Connections november 2017 final 2

the Care in Care Coordination CHERYL

Brunetti has made a career out of helping our patients live healthier lives, but at first she didn’t even want to work here. “I was at ECC, studying to become a substance use counselor,” Cheryl recalled. “I interned at Evergreen, then AIDS Community Services (ACS), with Bill Gibson, the substance use counselor. The agency was on Tupper Street at the time, and very small compared to now.” Cheryl was helping Case Managers prepare patient charts for a site review. “They told me over and over I should come to work for ACS. I said ‘No way! There’s too much paperwork!’”

After Cheryl graduated she worked at Baker Victory Services helping pregnant women who used substances.

When the program shut down Cheryl decided to apply

for a Case Manager position at ACS. Now she’s a Care Coordinator working out of the central office.

There’s no such thing as a typical day in the life of an Evergreen Care Coordinator but the fast pace is a constant.

“It’s definitely a high-energy job,” said Cheryl. “You have to be on the go constantly. Recently I was passing through Primary & Specialty Care, and I had three patients waiting in separate exam rooms. I met with each of them right there in their exam rooms.” This isn’t unusual. Cheryl often has three to four patients with medical appointments on any particular day. “We have people coming in for office visits and we do home visits as well. A typical caseload is anywhere from 5059 patients and every one of them needs to be contacted each month, and the contact has to be documented.” In addition SEE NEXT PAGE>>>

to direct patient contact, Care Coordinators are responsible for assessments, care plans, patient health questionnaires, CAGE questionnaires and crisis plans. “Add in the phone calls, trainings and meetings throughout the month, and you can see we’re busy!” said Cheryl.

Of course, a Care Coordinator’s hard work pays off when they see a patient taking control of their health and their life. Cheryl is proud of her success stories. “I have patients working as peers and others work part- or full-time jobs. Several have gone to college or pursued an education in other ways.” One story in particular has had an impact on Cheryl. “Rita was one of my first patients. She was using drugs and in an abusive relationship. She worked through a difficult time and now she’s employed and owns her own home. It’s rewarding to know I was a part of her growth.”

Unfortunately, not all stories have a happy ending.

“The most difficult part of being a Care Coordinator is when a patient passes,” said Cheryl. “Each and every one has touched me in their own way. When a patient is ill I’m very involved in their care. Some have little or no support.

Sometimes we’re their only support. I decided I didn’t want to be a substance use counselor because of friends that had passed away from overdoses. I felt I could contribute more to those that are HIV+. While I was at ECC there was an HIV+ girl in my class from New York City who was living with her grandmother in Buffalo. We became friends and she told me how her grandmother was ashamed of her. She had separate dishes to use and could not wash her clothes there. That’s

when I knew where I belonged.”

Cheryl was amazed — and dismayed — at the level of ignorance and discrimination surrounding HIV. “Today it’s much better,” said Cheryl. “But there are still people who have no knowledge of HIV. That’s what Evergreen does.

We’re a family that helps those in need. We’ve grown and there are many more services we offer now compared to when I started working here, which was in 1999... just like the Prince song!”

Cheryl has praise for Evergreen and especially her coworkers. “I love my coworkers,” said Cheryl. “And definitely my supervisor Bridget McClain. Anyone who knows her loves her! We’re very supportive of each other which I have never experienced in any other job.”

Not surprisingly, the feeling is mutual. “Remarkable work ethic combined with a heart of pure gold,” says Bridget.

“That’s Cheryl to me.”

Cheryl grew up in Lackawanna. She is married (21 years) and has two children and four grandchildren. “My two grandsons, my son and son-in-law are all named Joe,” said Cheryl. “Which is crazy when we’re all together.” She loves dogs. “I have a black lab, Romeo, who is 13 and Bubbles who loves to get into everything.” Cheryl enjoys TV, especially reality TV, movies that aren’t scary and reading when she has the chance. “I like to travel, and so far my favorite place is Punta Cana. We’ve been there three times in the past six years.” Favorite foods? “Pizza and doughnuts. I will never refuse either!”

