Over the last few years, the Evergreen Associa on has recognized that technological advancements are rapidly changing the way people around the world interact with and manage data. Kevin Bidtah, the agency’s Director of Technology, has worked toward

implemen ng technological improvements in order to increase effi ciency and produc vity within the Associa on’s various Centers. Understanding the poten al for u lizing mobile devices such as iPads and iPhones, Evergreen recently launched an aggressive pilot program to analyze the usefulness of iPad devices in various Associa on programs. At this moment in me, over 20 iPads have been issued, with distribu on focused primarily to Care Coordinators. Par cipants in this pilot program have seen produc vity rise as a result of having iPads in the fi eld. Previously, Care Coordinators were relegated to hand-wri ng notes while in the fi eld with clients, and had to return to the offi ce in order to type up their notes and enter them into the online system. Now, with iPads, Care Coordinators are entering their notes directly into the Evergreen system if Wi-Fi is available while on an appointment. If they aren’t able to connect to Wi-Fi, the iPads have a Microso Word-like applica on called Pages, which allows them to make a typed document of their notes. They can simply copy and paste those notes into the online system as soon as they’re able to connect to the internet. Removing the need for redundant note-entry saves me, giving Care Coordinators more availability to maintain follow-up with their clients. Having access to assessments, reassessments, and medical informa on when out of the offi ce allows Care Coordinators

to u lize this informa on while in the fi eld. In addi on to appointment-specifi c needs, staff always has access to their e-mail, the Evergreen me and a endance system, and other useful resources. Staff even has access to an editable PDF form for Housing clients, allowing a client to enter the informa on for the form right on the iPad. Clients can even sign the form, using their fi nger as a pen on the mul -touch screen of the iPad. The form is then sent via e-mail, or transferred directly to the employee’s PC via the DropBox app. In addi on to benefi ts for Coordinators, their Supervisors are able to keep in be er communica on with them. By linking staff calendars and making them accessible via the iPad or PC, Supervisors and staff can share schedules, change appointments in real me, and stay on the same page any me changes are made. iPads keep the Care Coordina on

team connected. Currently, the program covers four main areas of Evergreen: Care Coordina on, the Pride Center, Management and IT. Management sees added benefi t through increased abili es in presenta ons, web mee ngs, viewing trainings while off -site or simple word-processing when on the go. The Pride Center is star ng to see benefi ts in Outreach ac vi es and offi ce administra on. Overall, the iPad pilot program has been extremely successful, and Evergreen plans to expand on the program as informa on from current par cipants is analyzed. As we transi on to the Health Home model, mobile access to documenta on and data entry will become essen al. Through this program, as well as other ini a ves implemented within the Associa on, Evergreen has posi oned itself to stay at the forefront of technological evolu on. C

iPad program

Game of Th rones,Curb Your EnthusiasmBoardwalk Empire - Patrick Butler

ScandalAmerican Horror StoryFOOTBALL! - Susan Williams

Modern FamilySo You Th ink You Can DanceFamily Guy - Seth Girod

Bob’s BurgersDownton AbbeyAmerican Dad - Justin Azzarella

ScandalNew GirlPartners - Tayrin Tapia-Torres

Parks and RecreationDownton AbbeyTreme - Sally Heron

Gossip GirlTh e VoiceIntervention - Shannon Bryant

RevengeModern FamilyLong Island Medium - Mindi Mietlicki

Monday Night FootballTh ursday Night FootballInside the NFL - Kenneth Lewis

Downton AbbeyChoppedMy Litt le Pony - Kim Lombard

Walking DeadNCIS: Los AngelesCriminal Minds - Trish Hopkins

Doctor WhoSherlockBoardwalk Empire - Kevin Bidtah

Sons of AnarchyModern FamilyCriminal Minds - Melissa Lacount

American IdolX FactorTh e Voice - Pratheep Sakas

True BloodAmerica’s Based Dance CrewSwitched at Birth - Jorien Brock

Th e Walking DeadAmerican Horror StoryHere Comes Honey Boo Boo - Maria LoTempio

Sons of AnarchyGame of Th ronesHow the States Got their Shapes - Kimberly Harding

