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Director's Message
September 17, 2004
To: DHS Employees
From: Gary Weeks, Director
Helping Oregonians Prepare
While other states have faced everything from borderline public panic to mass confusion, last week's announcement that Oregon had its first confirmed human case of West Nile virus brought little fanfare.
That reaction came as no surprise to us here at DHS.
That's because our diligent public health staff has been working behind the scenes for years in anticipation of last week's news - delivering a message of preparedness, prevention, and prescribed action to communities across the state when dealing with the deadly virus.
Here is just some of what our public health staff has been doing since West Nile became a known disease in 1999:
- DHS' public health veterinarian is working with county health departments conducting a surveillance program,
- DHS has convened experts from affected states and local agencies to help us learn from their experiences,
- Our public health staff has been visiting local communities, spreading information on preparedness and working with local officials to help get the word out, and
- DHS has set up a toll-free West Nile Virus information line and a web site for the most up-to-date news.
Last week, we saw the first benefits of all this hard work. When word came last Thursday that the first human case was detected in Malheur County, there was no heightened fear factor, no mass panic. In fact, the county health administrator there says the community at large was more concerned about getting their horses vaccinated than on the risk of additional human illness.
Because of DHS' public health staff's continuing efforts to educate and communicate on this deadly disease, all Oregonians are receiving consistent prevention and preparedness information, delivered in an effective and rational way.
Keeping down the errors
It's all about getting it right.
Thanks to a concerted effort among CAF self-sufficiency, SPD and the AAAs, we have seen our Food Stamp error rate drop from 12.09 percent to 8.14 percent in the past year. This improvement has exceeded the goal Food and Nutrition Services set for us last year.
We have reviewed over 42,000 cases, developed more focused training and implemented ongoing targeted case reviews and semi-annual reporting. The benefit to the state is obvious: We are doing a better job at managing these resources and we are getting closer to being out of a federal penalty and any resulting fiscal sanctions because of errors.
Clients are receiving accurate benefits and reduced overpayment assessments. Oregon is now ranked 11th best in the nation for accurate closures and denials. We have a rate of 1.73 compared with the national average of 4.98.
We couldn't do this without all of the hard work of our field and central office staff who have made the commitment to improving accuracy. We aren't stopping our efforts here. We are committed to continuing to reduce this rate further through our combined work.
Opening Doors
When it comes to diversity, some people focus only on a counting game — looking at ratios and percentages and graphs. While there is no doubt that numbers are important, DHS continues to be committed to being a leader when it comes to a diverse workforce and helping to open doors for others.
Next week, Sept 21 - Sept. 23, we will be participating in Diversity Week through a variety of ways including talking about the changing face of Oregon, becoming more culturally competent, looking at how people think about disabilities, and other issues.
What we're really talking about is supporting a diverse workplace, welcoming our neighbor, and valuing each other.
Consider the words of one of our own managers, Fariborz Pakseresht, deputy Administrative Services Assistant Director: "After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many Middle Eastern Americans felt singled out and mistreated. Yet, I don't remember any occasion, not even once, where I felt excluded, mistreated, or discriminated against. I attribute this mostly to the quality of people I work with and the culture in DHS, where there is a real commitment to build a diverse work environment that allows me to feel this way."
I am proud to work in such an environment where we have helped open doors for others. Like Fariborz, Stephaine Parrish Taylor, Administrator of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Clyde Saiki, Administrative Services Assistant Director, are two of many, many of our diverse staff who have progressed in our organization and are now leaders here.
Still much work remains to be done to continue to build diversity within DHS. We need to work to make all of our employees feel included. We need to demand higher standards of diversity throughout the agency. And we need to honor the differences among us. This is a work in progress and enough should never be enough.
We need to be committed at DHS to keep listening, paying attention, and making the necessary adjustments in our culture and behavior to continue to create a welcoming environment for all and keep opening doors.
Food for thought
" You can't hold a man down without staying down with him."
— Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) American educator and emancipated slave
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This message is intended for all Department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.
If you have a disability and need a document on this Web site to be provided to you in another format, please send an email to dhs.forms@state.or.us or call (503) 945-7021, fax (503) 373-7690 or TTY (503) 947-5080. If you know of others who need this accommodation, please let them know it is available.
Oregon Department of Human Services
Director's Office
500 Summer St. NE E15, Salem, OR 97301-1097
Phone: (503) 945-5944
Fax: (503) 378-2897
TTY: (503) 947-6214
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