Connections

For weeks, Americans stood by, helpless and horrified, as reports of Hurricane Maria’s destruction trickled out of Puerto Rico. The story struck a chord at Evergreen, as many of our patients and staff have loved ones on the island. Linda Colburn and Kate Gallivan decided to take action. They organized an Evergreen bake sale to raise money for the people of Puerto Rico. About 45 staff members donated tasty treats and several more worked the tables on the day of the sale.

When the dust settled, the sale and staff donations raised more than $2,200 for the Belle Center’s Puerto Rico hurricane relief fund. Kudos to Linda and Kate, along with everyone who helped make this special bake sale a success! Photos

by Rachel Voelkle-Kuhlmann and John Carocci.

Connections

Team Evergreen was out in full force for the 15th Annual Dining Out For Life on October 10. More than 90 Western New York restaurants participated. Evergreen staff helped spread the word during the weeks leading up to the event.

They also volunteered as restaurant ambassadors or simply went out to eat with family and friends. Thank you everyone who helped make Dining Out For Life a success!

thank you!

Evergreen’s Retention Adherence Program (RAP) Team works with some of our most vulnerable patients living with HIV to help them address — and overcome — barriers standing in the way of engaging in medical care and adhering to treatment. The RAP Team’s mission is to increase the number of patients in HIV care, help them achieve and sustain viral load suppression and, as a result, improve overall health outcomes and reduce the risk of transmission.

“We’ve worked with patients who’ve been positive for years and they had no idea what medications they were on or how to take them properly,” said Maria Cruz, Retention & Adherence Manager. “By the time they finish our program they are able to take better care of their own health.”

RAP assists people who have complicated lives. “Our patients struggle with all of the issues that come with an HIV diagnosis,” said Maria. “Stigma, acceptance of their diagnosis, disclosure of their status and other daily living barriers. This is on top of homelessness, lack of transportation, mental health issues, substance use and so on.

They often need help from many of Evergreen’s programs.”

These barriers are detrimental to overall health in their own right, but they also prevent patients from keeping their medical appointments and staying adherent to treatment.

“As we address these barriers, we’re able to get the patient to a place where they understand the importance of their health and adherence to treatment,” said Maria. “Many of our patients have been tough to reach. Our success has depended on building a trusting relationship with them. They let us into their homes, and we help them walk this journey.”

This help can take many forms. For example, with Direct Observed Therapy a member of the RAP Team goes to a patient’s home and watches them take their medications. Team members also help patients organize their medications and develop a schedule to follow.

Other times Team members escort patients to medical appointments and help them learn to advocate for themselves. RAP also provides linkages and referrals for substance use treatment, mental health

counseling, housing assistance or any Evergreen service that they may need and qualify for. “We meet the patient where they are,” said Maria. “We go above and beyond to address whatever barriers they may have. The services we provide and our approach are based on the need of the patient.”

The RAP approach works. The RAP Team has taken patients from homelessness to safe, secure housing and from high viral loads to being virally suppressed. “We’ve helped patients address their substance use by being honest about it and seeking treatment,” said Maria. “We’ve helped patients disclose their HIV status to family and friends, and this openness allows them to get better medical help.

They often find support where they didn’t think they could find any.

We also help patients address the stigma and acceptance of status by inviting them to support groups and providing linkage to services within the agency and their communities.”

The RAP Team works closely with many other areas of the agency, including mental health providers, Care Coordinators, Medical Case Managers, the Pharmacy, Substance Use Services and the Housing program. Even so, Maria says not everyone is aware of the RAP Team and who they can help. “The need is large, and we face the challenge of people not knowing we exist, and not getting patients who need our help referred to us.”

