I snuck out of high school one day, and went to Burger King for lunch. Guess who was there having lunch? My dad. BUSTED! - Rob Baird r My high school sweetheart and I were voted “Senior Couple” and then Prom King and Queen. Unfortunately we broke up about a month before prom, and everyone was mad because apparently not having a king or queen RUINS a prom. They ended up scrapping the announcement and the court altogether, because no one could remember the vote tally numbers for the runnerup. #oops - Maisha Drayton r I went to my first freshmen year dance (the Snow Ball) and didn’t really know anyone yet, since I came in late. Britney Spears’ (You Drive Me) Drive came on and I danced the choreography. A crowd of people circled around me and cheered. The next day at school, I became really popular. Britney saved my social standing. - Jimi Konidis r In 7th grade I got to go to Montreal with our French class and my best friend. Montreal is such a romantic city with so much history! We saw many artists and musicians making a living doing what they loved out on the street. I decided I really wanted one of those hair wraps where they wrap embroidery floss and beads around a section of your hair. Well, it took a lot longer than I thought (and it was the time before cell phones) so I ran way over when the bus was supposed to leave.They were panicking because I wasn’t there to meet the bus. They almost called the police to put out an APB for me! - Lindsay Zasada r I remember planting jelly beans in kindergarten and a week later picking lollipops from where we planted them. Magic! - Sal Sciandra r On the last day of school, in 3rd grade, our school had a big fair with games, dunk tanks, food vendors, and a bounce house. I was jumping in the bounce house, and I decided to start doing flips. I landed with my head too close to my knees and my knees sprang up, hitting my head. This cracked my skull and gave me my first concussion. I told my parents and teachers that I got elbowed by another student. - Grant Rogers r I played trumpet in elementary school. I wasn’t any good, but they must have been desperate, because I was invited to join the school orchestra. The morning of the first rehearsal, I entered the empty school, a few minutes late, and followed the sound of muffled music to the band room. I opened the door and walked in, banging my trumpet case against the door frame. Thirty boys and girls stopped playing their flutes and clarinets and trumpets to look at me. I said “is this band practice?” - John Carocci
$500 IS A LOT OF EXTRA MONEY. WITH $500, YOU COULD BUY $......... The cheapest Paul McCartney tickets ........... available for you and half of a friend $......... 42 tickets to the Buffalo Zoo ........... (although why you wouldn’t just buy ........... a membership is beyond us...) $......... 55 12 oz. bags of Starbucks coffee ........... It’s easier than ever to earn ........... $500 from Evergreen’s ........... Employee Referral Program!
Here’s How: 1......... Refer a qualified friend 2......... Rack up your rewards! ........... $100 after referee is ........... employed for 30 days ........... $150 after referee is ........... employed for six months ........... $250 after referee is ........... employed for one year
Don’t Forget! $......... Tell your friend to write ........... your name on their application $......... Fill out the Employee Referral ........... Form, and return it to HR $......... Enjoy 32 large cheese & pepperoni ........... pizzas from Dominos on Evergreen!
Q: What is your position at EMG? A: I’m a Retention Peer at Evergreen Medical Group, and I work with patients who are HIV+. Q: How did you begin working with that community? A: While volunteering at Group Ministries, one of the staff doing HIV testing asked me to get tested. I had been tested earlier in the year, and didn’t feel it was necessary to get tested again. Because she was someone I knew, I agreed to get tested. To my surprise, I tested positive for HIV and was linked to ECMC for care. That’s where I met Lynn Grucza and Matthew Crehan Higgins. Matt was my Social Worker and Lynn handled my medical care. I believe they saved my life. Their support and encouragement have given me so much strength to support and encourage others. I began volunteering in the Immunodeficiency Clinic at ECMC, working with people with HIV. I started a program Panties for Paps where women would get a pair of underwear when they got their pap smears as an incentive to come in for their checkups. I’m on the AIDS Institute Advisory Board, and have traveled to HIV-related trainings all over the country. Q: How did you begin working at Evergreen? A: I heard about the position from Matthew Crehan Higgins. Given my personal experience and work in the community, he thought I would be a good fit for the position. So I applied. I’m actually more excited to come to work than to be at home! I would love to help other peer staff grow professionally and hope to work at Evergreen for a long time. Q: What are some things you want people to know about you? A: I’ve been with my wife for 5 years, although we met 20 years ago. I’m also a mother. I have 3 beautiful children. I also want people to know that I am not HIV. I have a virus inside of me but it doesn’t control my life, I control it.
