Ice storms earlier this year bypassed the Washington area, but devastated parts of the northeastern U.S. CC nurses were among emergency workers answering the call for help.

CC nurses help during ice-storm emergency

During the "Season of Giving," two Clinical Center nurses gave much more than gifts to the needy. Susan Orsega and Leslie Stephens gave themselves.

Both are CC nurse case managers in the 8th floor clinic and Commissioned Corps officers in the Public Health Service (PHS). They were deployed to upstate New York to assist during ice storms that had resulted in numerous deaths, and partially paralyzed the northeast in early January.

Their specialized training with the USPHS National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) helped to prepare them for their mission of providing care for individuals during times of emergencies and natural disasters, but no training could prepare them for what they saw when they arrived.

"The whole area looked like a battlefield," said LCDR Leslie Stephens. During her assignment, Stephens traveled approximately fifty miles every day from Ft. Drum to Cape Vincent, to visit shelters and provide care for the residents, many of whom were elderly.

Using four-wheel drive vehicles to maneuver the ice-ridden and tree-lined roads, the team of four, including a physician, a Commissioned Corps nurse, and two emergency medical technicians, roughed the terrain to provide residents with medication, oxygen, and other medical supplies.

"We saw all types of medical problems that are involved with living in close quarters-scabies, lice, flu, bronchitis, and diarrhea," said Stephens. "But in spite of it all, the community really rallied together resources and endured rough situations. They were truly resilient," she said.

Similarly, LT Susan Orsega can attest to the horrific condition of the area in upstate New York that she called home for over a week. But unlike Stephens, her assignment was a stationary one, at E.J. Nobel Hospital in Alexandria Bay.

Since the storm hit, the hospital had been running well over its normal capacity. The number of patients seen in the emergency room-many treated for carbon monoxide poisoning from kerosene heaters- nearly doubled following the storm. Hospital staff faced exhaustion as they worked serial 12-hour shifts.

Orsega and several other Corps nurses were sent to the hospital to assist with patient care, and put in their share of long hours and little rest. Lauded by many as heroes for coming in to assist the community, Orsega instead applauds the residents and people who helped to restore the power to over 120,000 homes and businesses.

"The real heroes were the people who helped to get the power back up," she said. Orsega marveled at the order of the town, which continued in spite of the conditions. "It was really interesting to work with a small town health-care facility and see how well organized they were and how they coped with the limited resources that they had prior to the arrival of the federal government," she said.

"The experience was truly rewarding, both from a Public Health Service perspective and from a nursing perspective," said Orsega. "I think all PHS staff should be trained so they can be called upon to help out when needed."

The mission of the PHS Commissioned Corps is to provide highly trained and mobile health professionals who carry out programs to promote the health of the nation, understand and prevent disease and injury, assure safe and effective drugs and medical devices, deliver health service to federal beneficiaries, and furnish health expertise in time of war or other national or international emergencies. (by LaTonya Kittles)

CC nurses deployed to upstate New York during ice storms this winter described the region as "a battlefield."
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CC nurse working with a local effort to design a mental health system

Jean Harris, CC nursing department quality assurance specialist, is lending her organizational expertise to a local managed-care initiative.

For the past six months, Harris has served as program coordinator for the District's Behavioral Health Managed Care Initiative, an interagency program being developed by the D.C. government.

Working at a site downtown, Harris is charged with temporarily leading the program's development to provide a model for health-care delivery to individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues. Through the initiative, the city will be able to better focus resources and enhance services for approximately 10,000 adults and children.

"This initiative will examine the mental health and substance abuse health-care delivery system as a whole," said Harris. "The wonderful thing about the program is that the concepts can apply to other patient populations, not just mental health patients."

Harris was chosen by the D.C. Commission on Mental Health Services, not only for her former participation in the program planning process, but also for her years of nursing and organization systems design experience. She previously served as president of the D.C. Alliance for the Mentally Ill, a national education and advocacy group instrumental in passing laws and evaluating programs developed for consumers of mental health services. Harris also has experience with assessing the local mental health services through chairing the D.C. Mayor's Transition Initiative for Adult Mental Health Services. She has also been active with the NIH community, chairing both the NIH Diversity Congress Planning Committee, and the NIH Advisory Committee for Women.