There are two tiers of eligibility for RAP. Tier 1 is for people who are newly diagnosed or for patients who have never been on medications. Tier 2 is for patients who have been positive but struggle with medication and/or appointment adherence, and are thus not virally suppressed. Participants must be patients of Primary & Specialty Care and be seen by one of our providers in order to be eligible for RAP. “You can refer a patient to RAP through Medent,” said Maria.

“For staff who don’t have access to Medent there’s a referral form on the Intranet. You can also email or call anyone on the RAP Team: La Tanya Walton-Brown, Dawn Trotter, Jennifer DeMarsh, Theo Herman or myself.”

Connections

Back in Miami I was able to shake hands with a lot of famous people from the NBA: Shaq, Wade, etc. I also worked at Five Guys in South Beach and served burgers to Casey, Kelly Rowland, P Diddy, Paulina Rubia, Adamari Lopez and more. I saw a lot of people two feet away but never wanted to be the one bugging them for an autograph. — Glendalisse Vargas A I just met Eric Williams in Dunkirk this past weekend. He’s a former NFL linebacker with the St. Louis Cardinals. I also used to babysit for former Bills tight end Pete Metzelaars’ boys in the early 1990s when he was in town every year for a benefit basketball game at SUNY Fredonia. — Susan Buck A I met a few celebrities during my time as a flight attendant. Once we had been told that a celebrity would be boarding a few minutes before the rest of the passengers on a flight to Chicago. It turned out to be Stevie Wonder! In the beginning of his career he may have been called Little Stevie, but this man is easily six feet tall with a very large presence. He was very kind when I took his drink order and had one of the most pleasant speaking voices I’ve ever heard. I’ll never forget his drink order: a nice chilled orange juice. — Deion Simmons A I met a bunch working at Starbucks. Renee Zellweger, Steve-O, Pete Wentz, Tim Meadows, Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Attell, among others. — Jacob Marsh A This was a supermarket sweep of celebrities that ended with a surprise. I was backstage at The View to meet Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill on True Blood). I shared a brief hello with Whoopi, Joy, and Sherri – super friendly. As I was lingering awkwardly in the hallway, I heard “hey you! I really love your look. see next page >>

I like your whole style.” Kanye West was making his way down to me and my friend, he shook my hand and smiled. I’ve had a warm spot for him ever since. — Billy Sandora-Nastyn A I met Yo-Yo Ma when he came to perform a concert at my college. Being the classical music DJ and an usher for the concert series, I got to meet him at a small after party. I wanted to say, “I saw you perform on Sesame Street and it inspired me to play the cello” but I was so nervous that all that came out was “I saw you with Elmo.” #epicfail — Rachel Voelkle-Kuhlmann A Once at the Buffalo airport I saw a 70s icon. Running up to him I exclaimed, “Rerun!”. His reply, “My name’s Fred Berry.” — Kim Lombard A I ate dinner with Wilson Cruz (from My So-Called Life) at Denny’s at 1 in the morning. He was in town speaking at Fredonia State for the school’s LGBT group. He was very nice, and very funny. — Liz Miller A I’ve had two encounters with the rich and famous. The college alumni chapter I was president of held an En Vogue Meet and Greet after one of their concerts so we had a chance to speak with the group and have our pictures taken. Another time I met Giada De Laurentiis at a Williams Sonoma book signing. I had a whole little blurb prepared for when I met her, but only managed to squeak out, “It’s a pleasure to meet you”. — Melissa Murray A My grandson Owen and I met the gooey star of The Blob (1958) at the Monster Bash Film Expo. Filmmaker Kris Yeaworth even let Owen hold it! — Ian Eastman A I’ve shaken hands with Barbara Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Working at Barnes and Noble I met several celebrity chefs from PBS and the

children’s author Jan Brett (my job was to open the books and hand them to the author to sign). I cashed out the Governor of Massachusetts, Paul Cellucci and the actor David Paymer.