Birthdays Deanna Ellis.................................... September 7 Andre’ Stokes................................. September 9 Bridget McClain............................. September 10 Michael Lee.................................... September 10 Corinne Henderson........................ September 11 Kimberly Lombard.......................... September 15 Fatai Gbadamosi............................ September 16 Ann Pfohl........................................ September 17 Julie Vaughan................................. September 17 Robert Baird................................... September 18 Jason Rein...................................... September 20 Julie Falk......................................... September 22 Lynda Jarmusz................................ September 25 Sheila Stephens.............................. September 25 Corey Mohr.................................... September 25 James Weaver................................ September 26 Harry Charnock.............................. September 27 James Sheehan.............................. September 27
Anniversaries Salvatrice Russell..............................1 year Ellen Kaminsky..................................1 year Matthew Crehan Higgins.................1 year Erik Ponce.........................................1 year Jasiel Guzman...................................2 years Richard Baer.....................................2 years Cathy Alvarez....................................2 years Richard Fleurant...............................2 years Thomas O’Kell...................................2 years Ashley Kuss.......................................3 years Krista Fenske.....................................3 years Tracy Eichelberger............................4 years Lindsay Zasada..................................5 years Shari DeMarco..................................7 years Keisha Leavy.....................................10 years Fatai Gbadamosi...............................10 years Susan Fiedler....................................11 years Gary Williams...................................17 years Kimberly Lombard............................23 years Your Continued Dedication and Hard Work Are Noticed and Appreciated - Management Team
by Jakob Willoughby It’s exciting to see the tree of Evergreen begin to grow with the ground-breaking on the new expansion. It’s tempting to have a peek for yourself at the goings on, but it’s also important to be mindful of your personal safety. Our employees are our most important assets, and the safety of our staff and clients around the worksite is of primary importance. We all have to work together to prevent issues. Feel free to communicate safe site practices to anyone. If you’re traveling down West Chippewa, say to the Commons or parking, please cross at the corner to the Hutch-Tech side of the street.
Drivers may be distracted by diverted traffic, or the construction itself, so please use crosswalks, and be on the lookout for rolling stops. If possible, avoid looking at your phone, so that you are fully aware of your surroundings. Any fencing or barricades are not to be crossed or removed, except by authorized personnel. These enclosures may change over the course of the project, so be aware of changes. The rear door is no longer accessible, and we have installed a new emergency exit on the Chippewa side of the building. As a result, the door leading to the food pantry should
remain open, so that in the event of an emergency all staff and clients have access. While we are taking care to be aware, now is a good time to make sure we’re all doing our best to commute to and from the parking lots safely. When you can, try to walk in pairs, but if you’re solo, walk with a purpose and remain alert. Have your keys ready when you reach your vehicle, and scan the interior before entering. Our security officers will currently escort employees to the lot at the Commons. Additional officers may be added to offer escorts to the other lots as well. Thank you for helping us stay safe!
When I was in college, I was the supervisor for the students in the admissions office who called high school
seniors to harass, or rather encourage, them to tour the campus. It wasn’t a terrible job really, but it seemed like we were always calling everyone during dinner. - Matthew Crehan Higgins C I spent two summers
as a teenager digging graves at Holy Cross Cemetery in Pennsylvania. - Jim Sheehan C Being a cashier/ stockboy at Giant Eagle (Ohio’s version of Tops). It was my summer job before leaving for college, and I almost got fired for calling off work on my mom’s birthday. - Grant Rogers C I worked for about three weeks at a dry cleaner. Nobody spoke to one another, the owner was mean, it was brutally hot, and it had
an awful chemical smell to it. - Sal Sciandra C Amy’s Place. Not because it’s a bad place to work. I love their lentilberry wrap so much! But, having to wash dishes at that place was really hard. It’s impossible for one person to do, and sticking my hands in the sink to retrieve soggy lettuce, feta cheese and a million lentils
was not my bag. I only lasted a month! - Lindsay Zasada C Dishwashing at Garangelos (Italian restaurant
that used to be on Hertel) - Jimi Konidis C I did seasonal work in my early twenties as the person who
put cashed checks in numerical order and then stuffed them into the bank’s monthly statement envelope. Remember back in the day when you wrote a check, and you would get it back signed and processed? You’re welcome. - Maisha Drayton C Worst job ever was in college. I spent one day working for this
horrible telemarketing company that was totally scamming the elderly. I quit after the first day. - Rob Baird C I was the “smashed-wine-glass-picker-upper” for the Real Housewives production crew. - John Carocci
P.H.I.+H.I.P.A.A.+T.E.A.+Y.O.U.