Law and Order SVUNCISTh e Mentalist - Tiff any Macauley

NCISGleeAmerican Horror Story - Laura Pasquarella

Halloween WarsDon’t SleepR&B Divas - Keisha Leavy

Here Comes Honey Boo BooBig AngTh e Walking Dead - Andy Kiener

Doctor Who - Lindsay Zasada

Doctor Who Simpsons - Brendan Orrange

True BloodWalking DeadTh e Voice - Tara Rosado

Project RunwayRuPaul’s Drag RaceGlee - Johnny Mora

Supernatural GrimmRevolution - Ashlee Rudolph

Walking DeadSpace Ghost Coast to CoastMystery Science Th eater - Jim Rautenstrauch

Sons of AnarchyDexterBreaking Bad - Krista Fenske

Say YES to the DressChicago FireJersey Shore - Kaitlyn Cieri

November Birthdays Susan Williams – November 4Benne Evere – November 8

Susan Fielder – November 8Kevin Bidtah – November 10

Angela Palmer – November 10Jessica Lehsten – November 11

Saw Min – November 11Kathy Oczek – November 16

Shari DeMarco – November 18Tayrin Torres – November 18Elisa Luciano – November 23Ka e Diebold – November 25

November AnniversariesAndre’ Stokes – 1 year

Frank Goldberg – 2 yearsCortney Anderson – 6 years

Brian Planty – 6 yearsCourtney Rhines – 6 yearsBridget McClain – 10 yearsCarolee Corbi – 13 years

Your Con nued Dedica on and HardWork Are No ced and Appreciated!

– The Management Team

CONNECTIONS CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER/LAYOUT JOHN CAROCCIEDITOR KIMBERLY HARDING

CONTRIBUTORS PATRICK BUTLERMAISHA DRAYTON, SHEILA MARCHESONBRENDAN ORRANGE, LINDSAY ZASADA

ON THE COVER:A NEW SIDEWALK AT EVERGREEN COMMONS

THE FACTS ABOUT DIABETES - If you have diabetes, you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven on es mates 21 million people have diabetes and 7 million don’t know they have it.

PAY ATTENTION TO THESE SYMPTOMS It can take years before some people fi rst

become aware they have diabetes. O en, they learn they have diabetes when they develop a major complica on, such as kidney disease, heart a ack or stroke.

PAY ATTENTION TO THESE SYMPTOMS• Feeling red• Increased thirst• Increased urina on• Blurred vision• Infec ons or cuts that don’t heal

WHAT YOU CAN DO Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas stops making insulin, the hormone that processes sugar or glucose. Type

2 diabetes is when the pancreas produces too li le insulin. The main goal of diabetes treatment for both type 1 and type 2 is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as safely possible. Monitoring your daily blood sugar is an important measure of how you’re managing your diabetes. But it’s not the only one. Diabetes aff ects your body’s major organs, so you need several tests to see how diabetes is aff ec ng your overall health:

• Urine test: once a year• Hemoglobin (HbA1c) at least twice a year• Blood pressure: every doctor’s visit• Fas ng cholesterol: at least once a year• Dilated eye examina on: once a year• Comprehensive foot exam: once a year

If you smoke, quit. People with diabetes who smoke are three mes more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-smokers. Smokers with diabetes are also more likely to get nerve damage and kidney disease. C

NOVEMBERIS AMERICAN

DIABETES MONTH

Healthy ea ng and physical ac vity are dually essen- al to good health. Therefore, we are implemen ng

the Five & Fit fi ve-week program that challenges you to eat fruits, vegetables and to be physically ac ve. Par cipa on in this program is not mandatory; how-ever, submission of a form each week will earn you a chance to win weekly raffl e prizes.

Program Begins: November 26, 2012Ends: December 28, 2012

Your goal for these fi ve weeks is to eat a combina on of fi ve servings of fruits & vegetables and be physically ac ve for thirty minutes or more fi ve days each week.

Shoot for fi ve but remember some is be er than none! At right is an example of the form you will be us-ing to keep track of your progress. If you are interested in par cipa ng, please contact Sheila Marcheson at smarcheson@evergreenhs.org.

5/5/5 CHALLENGE

5fi verandomfactsandonelie!C A N Y O U T E L L T H E D I F F E R E N C E ?

(see back cover for answer)

1

2

3

4

5

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Scien sts have found that our Sun is part of a binarystar system, but they cannot fi nd the second star.