Through the D.C. initiative, Harris will work closely with the Commission on Mental Health Services, Commission on Health Care Finance, the D.C. Control Board, the Mayor's Health Polity Council, as well as community-based consumers, family members, and mental health care providers.  index

The eternal quest: finding a place to park

As the area surrounding Building 10 continues to be prepped for construction of the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, parking remains a major concern for CC staff.

"Although the capacity of employee parking spaces on campus has actually gone up over the last year, unfortunately, many spaces in or around Building 10 have been lost and are being replaced further away from the building," said Stella Serras-Fiotes, Office of Research Services (ORS).

As a result of the lost spaces, as well as input from a campus-wide electronic survey conducted by the ORS, numerous initiatives have been adopted to address patient, staff, and visitor concerns.

One such project was the revamping of patient and patient-visitor parking on the P-3 level. To better accommodate patients and their visitors, attendant-assisted parking was introduced on the P-3 level in December 1996. Last year, this approach was adopted for employee parking facilities at MLP-8 and lots 31B and H, and to consolidated visitor parking near the Natcher Building and Lot 4A. Through this method, attendants guide cars into empty spots, and if all spots are full, direct the employees to "stack" their cars in the aisles. The keys are secured by the attendant and drivers are given a ticket, which they must produce to claim their car at the end of the visit.

Despite initial uneasiness among NIH staff, the attendant-parking system has proved convenient for many. One concern was that parkers would have a long wait at the end of the day when they went to claim their cars, but instead many have found that they save much more time than driving around campus looking for a spot.

"Over fifty-five percent of the people in our recent survey said that they like the service and would like to see it expanded," said Fiotes. "That's a big culture change for NIH, when there was so much opposition at first."

Planners are also exploring Building 10 employee-garage parking issues, but doubt that much can be done to change the number of spaces. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to address the staff parking as well as the patients' because of the compounded impact of the garage repair project on the P1 and P2 levels, as well as the CRC construction in the lots north of the building," said Fiotes.

The number of spaces in lots on the front (north) side of the building is expected to remain constant, roughly through the fall of this year. A temporary lot, which provides approximately 110 spaces, has been constructed on Center Drive, east of the Convent. But as the relocation of Center Drive nears completion later this year, the remaining lots in front of Building 10 will close.

But, there are other lots available for parking, although not in areas close to the building. Transportation is available to these spots.

"At least we're at a point where no one can say that there is no parking on the NIH campus," said Fiotes. "Even on the busiest day, there are anywhere from 150-200 spaces empty in lot 41.There is shuttle service from there to any building on campus."

Paid parking, which is available around and within the building, can also be an option for staff who lose their space after leaving for lunch or are visiting from an off-site location. "Parking is allowed in all the pay visitor parking lots for NIH employees as long as they pay," said Fiotes.

Additional options that will be explored include more direct routes for on- and off-campus shuttle buses, express bus service from more locations, a volunteer ride bank, and increases in alternative work schedules and telecommuting.

"As we get closer to the construction of the CRC, we will further review how the project affects staff in Building 10," said Fiotes. (by LaTonya Kittles)  index

News briefs

CC activities mark Children and Healthcare Week

This month, the CC will celebrate the 19th annual observance of Children and Healthcare Week. This year's theme, "Access to Excellence," will offer participants the opportunity to learn more about what constitutes quality pediatric health care and what barriers must be bridged to ensure access to such care.

The program includes:

• March 13 through March 22, pediatrics poster exhibit, outside the special events office (1C174);
• Monday, March 16, multi-institute pediatric unit's Open House, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., 9 West and 11 East;
• Tuesday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day Party, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., 14th floor assembly hall; and
• Wednesday, March 18, Children's Medical Play Clinic, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., 11 East Day Hospital.