I
magine walking into work one morning, and seeing your personal medical file on a co-worker’s computer screen, there for anyone in the office to see. How would you feel if you were out shopping, and the sister of a co-worker offered sympathy for a medical diagnosis you had received – but hadn’t disclosed to anyone? What would you think if a co-worker asked you to “sneak a peek” at the file of an agency client who is running for political office? Or if the results of a medical test were left on your family’s voice mail, even though you had instructed that the results be mailed to you? Or if your health insurance information – including your social security number, and credit card number for automatic payment – were stored on an agency-issued laptop which was then stolen? These are all examples of how
personal health information (PHI) can be made public – intentionally or accidentally – if those authorized to access it are careless or malicious. All of us want our personal health information to remain private. We also want other personal information – including address, social security number, credit card numbers, and bank information – to be private as well. Those of us who work in the healthcare industry have these same expectations of privacy, but we also carry the responsibility for protecting the personal health information of our patients, clients, and co-workers. In 1996, Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA has two main components. Title I protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they lose
or change jobs. Title II includes provisions to protect the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information. The US Department of Health and Human Services has issued five rules, including two that address privacy and security of protected health information. HIPAA requirements have evolved since the law’s passage, most notably with the enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), which required HHS to establish a nationwide network of electronic health records. This has changed the way health care is managed, delivered and paid for in the United States. The last major change to HIPAA occurred early in 2013 when HHS issued rules related to security, privacy, enforcement, and breach notification of PHI. HIPAA is a broad, evolving law that is
covered in depth in Evergreen’s policies and procedures. There are several requirements under the law that many of us encounter in our daily work. It’s important for all of us to have a good understanding of HIPAA, and to seek out additional guidance if we have questions about specific situations. The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets a national standard for how PHI can be used and disseminated. PHI covers a lot of ground, basically including any information about a person’s health, treatment, medical history or payment for health-related services. PHI also includes a individual’s name, birth date, social security number, and credit card or bank account numbers. In addition, another classification — Personally Identifiable Information, or PII — is much broader, including any information about an individual which can be used to distinguish or trace that person’s identity. Examples of PII include date of birth, weight, religion, employment information, education, and financial information. It can also include visual/aural data such as facial photos, x-rays, fingerprints, retinal scans, or voice signature. The Privacy Rule applies to “covered entities.” Under the original HIPAA rule, “covered entities” were primarily health care insurers, medical service providers, and employer-sponsored health care plans. In 2013, compliance requirements were expanded to apply to covered entities’ business associates, such as contractors and subcontractors, who receive protected health information. The Privacy Rule requires that covered entities obtain authorization from patients before disclosing any protected information. Authorization forms are familiar to anyone who has visited a doctor or hospital in the past decade, but they do not cover all situations. PHI can be disclosed when medical providers submit claims for insurance, for example, or to facilitate treatment or payment, even without express authorization. An important change under the 2013 rule is that patients can instruct their provider not to share information about their treatment with their health plan – if they pay for that treatment in cash. PHI can be disclosed in some additional, specific situations such as suspected child abuse or certain law enforcement investigations. Often, however, PHI is disclosed by mistake. An open file on an unattended computer screen, an email or fax sent to the wrong
person, protected conversations overheard in waiting rooms, information disclosed to a family member who is “just helping” with insurance claims. Even bestintentioned actions can violate a patient’s privacy. On the other hand, patients have the right to their own PHI, and the 2013 rule expands that right to include electronic formats. HIPAA security standards provide guidance about the best practices to ensure PHI security. Evergreen has implemented numerous policies and procedures to prevent, detect, contain, and correct any security violations. Among these are record encryption, password-protected access to health records, and locked workstations. We also have procedures which only allow PHI access to those who need access in order to do their jobs. Finally, we have developed tailored staff training programs to address PHI security topics ranging from password protection to security for agencyowned electronic devices. We have also developed a formal procedure for breach notification. If you know of a breach, by someone at Evergreen or one of our business associates, the breach should be reported to the designated individuals in the agency. HIPAA is a work in progress, reflective of emerging patient needs and changing technology used to collect, store, distribute, and use information. The result is a law that will affect each of us, not only in fulfilling our job responsibilities, but also as individuals who deserve to have our health information kept private, protected and secure. In the United States there is no single, overarching privacy law. Instead, privacy is regulated through a variety of state and federal laws. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects individually identifiable health data, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) protects consumer’s credit information from risks of data theft. Evergreen is responsible for protecting the PII of our clients, patients, and staff. Here are some of the ways we can make sure PII in our care stays secure: • Physically secure PII in a locked drawer when not in use or otherwise under the control of a person with a “need to know.” • Never leave PII unattended on a desk, printer, fax machine or copier.