Nothing too star-studded, but fun facts. — Kristin Rickert A I met Farrah Fawcett. I escorted her around town for two days when I was doing PR in NYC. I hung out with her in her hotel room as she was getting ready for an interview and she let me try on a fur jacket designer Zang Toi gave her to wear to his show for Fashion Week. But, I could only get my arm halfway in! And, when I dropped her off at the Plaza to check in she asked ME if she was supposed to tip the staff. HA! — Amy Usiak A I met Stephen Lang who has been in several movies such as Avatar. He was very kind and signed autographs after his show. — Jennifer Graham A I hardly know where to start! Being involved in performing arts and promotions I’ve crossed paths, and sometimes worked with, tons of people with various levels of fame. Writers, actors, musicians, comedians, you name it. I even dated a few lower tier celebs when I lived in New York. Ask me in person and maybe I’ll dish the dirt. — Jakob Willoughby A I shared an elevator with Phillip Glass, and once John Waters let me touch his moustache. — John Carocci A I met Jodie Sweetin at a home and garden show in the early 90s. She played Stephanie on Full House and my sister and I were obsessed back then. We would watch it every Tuesday night after Girl Scouts, while eating our Cheetos Paws. At the event, I had her autograph my copy of Stephanie’s chapter book “Phone Call From A Flamingo”. — Gloria Kornowski

Birthdays Joseph Sessa.................... November 3 Lavine Hatten.................. November 3 Marlyn Moore................. November 5 Cathleen Niedermayer..... November 7 LaTanya Walton-Brown.... November 7 Susan Fiedler.................. November 8 Bennett Shepilov............. November 8 Joseph Pignatora............. November 8 Kimberly Clarke.............. November 9 Angela Palmer................. November 10 Kevin Bidtah................... November 10 Renee VanAernam........... November 10 Jessica Lehsten................ November 11 Saw Min.......................... November 11 Omari Thompson............ November 13 Debora Johnson............... November 13 Sharee Harris.................. November 15 Shaun Woods................... November 16 Shari DeMarco................ November 18 Tayrin Tapia.................... November 18 Andrew Verity................. November 20 Soumya Tejas................... November 20 Corinne Miosi................. November 20 Robert Moore.................. November 22 Elisa Luciano................... November 23

IN

October we conducted evacuation drills at all agency locations. It’s important to treat every drill like it’s an actual incident, as we’ve had unplanned alarms

that employees and patients assumed were only drills. It seems like a great time to refresh everyone on our procedures regarding what is expected. Each work area, or center, should have at least two designated evacuation point people. In the event both are absent or away from the office, the on-site supervisor should assume the point position role. The point person is responsible for maintaining the In-Out board and checklist for their area, updating it as needed to reflect staff changes. It’s paramount

Kathryn Diebold.............. November 25

that all staff members utilize these boards to track their position on campus. In the

Lidia Kendrick................. November 25

event of an evacuation, these lists are what tell first responders who is still potentially

Maria Cruz........................November 26 Katherine Kawa.................November 26 Margaret Prell.................. November 27 Stephanie Killian.............. November 29

Anniversaries Stefanie Lyons...........................1 year Linda Scalise.............................1 year Santos Martinez.........................1 year Jennifer Latimer........................1 year Niseishka Arroyo.......................1 year Carrie Rich................................1 year Katherine Patti..........................1 year John Argo..................................1 year William Sandora-Nastyn............1 year Joseph Sessa..............................1 year Robert Diaz...............................1 year Theodore Mighells.....................1 year Kimberly Herrington.................2 years

on site, and errors waste valuable moments during a crisis situation. At your evacuation meeting place, check in with your point person as quickly and orderly as

Shannon Bryant.........................2 years Stephanie Vroman-Goodrich......3 years

you can, clearing the area and lining up after you have finished. Any clients or staff

Dawn Trotter.............................3 years

with mobility impairments should remain in the stairwells, once they are clear. If a

Samantha Gaerte.......................4 years

client or staff member is unable to relocate, it is extremely important that the point

Marialena Camacho...................4 years

person be made aware of their location. The HR representative on site will then notify

Courtney Rhines........................11 years

first responders so they head directly to those areas first. Please don’t attempt to carry anyone, as this could pose an even bigger safety risk from a fall, while also potentially slowing down the evacuation of others. If you have any questions, as always, don’t hesitate to contact myself, or submit a Facilities ticket for answers to your queries. C

Cortney Anderson.....................11 years Bridget McClain.........................15 years Congratulations Everyone!

