photo of DeJuan
MOCHA
Buffalo was founded in 1996 as the Men of Color Health Awareness Project. Although the organization
has changed and evolved over the years, its core mission has remained constant: to educate LGBTQ+ people of color about living sex-positive lives. MOCHA officially became part of the Evergreen Health Center for Supportive Services in May. MOCHA's new Program Manager, DeJuan Burnell, is ready to help guide MOCHA into its next chapter.
DeJuan has been with Evergreen since (YEAR). "My background was in HIV prevention
services," said DeJuan. "When I came to Evergreen I started out as a Community Health Worker, and after 6 months I became a Health Educator."
In his new role, DeJuan will manage staff as well as oversee grants and testing services.
He'll also make sure MOCHA's day-to-day operations run smoothly. These operations include providing a safe space for the LGBTQ+ POC community to network, socialize and gain access to sexual health care. MOCHA will also provide HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing and education, as well as support groups designed by and for LGBTQ+ POC.
DeJuan is up to the challenge. "I'm eager to bridge the gaps that have left MOCHA in a
murky spot," he said. "Building community and offering a variety of services to communities of color is very important to me. The day-to-day challenges vary, but my most important challenge is within myself, to always put my best foot forward to make sure my needs and those of others are being met."
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"We at Evergreen don't give less than our best!" - DeJuan Burnell
The challenges of this work are more than outweighed by the benefits. "Working in a
friendly, caring environment brings joy to my soul," said DeJuan. "I know that we at Evergreen don't give less than our best!"
DeJuan has a great deal of experience working with youth, and he knows this community.
"I'm the senior advisor to the Crusaders Marching Unit of WNY drill team," he said. "I'm from Buffalo, and I grew up in the inner city." He attended Buffalo Traditional High School and earned degrees from Bryant and Stratton and Buffalo State College. "I'm self-motivated, and a go-getter. I always present myself in a friendly manner and do what I can to help people."
The youngest of 6, DeJuan has 3 brothers and 2 sisters. "I also have a fur baby, St. Clair,
who is a standard poodle." His hobbies include interior decorating, shopping, singing and dancing, traveling and being a home-body. He also enjoys living his philosophy, "Life is what you make of it. Through ups and downs, remember your worth and your presence can never go unnoticed. Making yourself and others happy is something no amount of money can buy!" Editor's Note: watch for more information about MOCHA in upcoming issues of Connections.
Buffalo Pride Week was virtual again in 2021, but that didn't stop the Western New York community from celebrating. From the flag raising ceremony at City Hall to area homes and businesses lighting up for Pride, there were rainbow colors anywhere you looked. This issue of Connections features photos from the flag raising, Rainbow Day at Evergreen and the first-ever Jamestown Pride.
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Corporate Compliance and Information Systems teams both play vital roles regarding ePHI, HIPAA, mitigating risk and responding to ePHI Breach incidents. However, the teams have different responsibilities when it comes
to HIPAA Compliance. The Corporate Compliance team is led by Bill Dimmig, Corporate Compliance Officer; Kim Harding, Director of Corporate Records and Policy and Chris Mihalitsas, Corporate Compliance Specialist. The Corporate Compliance Team focuses on HIPAA’s Privacy Rule.
The Information Systems team, made up of Alan Jacyszyn, Director of IT, Clinical Systems team
and led by CIO and HIPAA Security Officer, Kevin Bidtah, focuses on HIPAA’s Security Rule. Corporate Compliance and The Information Systems teams collaborate to ensure any ePHI breaches are reported and responded to appropriately while involving the right team members.
Recently, the Information Governance & Security Committee (IGS) with Compliance and IS team’s
input, revised the HIPPA ePHI Breach Incident Reporting process and per the updated policy:
All incidents, threats, or violations that affect, or may affect, the confidentiality, integrity, or availability
of ePHI (all protected individually identifiable health information that is produced, maintained, saved, transferred or received in an electronic form) must be reported and responded to.