• Use a privacy screen when in an unsecured area. Lock your computer when you leave your desk. Do not permit your computer to remember passwords. • Avoid discussing PII in person or over the phone when you are within hearing of anyone who does not need to know the information (including in an airport, in a taxicab, or in a cubicle). • Make sure all laptops, iPhones, USB flash drives, and external hard drives are encrypted. Encryption protects the data on the device from being accessed by an unauthorized user if the device is lost or stolen. • Do not leave your laptop in checked luggage, in your hotel room, or in a car overnight. Keep an eye on it at all times during the airport security process. Do not store it in a public locker. • Don’t transfer files or forward emails containing PII to your home computer or personal email account. • Do not post PII on the intranet, shared drives, multi-access calendars or on the Internet (including social networking sites) that can be accessed by anyone without a “need to know.” • Be alert for phone calls or emails from individuals you do not know attempting to obtain personal or nonpublic information from or about you. • Never share computer logins or passwords. • When possible, customize or recreate reports or lists to redact sensitive information that is not required. You must immediately report all suspected or confirmed privacy incidents to your supervisor, or the compliance officer (Evergreen’s Corporate Compliance Hotline: 716-541-0663). When reporting, do not further compromise the information by forwarding it.
Points to Remember
• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy and security of an individual’s health information. • Unintentional disclosures of protected health information (PHI) can occur in ways that involve paper records, electronic records, voice mail, telephone calls, and overheard conversations. • PHI breaches are regulated. Refer to Evergreen’s PHI breach policy for specific requirements.
Do you ever lie awake in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, and wondering if you’re getting the most out of the telephone sitting on your desk at work? If you do, then you have a serious problem. Luckily, it’s a problem that can be fixed in this ‘Getting to Know MXIE’ tutorial series! Welcome to our first installment: ‘How to log into MXIE on your PC’. Logging into MXIE – otherwise known as ‘binding’ your phone to your PC – is the first step towards leveraging all of the features that your phone has to offer. By binding your phone to your PC, you’ll be able to make calls directly from your computer, see a list of your voicemail messages, send chat messages to your co-workers, and find out which of your work buddies are also logged in and ready to talk business with you! Let’s get started!
Open MXIE from either the Windows Start Menu or the shortcut located on your desktop.
Type your name and password. Click ‘Remember Password’ so you won’t have to re-enter this information in the future.
Choose the site that you are logging in from.
A message will appear that includes a number. Call this number from your phone to bind your phone to your PC. Note: number will usually begin with a ‘*’.
Connections SEPTEMBER 2015
The MXIE interface will open. Go to ‘File / Bind To…’
PUBLISHER/LAYOUT
John Carocci
COPY EDITOR
Martha Sawicki Once you’ve dialed the number, MXIE will notify you binding process was successful.
In the dialog box that appears, click on the radio button for ‘Bind by a call from the device’ and then choose ‘Next’.
CONTRIBUTORS
Tasheri Artis Melissa Lorenzo Ellen Kaminsky Martha Sawicki Kate Gallivan Jakob Willoughby Laura Pasquarella Derek Miller Michele Ogden Diversity Committee Connections is a monthly newsletter for employees of the Evergreen Association (that’s you). Send suggestions, photos, story ideas, or a friendly hello to John Carocci.
Congratulations! You have now successfully logged into your phone. Stay tuned for more MXIE tutorials from the IT department!
