Each year during the State Employees’ Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, a permanent state employee is presented the John R. Larkins Award for their commitment to equality and justice in the workplace and community.

Gov. Pat McCrory’s office looks forward to continuing with the tradition of excellence by honoring an outstanding state employee at next month’s Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, to be held at noon on Jan. 17 at First Baptist Church, 99 North Salisbury St., Raleigh.

The Larkins Award is presented to the nominee who best exemplifies the deeds of Larkins in human and race relations in the workplace and community. Nomination deadline is Dec. 31, 2013. Please forward a biography, supporting documents and any other materials directly to the Office of Community and Constituent Affairs at the Office of the Governor, Attention: Judy Kay Jefferson, Director, John R. Larkins Award Nomination Committee, 20301 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-0301 or email it to Alicia.johnson@nc.gov.

The award was established in 1998 as one of North Carolina’s highest honors for human service.  Dr. John R. Larkins, a native of Wilmington, was a consultant to the N.C. Department of Welfare in 1942. He entered state government at a time when most decision-making jobs were closed to minorities. He rose to prominence within state government serving as associate director of the former State Probation Commission. 

Larkins persuaded Gov. Terry Sanford to create the Good Neighbor Council, now the Human Relations Commission. Later, he became director of youth development in the state’s training school programs during the administration of Gov. James E. Holshouser, Jr. In 1977, Larkins was appointed by Gov. James B. Hunt to serve as special assistant for minority affairs, the post he held until his death in 1980.

The first Larkins Award was presented posthumously to the Larkins family at the 1998 State Employees’ MLK and Larkins Award ceremony.

Dear Employees,

As the holidays draw near and 2013 comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to pause and thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to the people we serve.  The most important strength of the Department of Health and Human Services is the talent and dedication of its employees.

It is through your constant efforts that our many agencies and services make a positive difference in the lives of people every day. It is an honor and privilege to work alongside so many talented professionals who care deeply about improving the health and well-being of fellow North Carolinians. I look forward to continuing our journey in 2014.

As you spend time with family and loved ones, appreciate your time together. It is precious and it should be treasured. Above all, enjoy a safe and joyous holiday season.

With best wishes for the holidays and the New Year,

Secretary Wos 

The DHHS Insurance Committee met Dec. 9. Left to right, front row – Linda Taylor, Terri Smith, Kelly Jones, Dennis Mays and Pearla Alston; back row – David Womble, Dr. Scott Mann, Marjorie Donaldson, David Burton, Mark Gogal, Felicia Davis and Rob Kindsvatter. Jones provides Human Resources support to the committee, Alston, Gogal, and Womble serve as advisors to the committee, and Davis provides oversight. Rickye Collie, who was not available for the photograph, also serves as an advisor.

The DHHS Employee Insurance Committee met Dec. 9 to receive presentations from the current DHHS insurance vendors.  Committee members had the opportunity to receive information and ask questions about our current products in preparation for decisions to be made about the future direction of DHHS insurance product offerings.

Newly restructured in 2013, the committee now comes under the oversight of the DHHS Human Resources function, which will allow for more continuity with the committee from year to year.  With rising insurance costs, the work of the committee to offer employees competitive insurance products that meet their needs and that help defray the costs associated with dealing with life’s challenges is more important than ever.

The committee will be conducting a DHHS Employee Insurance Products Interest Survey in early 2014 to identify products that employees are interested in being offered. Currently, DHHS offers five insurance products to its employees, in addition to the State Health Plan and NC Flex Insurance Products offered to all state employees:  ARAG Legal Services insurance, Colonial Life Disability Plan, Humana Dental Plan, ING/Reliastar Term Life insurance, and Protective Universal Life insurance. 

The Insurance Committee is charged to:

• Review insurance produces currently offered through payroll deduction to DHHS employees;
• Determine if those products meet the needs and desires of DHHS employees;
• Select the types of insurance products that reflect the needs and desires of DHHS employees; and
• Competitively select the best insurance products of the types determined by the committee to reflect the needs and desires of DHHS employees.