High-Five Recipients from September 20 to October 19 >>

High-Five. Noun. A gesture of greeting, good-fellowship or triumph in which a person slaps the upraised palm of the hand against that of another. At Evergreen, we love to give high-fives! Here’s a list of everyone who was lucky enough to get their upraised palm slapped this past month. Well, really they just got a virtual high-five. But, that’s still pretty cool. We’ll be featuring our high-five recipients each month so be sure to slap someone’s hand, virtually, who deserves it!

Connections

Andrew DiRienzo Ann Breidenstein Anna Ihle Billy Sandora-Nastyn Brianna Cabrera Carly Casali Charles Hunt Christina Radice Christine Marrano Cristina Salcedo Dave Setlock Deborah Esposito Denise Scull Emily Oaks Heather McCarthy Jakob Willoughby Jennifer Phelps Joe Pignatora John Carocci Josh Matecki Katie Mego Kimberly Clarke Kyle Switzer Lauren Voelkle Linda Colburn Magali Maldonado Maria Marchinda Matthew John Pasquarella Melissa Delgado (2!)

Misty Wolff Rachel Parrino Ray Ganoe Rebekah Russell Richmond Willis Rosemary Roche Sergio Ponce The Help Desk Tracy Eichelberger Tyler Tenyck Xavier Washington

Buffalo Business First’s 612 Award, honoring outstanding C-Level executives in Western New York. Kudos, Ray!

Nominated as a BN360 Spotlight Professional, exemplifying today’s definition of a young rising leader. Great job, Emma!

Buffalo Business First’s 40 Under 40 award, for professional success and community involvement. Congratulations, Cord!

Buffalo Business First’s 40 Under 40 award, for helping make WNY a better place to live and work. Bravo, Matthew!

Dr. G was honored by BlueCross BlueShield’s Best Practice Program for quality and medical efficiency performance. Huzzah, Doc!

No, you’re not seeing double. Matthew will also accept the Robert Uplinger Award in November. Bravo AGAIN, Matthew!

P

hishing is a cybercrime in which targets are sent emails details immediately. Reliable organizations give ample time before by someone posing as a legitimate institution. The they terminate an account and they never ask patrons to update purpose is to trick the target into providing banking personal details over the Internet. When in doubt, visit the source or credit card details, passwords and other personal directly rather than clicking a link in an email.

information. This information is then used to access important

Hyperlinks — hyperlinks are the underlined word in an email

accounts and can result in identity theft and financial loss. Phishing that you can click on to take you to a website. Use extreme caution is one of the largest threats facing businesses today, both in terms of with hyperlinks from outside of the agency; they may not be what network security and financial loss. Over 95 percent of cyber-attacks they appear. Hovering over a link shows you the actual URL where are the result of successful phishing. This has led to companies you will be directed upon clicking on it. It could be completely being scammed out of more than $2 billion over the past two years. different or it could be a popular website with a misspelling, for Fortunately, education goes a long way in reducing the risk of these instance www.bankofarnerica.com — the ‘m’ is actually an ‘r’ and scams. The more users are aware that these types of attacks exist, the a ‘n’, so look carefully. A popular one I see here at Evergreen is @ more examples they see and the more tips they receive for how to evergreenns.org instead of @evergreenhs.org. identify them, the less likely they are to fall victim. Some common features of phishing emails are as follows:

Attachments — if you see an attachment in an email you weren’t

expecting or that doesn’t make sense, don’t open it! They often

Too Good To Be True — lucrative offers and eye-catching contain payloads like ransomware or other viruses. The only file

claims are designed to attract your attention immediately. Many type that is usually always safe to click on is a .txt file. claim that you’ve won an iPhone, a lottery or some other lavish prize.

