One of the core tenets of CCAP's insurance programs is the belief that if we can build a program based on what CCAP members need, the members will benefit and the program will not only be viable, but will flourish. For the most part, I believe this has been our experience, and I attribute this to the active and ongoing participation in the governance of the programs by county commissioners, chief clerks, solicitors, nursing home administrators and county staff members.

Having the perspective of the user of the program is essential. One major role of insurance governing board members is as a sounding board. They let us know what is needed, what works well, what won't work well and more. Moreover, everyone on the board must come from an entity which is a member of the program.

This active involvement in all aspects of decision making proves CCAP's commitment that our insurance programs are owned and operated by the members of each program.

This month you will see listings in the newsletter of the officers and members of each of the insurance boards. We are fortunate to have members willing to invest their time to ensure the success of the insurance programs.

Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,

                              John Sallade

Most of the governing boards for CCAP's insurance programs have now held their first meeting of 2014, so here is an update on those who have agreed to be responsible for leadership roles (see below for a listing of the other members of each insurance board).

COMCARE

    Chairman: Jonna DiStefano, Executive Director,
       Delaware County Human Services
    Vice Chairman: Scott Suhring, CEO, Capital Area
       Behavioral Health Collaborative

    Sec/Treas: Rick Kastner, Executive Director, Lancaster
       County Drug and Alcohol Commission
 

COMCARE PRO
    President: Scott Suhring, CEO, Capital Area Behavioral
      Health Collaborative
    Vice President: Allison E. Frantz, Director, Human
       Services Dept., Northampton County
    Sec/Treas: CCAP staff members Christie Ward and John
       Sallade serve in these capacities (non-voting). 

Health Alliance
    Chairman: June Sorg, Elk County Commissioner
    Vice Chairman: Erick Coolidge, Tioga County
       Commissioner
    Sec/Treas: Trisha Douglas, Director, Human Resources,
       Clarion County 

PComp
    Chairman: Dan Vogler, Lawrence County Commissioner
    Vice Chairman: Pat Evanko, Indiana County
       Commissioner
    Sec/Treas: Dee Robinson, Union County Chief Clerk 

PCoRP
    Chairman: Frank Staudenmeier, Schuylkill County
       Commissioner
    Vice Chairman: Gail Kipp, Columbia County Chief Clerk
    Sec/Treas: Bill Gaylord, Wyoming County Chief Clerk 

PELICAN
    President: Ronald King, Administrator, Jefferson Manor
       Health Center
    Vice President: Kelly Andrisano, Executive Director,
       PACAH
    Sec/Treas: John Sallade, CCAP staff (non-voting). 

PIMCC
    Chairman: Dave Kovach, Columbia County Commissioner
    Vice Chairman: Kevin Kodish, Mifflin County
       Commissioner
    Sec/Treas: Michelle Shedden, Bradford County Chief
       Clerk 

UC Trust
    Chairman: Derek Williams, Tioga County Chief Clerk
    (The Trustees meet on May 9 and will elect their
       remaining officers.)

Here is a quick "cheat sheet" reminder of the names of CCAP's insurance programs and what coverages and services each provide.

COMCARE - HealthChoices assistance program initially funded by a state grant.

COMCARE PRO - a Vermont based insurance company started by COMCARE to provide state required HealthChoices stop loss insurance for inpatient MH and DA care.

Health Alliance - health insurance and other employee benefit insurances.

PELICAN - a Vermont based insurance company started by PACAH and CCAP with a state grant, insures county owned and non-profit nursing homes for general and professional (malpractice) liability, in PA and in Maryland.

PCoRP - property, liability, auto and crime insurance pool.

PComp - workers' compensation insurance pool, regulated by PA.

PIMCC - inmate medical cost containment consulting program, also Act 22 service.

UC Trust - unemployment compensation insurance and employee assistance program.

Most of the time, counties promote from within. Counties do this because they know their employees, and figure that a great employee will make a great new manager. This approach, however, does create some challenges and problems that must be addressed if the new manager is to be successful. This workshop will look at these issues and the solutions necessary for the most effective management of co-workers/friends turned subordinates. We will examine specific situations and work as teams on case studies (based on real situations) to build the skills and knowledge needed to resolve them.

Originally this workshop was solely sponsored and free for members of the UC Trust but we have since opened it up as a free training for PCoRP Members as well.

If you are unsure if your county is a member of either program, please refer to the Member Listing on the Glimpse Online page.

All registration is completed online but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at glimpse@pacounties.org.

Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter.

The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.

To help get a handle on spring cleaning and beyond, you may want to consider using the 5S approach. 5S is a part of Kaizen- a Japanese management strategy of continual improvement. A 5S program focuses on having visual order, organization, cleanliness and standardization. The results you can expect from a 5S program are: improved profitability, efficiency, service and safety.

The principles underlying a 5S program at first appear to be common sense. However, when implemented in a disciplined manner the above benefits will accrue.

So, what exactly does 5S stand for?

1.  Sort (Seiri)

     Remove all unnecessary items from the workplace-
     when it doubt move it out. 

2.  Set In Order (Seiton)      

     Create a specific location for everything-a place
     for everything and everything in its place. 

3.  Shine (Seiso)        

     Clean the work area-everyone should see the
     workplace through the eyes of a visitor. Always
     thinking-Is it clean enough to make a good impression? 

4.  Standardize (Seiketsu)

    Standardize the best practice within the workplace
    - Make the rules and follow them. 

5.  Sustain (Shitsuke)

     Never slip back into the old ways-make it part of
     the daily work and it becomes a habit.
    

Follow these steps and spring cleaning will be a breeze. Happy sorting!