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1. (1988) - Dr. Ross Hewitt, (second from left) founder of the Buffalo AIDS Task Force (now Evergreen Health Services) receives an award from Board members (L-R): Kathleen Walter, Ron Silverio, Brian Hoar and former Executive Director, Ed Darstein. 2. (1990) - Ron Silverio & Kate Gallivan in our offices at 220 Delaware Avenue, now the Hampton Inn. If you look closely the view out the window is the Roanoke, our current home at 206 South Elmwood! 3. (1993) – 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Buffalo Historical Society (L-R): Suzanne Manson Dwyer, Board Chair; Ron Silverio, CEO; NYS Lt. Governor Stan Lundine, and Dr. J. Donald Schumacher, Board Co-Chair. 4. (1998) – The agency Management Team. Recognize anyone? Half of the people in this photo still work for Evergreen!
A Monthly List of Multi-Cultural Things for You to Enjoy!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Amazing character study and fascinating portrait of Dominican culture, both in the Dominican Republic and New York City. A page-turner of a story with interesting cultural and historical information woven in. Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. — Josh McClain No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe. The conflict between modernism and traditionalism, for individual characters and the broader society in mid-20th Century Nigeria. — Josh McClain The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Beautifully written family saga set in India. One of those books that completely pulls you into its world. — Josh McClain I recently watched a documentary called White People, an MTV production which talks about race and privilege from the viewpoint of young white Americans.It also touches on colorblindness and the “white minority”. It’s on YouTube: www.lookdifferent. org/whitepeople. — Christina Turner Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan Johnson. This is a great tool for helping to create a framework for examining systems of privilege and oppression in society, and our connections to those. The author gently, but powerfully, suggests that although we did not choose the positions of privilege that we were born in to, we can think and act intelligently and compassionately in ways that might reduce the impact of societal inequalities, especially by changing our own individual attitudes, behaviors, and assumptions. This book helped to change my own perspectives on social justice in lasting and important ways. — Jess Lehsten Viva Vegan: Authentic Fabulous Recipes by Terry Hope Romero. Whole food plant based nutrition with a Latin flare! Delicious and healthy! — Tom Fronczak The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan is a quick read and tells a universal love story! — Damian Mordecai
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy and Creative African American Cuisine by Bryant Terry. Whole food plant based nutrition with a soulful flare! Delicious and healthy! — Tom Fronczak Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptol. I selected this book because it was one of the first books I read about black girls when I was younger. It is a beautiful story that offers a great lesson for young children. — Cathy Alvarez The Miseducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson. Woodson is considered by many to be the father of African-American history. The son of former slaves, Woodson earned his Ph.D. in history at Harvard University in 1912, the second African-American to earn a doctorate – the first being W.E.B. DuBois. Noting that African-American contributions “were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them,” in 1926 he originated the concept of Negro History Week, set in the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. That week of recognition soon became widely accepted, and was eventually extended to the full month of February – becoming known as Black History Month. The material that makes up The Mis-Education of the Negro was originally a series of speeches and essays delivered and written by Woodson in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and collected into book form in 1933. It is still considered a classic piece of AfricanAmerican writing and is widely used in high school and college classrooms. — Maisha Drayton The Snowy Day by Ezra Kack Keats. Amazon.com says “The book is notable not only for its lovely artwork and tone, but also for its importance as a trailblazer.” According to Horn Book Magazine, The Snowy Day was “the very first full-color picture book to feature a small black hero”— yet another reason to add this classic to your shelves. It’s as unique and special as a snowflake. — Maisha Drayton
Scorpion by Walter Dean Myers is about a young man growing up in Harlem, and the socio-economic hardships and pressures he faced. — Jasiel Guzman Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas is about a dark skinned Cuban and his encounters with racism and discrimination. It is set in the neighborhood I’m from! — Jasiel Guzman The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a gay love story written by a straight woman and really captures the relationship between both father and son and between lovers. — Damian Mordecai A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillian is the story of a family and is told from each characters perspective and validates each person’s point of view. — Damian Mordecai The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan is a memoir about her relationship with her mother as a first generation immigrant from China. This book is funny and touching. — Damian Mordecai Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was on the New York Times best sellers list and is a refreshing voice for our generation and social issues we deal with today! — Bennett Everett For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Sange is one of my favorite books. It’s a choreopoem that tells the story of trials and triumphs of women from different generations. — Michele Ogden Afro-Vegan by Bryant Terry is a great cookbook that offers healthy versions of traditional African and Caribbean based food. — Michele Ogden Princeless is a comic book about an African American Princess named Adrienne and her crazy adventures! — Michele Ogden