2022
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Volume 29
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Issue Number 1
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Newsletter published for City of Houston employees
www.citysavvy.org
HHD sings the praises of its ‘unsung heroes’ Through a series of videos, health shines a spotlight on employees By Pete Mayes
M
organ Ash sums it up perfectly: When most folks think of “frontline workers” during the COVID19 response, the immediate thoughts are of those people responding to the pandemic. Less attention, however, is paid to those hundreds of Houston Health Department employees operating in the support roles. “People working the COVID-19 call center, contact tracers and case investigators, and even administrative positions like procurement. We had to buy a lot of stuff in a short amount of time when the pandemic started,” she said. “All these HHD employees continue to fight COVID-19 in their unique roles.” These are the workers Ash and HHD wanted to highlight in the “Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic” video series the department produced. The five-part video production introduces the audience to those workers who work behind the scenes to help combat the virus in professions not readily thought of or overlooked. “The pandemic was and is like nothing else the modern world has experienced. The Houston Health Department was unwavering to its commitment to Houston’s public health,” Ash said. The videos, produced and directed by Ash, HHD communication services manager, focus on the following divisions: HHD Lab, communications/public affairs, health education, contracts and procurement, and business management. HHD leadership nominated the divisions due to their critical and demanding roles. The business management and contracts and procurement divisions had to process hundreds of emergency purchase orders as the department’s capacity for testing and later vaccinations expanded, Ash explained. “Oftentimes at the beginning of the pandemic, many essential items were extremely difficult to find, and operations would’ve ceased if they couldn’t purchase items like face masks, gloves, and N95s. However, their persistence to find a way and strong teamwork made it happen,” she said. Other divisions demonstrated their skillset that oftentimes are overlooked. For example, the communications team was on call around the clock to keep the media informed of what the department was doing to fight COVID-19. That
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included responding to media requests from around the world in multiple languages, Ash said. “Our job is to make sure that every message we send out to the public is clear and easily understandable. Houston is a diverse city, so we do our best to translate as much as we can to other languages to improve health inequities,” she said. Reporters needed accurate, clear messaging to relay lifesaving public health messages. Social media played a major role in getting the information out to communities as well, Ash said. “It took the whole communications team to keep people informed of testing and vaccination sites, and how to keep their family safe and healthy during the pandemic,” she said. Ash also said communication strategy continues to play a vital role in combating the pandemic. “Even as the guidelines and recommendations change, our information remained as consistent and accurate as possible,” she said. The lab and health education divisions also earned their stripes during this hectic time, even though they might also be considered among the frontline heroes. Lab Manager Rob Sealy said his division is an unsung hero because the day-to-day work they do is mostly behind the scenes. “The lab performs tests and provides results to more public-facing programs, like the mobile collection sites and city clinics,” he explained. “I’m not sure if the average person stops to think about what actually goes into producing that test result they received.” Sealy noted the lab facilities transformed from operating
Pages 2-6, 8
Houston Heritage
Page 7
Hats Off
Page 9
Bit of Fun
Page 9
Work Life Balance
Pages 10-11
2022 Bravo Awards
Page 12
HR hosts PSRW Basketball Tournment Read the wrap-up for PSRW 2022 events. Page 4
Top left: Pricilla Key, a staff analyst with the Houston Health Department, and Mingzhong Zheng, HHD lead microbiologist, examine samples collected to determine if they contain the COVID-19 virus. Top right: Key interviews HHD Lab Manager Roger Sealy about how they supported combating COVID-19 efforts. Bottom right: Key, interviews HHD Communication Services Manager Morgan Ash as part of a video series examining the contributions its support staff gave to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Photos courtesy of Houston Health Department
Unsung Heroes continued on Page 3
Famed HPD sketch artist’s career draws to a close Lois Gibson used personal tragedy to help crime victims get their closure. Page 10