I had the opportunity to chat with Chris about the updated process for HIPAA ePHI Breach Incident
Reporting. I asked Chris for some examples of Incidents that should be reported:
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ePHI data loss due to disaster, failure, error or theft
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Loss of any electronic media that contains ePHI
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Loss of the integrity of ePHI
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irus, worm, or other malicious code attacks
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Persistent network or system intrusion attempts from a particular entity
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Unauthorized access to ePHI, or an ePHI-based system or network
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Facility incidents, including but not limited to:
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Unauthorized person found to have gained access to an office or off-limits area
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Facility break-in
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Lost or stolen key, badge, or cardkey
You can report a breach several different ways:
1. By completing a Helpdesk ticket: (03) Incident Reports/Compliance Breaches;
2. Contact IT by calling the Helpdesk at x4444;
3. Contact anyone on the Corporate Compliance Team by emailing, calling, or in person; the team is located at the Mathews Building; or,
4. Anonymously report the incident through the Corporate Compliance Helpline: (716) 541-0663. (The hotline utilizes an answering service that takes the message and provides a transcript of the message so your voice is kept confidential)
Note: the above process is specific to ePHI incidents/breaches. All other Corporate Compliance incidents should be reported directly to Corporate Compliance. - by Julie Vaughan
For Compliance Questions or to Report a Breach Call
716.541.0663
Amy is Evergreen's resident "foster fail". Program support specialist Megan Bingham explains, "Last August I decided to foster a dog. We formed a bond instantly. Amy is lovely and extremely smart, so of course I had to adopt her." Amy's calm, sweet demeanor led Megan to think she'd be great as a service dog. "She's trained to provide deep pressure therapy and give medication reminders. Amy absolutely loves coming to Evergreen. She receives lots of attention from staff members, lots of treats and she always puts a smile on our clients faces." And, she's got great fashion sense. Welcome to Evergreen, Amy!
If you have any questions about COVID-19, please send an email to COVID19questions@evergreenhs.org. Mark your calendar! The submission
For questions about Evergreen’s COVID-19 vaccination program, you can email COVID19vaccinequestions @evergreenhs.org. Or, visit ADP or
deadline for the August 2021 issue of Connections is Wednesday, July 14. Be sure to get your content in before the deadline to guarantee placement. Kids, pets, recipes, your new home office we want to share them all! Send to
evergreenhs.org for more information.
EvergreenConnections via Outlook.
Community Access Services and Evergreen's Communities of Color Resource Group teamed up to mark Juneteenth in style. There was outreach, gift bags, great music, a food truck and literal dancing in the street. Kudos to everyone who helped make this special event such a success.
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Birthdays Elizabeth Whipple................................... June 1 Kristy Mangel............................................. June 2 Alyssa Sherman........................................ June 4 Sashira Quintana...................................... June 5 Kimberly Smith.......................................... June 5 Ileana Hernandez-Cromer................... June 6 Tara Monaco............................................... June 6 Dennis Kraft................................................ June 7 Shontae Scott............................................ June 10 Stephanie Simmons................................ June 12 Nicole Jones............................................... June 13 Maggie Barnett......................................... June 14 Abbie Burd.................................................. June 15 Alan Jacyszyn............................................ June 16 Katherine Marrero.................................... June 16 Jason Perez................................................. June 16 Kimberly Martin........................................ June 17 Stephanie Mejia......................................... June 18 Brianna Cabrera....................................... June 19 Ashley Kuss................................................. June 19 Dawn Ganoe............................................... June 20 Sandra Aviles............................................. June 20 Shateer Douglas....................................... June 20 Sharon Yager.............................................. June 23 Emily Oaks................................................... June 24 Alice Ayala Larregui................................ June 25 Eliud Kosgei................................................ June 25 Jacob Marsh............................................... June 26 Kyle Berberich........................................... June 26
Anniversaries Kyle Botsford............................................. 1 Year
Annual Training Time!