This annual event is sponsored by the Association for the Care of Children's Health. For more information on these programs, call Kristin Johnsen at 6-0147.Social worker published

Social workers writes

Fred Boykin, CC social worker, recently had several chapters published in "HIV and Social Work: A Practitioner's Guide." The book, written specifically by and for social workers, details skills necessary to help and support individuals with HIV and those who love and care for them. In his chapters, Boykin discusses helping a person with HIV/AIDS enter a clinical trial, as well as preparing a power of attorney and living will.

Awards honor CC employees

Several CC employees and volunteers were recently recognized by the NIH quality of work life committee for their commitment to improving the quality of work life at the CC. Contributions included helping employees balance work and family lives, volunteering with the Friends of the Clinical Center, and contributing to the physical fitness of staff. Honorees included: Carol Romano, Laura Chisholm, Jerry King, Kai Lakeman, Al Rexroad, Marcia Smith, Floride Canter, and Jan Weymouth.

Benefit statements coming this month

Last year, for the first time, the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) provided all CC employees with an employee benefits statement. After a favorable response from employees, the OHRM will once again mail all employees their individual summary of benefits and compensations. Enclosed in your packet this year will be a customer satisfaction survey to share ideas and comments with the OHRM personnel operations section. Look for your statements in the mail soon. If you have any questions or comments, call Sharon Reed at 6-6924.

Training offered

Learn the basic skills needed to deliver a presentation by attending "Getting Up to Speak" on February 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m in the first floor conference room at 6100 Executive Blvd. To register or for more information, call the education and training section at 6-1618.

Events to celebrate

In honor of African American History Month, which is February, all NIH cafeterias run by Guest Services will showcase tasty, heart-healthy African American dishes from the NHLBI "Stay Young at Heart Program." Throughout the month, those who buy a featured diet at a cafeteria will receive a special heart-healthy gift. The NHLBI hopes the program will show how easily traditional recipes can be made healthier without losing any of their taste.The showcased recipes have been compiled in a new NHLBI publication,"Heart Healthy Home Cooking, African American Style," available from the R&W for $2.50.

Social workers speak at women's summit

Stephanie Miller and Judith Williams, CC social workers, were guest speakers at a women's summit last month. "Women of Color and Allies Summit: Linking Arms in Dangerous Times" was designed for participants to create a framework that will ensure the values, vision, and inclusion of women of color in the feminist movement. More than 300 people attended the conference, which was sponsored by the National Organization for Women.

Training offered

The education and training section of the Office of Human Resources Management will offer a seminar, "Excellence in Customer Service," on March 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6100 Executive Boulevard. Discussions will include: the dos and don'ts for managing the angry customer, how cultural differences play a role in your customer interactions, and ways to provide "knock-your-socks-off" customer service.

Nutrition classes slated for this month

Join the CC dietetic interns as they present two classes during National Nutrition Month. The first class, "Size it Up: Increasing Your Awareness of How Much You Eat," will be held on March 6. The second class, "Get Moving: Controlling Your Weight With an Active Lifestyle," is set for March 13. Both classes will be presented from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Little Theatre.

Spring craft fair approaching

The Friends of the Clinical Center will host a spring craft fair in the Visitor Information Center on Wednesday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year's exhibitors include: potters, weavers, dried-flower arrangers, glass and jewelry makers, woodcrafters, knitters, and seamstresses. A raffle is also on tap. Tickets will be sold outside the B1 cafeteria on April 6, 7, and 8. Proceeds from the fair will benefit CC patients and their families with special needs.

Clinical Research Center project details now on the CC web

Want to keep up with plans for and progress on the new Hatfield Clinical Research Center? It's as easy as watching the web. A new site on the CC's homepage is designed to offer information on most everything you've ever wanted to know about the project. Watch for regular updates. Go to: www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/crc/index.html.

NIH charities to benefit from a night at the circus in March

NIH charities will benefit from a night at the circus later this month. Join NIH friends and colleagues for premiere night at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus on March 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the MCI Center. Tickets are $13.50, $10.50, and $7.50. Call 6-4600 for more information.

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