Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Manager
Subject: Team of the Month for December 2020
RECOMMENDATION:
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Honor the Public Health Staff as Team of the Month for December 2020 and authorize the President of the Board to sign the commendation.
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BACKGROUND:
The Team of the Month program was established in September 2018 to recognize and honor County teams who consistently demonstrate an outstanding level of performance.
Our Team of the Month for December 2020 is from County Health. Team members from various units in Health are: Corina Chung, Debbie Van Olst, Aracely Tamayo, Moon Choi, Rachel Curtis-Robles, Edwina Williams, Nicole Kelly, Elizabeth Jump, Karen Pfister, Shikha Kothari, Richelle Harklerode, Mariejoselle Oliveros, Marichu Rialubin, Miky Oh, Myra Patawaran, Oi Shan Wong, Sierra Klyve-Underkofler, Stefanie Consuelo Zermeno, Diana Nolan, Matthew Geltmaker, Anabel Tingin, Wesley Yuen, Gabriela Rivera, Phoebe Tseng, Teresa Vazquez-Lopez, Lauren Alexander, Dorreen Brune, Bryan Lee, Mohammad Habib, Melissa Ibarra, Bryan Jimenez, Jose Amezquita, Dennis Silva, Antonio Fajardo, Iliana Alvarado, Karen Arguello-Anguiano, Silveria Ballaron, Yasmin Ledesma, Cheyenne Self, Nancy Lopez, Adriana Pineda, Michelle Malang, Carly Bock, Tamara Barr, Reena Pal, Myron Coloma, Jeanne Chevillet, Anna Branzuela, Phong Hong, Sonia Hunter, Che Waterman, Tina Arneja, Leila Galindo, Mary Fisher, Catherine Sallenave, Lisa Gooze, Jeanne Linquist, Kendra Benttinen, Marco Vergara, Sharon Jones, Vivian Levy, Shantelle Lucas, Adrian Madlambayan, Sangeeta Singh, Martha Acosta-Mendoza, Daniel Farfan, June Wong, Kelly Smith, Sangita Kothari, Melanie Lafrades, Dora Blinkova, Jean Chen, Manjulla Charan, Morris Jones, Ghazaleh Ehsani, Ana Martinez, Roberto Gonzalez, Darryl Lampkin, Losaline Baker, and José Velázquez.
DISCUSSION:
As we move into the 11th month of the COVID-19 mitigation response by the core Public Health team that have monitored the activity and slowed the spread of this virus that is now a global pandemic, we want to recognize the skills, stamina and compassion of the Public Health Staff and programs responsible for directly responding to the pandemic. These programs include the Communicable Disease Control program, Tuberculosis Control, STD/HIV Control, the Office of Epidemiology & Evaluation, and the Public Health Lab within County Health, Public Health Policy & Planning Division.
These public health professionals have worked tirelessly to protect the health of all of us and the 778,000 SM County residents, beginning with travelers and involving every sector of our community, with special care for the most vulnerable. They have demonstrated tremendous dedication in the long hours they have worked, the attention they have paid to the evolving science and the care they have extended to every resident and close contact who has been affected by COVID-19. They have partnered with labs, hospitals, healthcare providers, schools, nonprofits, businesses in addition to their fellow County employees whose service in these times has also been extraordinary. Their intelligence and commitment deserve gratitude and deep respect.
These stellar professionals are often invisible and behind-the-scenes and yet so vitally important to all of us to live longer and better lives. Whether in front of a lab microscope or writing code and looking at epidemiological curves or breaking the chain of transmission through the case and contact investigation they perform or support to key partners that are acting on our guidance, they ably protect us all. We are so proud of the skills and expertise that have been the backbone of our pandemic response with the leadership of Matthew Geltmaker, Carly Bock, Catherine Sallenave, Shantelle Lucas and Karen Pfister. We are so grateful for the diversity they bring to enable us to keep the trust of our residents. Our resolve to keep at this challenging work is strengthened by all they teach us every day.
Our County is fortunate to have the Public Health Staff as an outstanding Team.