional paper-based ordering method inadequate. For example, in November 2003, 1,688 wireless phones were ordered for department use; in November 2005, the number grew to 3,546. All new cellular requests must be approved by an employee’s department before they can be processed. It is the responsibility of the people placing the order to get prior approval with their department. Please ensure that your department’s business manager has authorized the request prior to submitting any cellular requests.

28,368 = Requests processed by OIT Help Desk last semester

340 = Computers in OIT labs across campus

4 = Cell phone towers on campus

16,000+ = Logins each week to OIT lab machines

766,300 = Pages printed each week (so far this spring) via Duke’s ePrint system

100,000+ = Calls processed by Duke call center telephone operators each month

1 million+ = Daily e-mail passing through Duke’s central mail gateways

— By David Menzies, News and Information Manager, Office of Information Technology

WORKING@ DUKE

HOW TO REACH US

dialogue@Duke

Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533,

How do you find out about what’s going on at Duke — special events, the arts, speakers, etc.?

leanora.minai@duke.edu

Director: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu

E-mail, usually. I get a lot of information specific to my job at HR Managers meetings, but for general Duke events it’s usually e-mail, also reading Dialogue and The Chronicle, word of mouth, and fliers. I hardly ever get on the Web.”

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Graphic Design & Layout: Flywheel Design and Paul Figuerado

Photography: Les Todd and Jonathan

Nancy Shaw, HR Department Manager Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy 15 years with Duke

Gardiner of Duke University Photography

Support Staff: Mary Carey

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Working@Duke is published monthly by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We welcome your feed-

I subscribe to an e-mail that comes from Duke HR. I believe it’s the PERQS list serve. Sometimes I go to the main Duke Web site and occasionally, I look at the event calendar.”

Corey Lyon, IT Analyst Duke University Office of Information Technology 5 years with Duke

back and suggestions for future story topics.

Please write us at working@duke.edu or

Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708

“

Call us at (919) 684-4345. Send faxes to 919-681-7926.

I go to The Chronicle online or pick up a paper copy. They usually have a good idea of what’s going on around Duke.”

Kelly Smith, Sr. Production Assistant Duke University School of Law 3 years with Duke

PERQS

E M P L OY E E

— By David Menzies Office of Information Technology, News and Information Manager

DISCOUNTS

Just in time for the Oscars - Discount Movie Tickets

ibby Gulley, nurse manager with LIVE FOR LIFE, recently bought movie tickets through Duke’s discount program to take her family to see “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

She usually buys up to six tickets for her family, saving up to $15 on each

A screen shot of Duke’s new online publication, Duke Today.

outing by using the PERQS Program, Duke’s employee discount program. “We are big moviegoers and purchasing tickets at a discount saves us a good amount of money when we go together to see a show,” said Gulley, who has used the movie discount since 2002. “The tickets also make great Christmas and birthday presents for my family.” Employees save up to $2.50 on movie passes for Carmike Cinemas or Consolidated Theaters. Theaters include Southpoint Cinemas in Durham, Crossroads 20 in Cary and Raleigh Grande Cinema in Raleigh. Tickets are sold Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Staff & Family Programs, 154 Trent Hall, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Medical Center Human Resources office, room 1527, Blue Zone, Duke Clinic (the office is closed from 1

Newsletter ~ continued from p. 1

We know your time is valuable, so we designed Working@Duke to help you quickly find and make sense of information. We also will point out where to seek more information if you need it. In each issue, we will dedicate space to answer one of your questions — a question that perhaps may be on the minds of others, too. While names and contact information of those who helped create this newsletter are listed here, we do not consider this “our” publication. Rather, it is yours, and we invite you to contribute to its success. We welcome your feedback, your questions and your insights. Effective communication is a two-way street, as they say, and you have the right-of-way. — By Paul Grantham Director, Office of Communication Services

p.m. to 2 p.m.). Duke negotiates reduced rates and discounts on hundreds of products and services as an employee benefit. Visit www.hr.duke.edu/discounts to learn more about PERQS and to join to learn more about PERQS and to join the mailing list for e-mail alerts about discounts.

— By Jen Mathot Senior Communications Specialist, Human Resources

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK We invite your feedback and suggestions for story topics. Please write us at working@duke.edu or Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708. Call us at (919) 681-4533. Send faxes to 919-681-7926.