Cats can drink salt water. Their kidneys have theability to fi lter out the salinity.

With the elec on coming up, you ought to knowthat an American in outer space is s ll able to votevia absentee ballot. This can happen when Americansare aboard the Interna onal Space Sta on, whichis 220 miles above the earth.

America’s richest man, Bill Gates, ran a frozenbanana stand before star ng Microso .

The profi t margin on the fi rst Model T Ford was $2.

You can make a glass of apple cider with three apples.

S U B M I T T E D B Y B R E N D A N O R R A N G E

P R O G R A M S P O T L I G H TTh e Harm Reduction Initiative

Time Line for Tarrie Ruefl i, PhD

1947 / Born in Torrington CT 1969 / BA degree in Social Rela ons Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA1970 / MA degree in Sociology University of Maine1978 / PhD in Social Psych & Sexuality University of California1978-1984 / Assistant Professor of Sociology Daemen College, Amherst, NY1985-1987 / Post Doctoral Studies in Media Studies University of Buff alo1988-1992 / Research Assistant Research Ins tute on Addic ons, Buff alo, NY1990 / Principal Inves gator: fi rst study of sexual risk taking among MSM in a Smaller US City1990-1992 / President of the Board AIDS Alliance of WNY1993-1995 / Program Evaluator Project Reach, Buff alo1995-1996 / Director of Project Reach1993-1996 / Syringe Exchange Program Coordinator Buff alo Columbus Hospital1997-2006 / Execu ve Director New York Harm Reduc on Educators, Bronx, NY2004 / Conducted fi rst study measuring the impact of harm reduc on on client’s lives

MEETTARRIE

Harm Reduc on has always played a vital role in our agency’s mission, and we are poised to make it an even more important part of the way we serve our clients, pa ents and guests. Tarrie Ruefl i, PhD will be assis ng the agency Management Team in their eff orts to improve our Harm Reduc on skills by conduc ng a comprehensive Harm Reduc on Needs Assessment. Tarrie and the Management Team will then use the results of this assessment to develop and implement a plan of ac on designed to put Harm Reduc on front and center in every area of Evergreen Health Services. She is no stranger to AIDS/Syringe Exchange work in Western New York, but this month’s Connec ons Video is an offi cial introduc on to Tarrie and the Harm Reduc on Ini a ve. Click on the purple circle at the upper right of this page and get to know Tarrie! C

CLICKHERE FOR

VIDEO!

> > F I V E F U N F A C T S A N S W E R : N U M B E R F O U R I S A L I E !

DID YOU KNOW?There are a number of discounts available to Evergreen Staff ...check them out and save money!

Sam’s Club - $40.00 (2 Cards)

BJ’s Wholesale Club - $20.00 yearly

Dunn Tire - 5% off res, 10% off alignment

Studio 806 - 20% off Hair/Spa Services

Verizon - 22% Discount

Visit: verizonwireless.com/getdiscount

Account Name: Evergreen Health Services

Sprint – 19% Discount

Visit sprint.com/verify to complete form

Account Name: AIDS Community Services

AT&T – 20% Discount

Visit any retail center or call customer care

at 1-800-331-0500 to have the discount

code 2485440 added to your account.

TMobile – 15% Discount

To ac vate a new line of service, call 1-866-

464-8662, Op on 3 and use promo onal

code 6640TMOFAV. Or, visit t-mobile.com/

nyemployees. Exis ng T-Mobile customers

can receive the 15% discount on monthly

reoccurring charges for qualifying rate plans

by calling 1-877-453-8824. Men on that

you are a NYS employee or use promo code

6640TMOFAV.

Project S.A.F.E., our syringe exchange program, is renowned across the state for its amazing work throughout the community! Here are a few stats - since its inception in 1992, Project S.A.F.E. has:

Enrolled 9,299 people Collected 4,841,293 syringes Distributed 5,262,302 syringes Conducted 126,134 exchanges

Our opiate overdose prevention program has trained almost 500 people, and 162 lives have been saved by the people we’ve trained. We’ve also made thousands of referrals to testing, treatment, counseling, nutrition, and mental health services just to name a few! If you need help or have questions, come see us on the fi rst fl oor. We’re here for you and your clients!

Needle Pointsby Maisha Drayton