Unusual Sender — whether it looks like it’s from someone you

Don’t click on any suspicious emails. If it seems too good to be true, don’t know or someone you do know, if anything seems out of the it probably is!

ordinary, unexpected, out of character or just suspicious in general

Sense of Urgency — a common tactic is to tell you to act fast don’t click on it!

because the super deals are only for a limited time or that you have

When in doubt please contact the Information Technology

only a few minutes to respond. When you come across these kinds of Department before you click on a suspicious email and/or link. emails, it’s best to just ignore them. Sometimes, they’ll tell you that We can be reached internally at 4444 or from outside of Evergreen your account will be suspended unless you update your personal Health at 716-844-0744.

Connections

MORE >>

meeting bill clinton Note: Connections received this memory from Tina Cornell in response to the question “have you ever met a celebrity?”.

Growing up in Chautauqua Institution, I’ve had the opportunity to see many famous people over the years. However, my favorite encounter was with then-President, Bill Clinton. My parents owned a farm that sits just through the woods of the Chautauqua golf course and President Clinton was staying at Chautauqua prior to the Democratic debates. My parents heard that he would be golfing at Chautauqua and invited me to come home to catch a glimpse of him. My parents and I walked through our woods and were standing just yards into the forest line when several Secret Service men approached us asking us what we were doing.

My mother explained that the property was ours and that we were hoping to view the President as he passed by. We were granted permission, but the men said that we really needed to stand on the side of the green and not in the woods (for obvious reasons!). My mother, who had sold her “famous” brownies at the Chautauqua Bookstore, also asked if she could give a dozen to the president. After sampling a few, the Secret Service men stated that she could. Standing in a line, on the side of the green, we waited for the President to pass by. He was the last in his group to take his turn and he hopped in his golf cart to head up the hill. He took a quick swing over our way and proceeded to greet each of us with a smile, handshake and some kind words (even patting my dog). In the excitement of meeting the President, my mom forgot to offer the brownies to him. As he pulled away in his golf cart, she remembered at the last minute and shouted something like “these are for you!” and tossed the zip lock baggie of brownies toward him. Without even a flinch, he continued to drive up the green and on to the next hole. This is truly my favorite memory of meeting a famous person and definitely rates in the top five of favorite memories of my mom!

Connections

Evergreen’s Marketing Team has been working with staff from all over the agency to produce a series of Spotlight Videos. The series is intended to help Team Evergreen stay informed about the wide variety of services available to our patients, something that can be difficult as the list seems to grow by the day. Each video features an overview of a particular program, along with practical information such as who is eligible to participate and how to make referrals. So far, five Spotlight Videos have been completed.

The process begins with a sit-down with staff from the program being featured to learn about what they do and what message they want to get out to the rest of the agency. Communications Coordinator Amy Usiak works closely with the staff to develop a script based on the information that comes from the meeting. The overall goal is to get as much across as possible in just a few minutes, all while keeping the tone conversational and the language accessible for staff outside the program. Once the script is finalized it’s time to film!

Digital Marketing Coordinator Billy Sandora-Nastyn serves as the host/interviewer for the videos. He asks questions on-camera and works behind the scenes to help make staff as relaxed and comfortable as possible, especially those who are camera shy. Once the filming is completed, Design Coordinator John Carocci works his magic to assemble and edit the video for all to view.

The Marketing Team will be creating an archive on the Intranet where you can watch the entire Spotlight Video collection, any time you like. It’s like Evergreen’s own private Netflix!

Connections

Evergreen Spotlight Videos

Video 1: PrEP

Video 2: Medication Assisted Treatment

Video 3: Memory Loss Caregivers Program

Video 4: The Evergreen Lofts

Video 5: Mental Health Counseling