David McCready....................................... 1 Year
The first round of annual trainings will be available on Evergreen
Jaclyn Gynan.............................................. 1 Year
University on July 12, 2021. These trainings will take about 2 hours to complete so please make sure you have enough time between now and September 30, 2021 to complete them. All Evergreen Health, Community Access Services, Pride Center of WNY and Evergreen Foundation employees are required to complete these trainings. If you have any questions, contact Jocelyn Leising.
Anneliese Bienko..................................... 1 Year
Mel LeMay.................................................... 1 Year Richard Ridenour..................................... 1 Year Christian Rossman................................... 2 Years Kimberly Smith.......................................... 2 Years Elizabeth Woleen..................................... 2 Years Alan Jacyszyn............................................ 3 Years Matthew Edson......................................... 3Years
Manager Training The Manager Training Program was created in 2018 to support Evergreen, CAS, and Pride Center and Evergreen Foundation leadership in their roles. 6 employees have completed the Manager Training Program so far in 2021. Please join me in congratulating: -
Kaily Golba.................................................. 3 Years Michele Messina........................................ 3Years Jonathan Puma......................................... 3 Years Marcia Derby.............................................. 3 Years Alicia Williams............................................ 3 Years Nicholas Maggi.......................................... 3 Years Christina Monroy...................................... 4 Years
Rob Baird
Erika Szymanski........................................ 4 Years
- Kim Lombard
Robert Smith.............................................. 5 Years
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Gerrod Bennett
Kaitlyn Gately............................................. 5 Years
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Liz Whipple
Jessie Dorman........................................... 5 Years
- Byron McKinney
Julie Mayer................................................... 6 Years
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Jacob Perrello............................................ 6 Years
Amanda Honan
This program is required for all employees in leadership positions
Liza Pereira.................................................. 6 Years
across the agency. If you are interested in learning more about this
Carolee Corbitt......................................... 6 Years
program, please contact Jocelyn Leising.
Kristen Bechdel......................................... 7 Years Kathryn Diebold....................................... 10 Years Ray Ganoe................................................... 15 Years Elisa Luciano............................................... 21 Years
Jamestown's first-ever Pride celebration was a hit! There was a full slate of activities featuring something for everyone. Evergreen was a major sponsor of the day-long event, and several staff members were involved in the planning process. In addition, both Evergreen and the Pride Center had tents with information and giveaways for attendees. Special thanks to Marcia Derby for sharing her wonderful photos.
We think making the most of your health care plan should be easy. And what's more convenient than managing everything from the comfort of home or on the go? When you sign up for an online member account with Univera Healthcare, you get instant access to a variety of tools and other resources to make living healthy a little easier.
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James Gerwitz
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Recognizing Excellent Work at Evergreen from Ap
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Oaks
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ereira Publisher/Layout
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pril 20 - May 19
John Carocci
1.
Dial extension 2222.
2. Follow the prompt to record the Code Blue or Mr. Webber and say the exact location and building of the incident.
Copy Editor Melissa Meyer
Contributors
4. The Code Blue team and Security will respond to the incident.
Jocelyn Leising Shakiya Bell Melissa Meyer Julie Vaughan Laura Pasquarella James Thompson Tiffany Valentin
You'll have 30 seconds to record your message. If you're not done in 30 seconds, you'll be cut off and your message will be automatically broadcast. It's imperative that you say the location and building in your message: “Code Blue in the men’s lobby bathroom in the Elmwood building” or “Could Mr. Webber please come to the Mathews building counselor room?.” The Code Blue/ Mr. Webber Softkey has been removed from all phones.
Connections is the monthly newsletter for employees and board members of Evergreen Health and its affilliates, the Pride Center of Western New York and Community Access Services. Please send us your story ideas, photos, feedback or just a friendly hello at Evergreen Connections via Outlook.
3. Hang up your phone. This will prompt your message to be broadcast to all Evergreen locations.