A food drive by employees of the Division of Information Resource Management resulted in more than 320 pounds of canned and packaged food being delivered to the Food Bank of North Carolina.

In all it was 260 cans of food and 76 boxes of packaged dried goods that were collected in the drive mounted by DIRM managers as an outgrowth of a pre-Thanksgiving luncheon provided by managers to all DIRM employees.

“Awesome job,” quipped Janice Warren, who helped organized both the lunch for employees and the food drive, in a message announcing the accomplishment.

We agree. Congratulations DIRM!

Featured from left to right are: Philip Woodward, Communications Project Manager (Department of Health and Human Services); Robin Kalish, Park Superintendent (Department of Environment and Natural Resources); Dave Cook, District Superintendent (Department of Environment and Natural Resources); and Dalton Holmes, Design and Construction Services, State Construction Office (Department of Administration).

Since 1986, the Department of Health and Human Services’ ACCESS North Carolina program has partnered with the State Construction Office in the Department of Administration to improve accessibility for visitors with disabilities at state-owned tourist attractions. 

These attractions have included state parks in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, state historic sites in the Department of Cultural Resources and educational state Forests in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

This month Philip Woodward, DHHS Communications Project Manager, and Dalton Holmes from the State Construction Office visited Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury (Stokes County north of Winston-Salem) to discuss ACCESS North Carolina improvements. 

Hanging Rock State Park currently has one wheelchair-accessible picnic bench and an accessible fishing pier. The ACCESS North Carolina program plans to increase recreational opportunities for visitors with mobility disabilities and their families and travel companions at North Carolina’s 2012 Park of the Year by funding additional accessible picnic benches, an accessible picnic shelter and better access to the park’s lake beach and boathouse. These improvements will also benefit other groups of visitors such as senior citizens who currently need to trek up a long flight of wooden steps or a steep hill to reach a picnic shelter near the lake.

After the design development, review and approval process, construction is anticipated to begin during the second half of 2014.

Santa Andy points to boxes of toys

Staff of the N.C. Division of Social Services joined forces with the U.S. Marine Corps, donating and collecting for Toys for Tots.

The Division’s own ‘Santa Andy,’ aka Andy Raby, reminded all of the joy of giving, and most everyone joined the fun of a special photo with Santa.

The Pay Distribution Unit of the Child Support Section led the way by donating two brand-new bicycles. Not to be outdone, a secret Santa from Child Welfare Services provided the ever-popular “Buzz Lightyear.” Barbie dolls appeared to be as popular as ever.

The donation boxes at Hargrove/McBryde and Royster buildings on the Dix Campus were filled to the brim with stuffed animals, baby dolls and cars and trucks of all sizes for all ages.

The late Len Erker, who touched the lives of countless individuals and families in so many  positive ways, and who  helped create and championed Project C.A.R.E. , is the posthumous recipient of the 2013 George L. Maddox Award of the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services.

The award, given earlier this month in Asheville, recognizes an individual or organization in North Carolina that has excelled in developing and implementing creative programs for older adults.  The Maddox Award is named for Dr. George L. Maddox, who was a noted gerontologist and founding director of Duke University’s Long Term Care Resource Program.

Project C.A.R.E. (Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty) was established in 2001 as a federally funded demonstration program in four western North Carolina counties. It quickly became a nationally acclaimed service helping families caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. To learn more, go to: www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/ncprojectcare.htm.  Erker shepherded the program that he believed had the potential to help the families he touched and through his mentoring of other professionals across the state.

Dennis Streets, director of the Division of Aging and Adult Services, presented the award to Erker’s widow, Nancy Ellen Fargo, and seven of the couple’s nine children, eight of whom were adopted from Ethiopia, Haiti, China and Vietnam.  Streets spoke of Erker’s name being added to the division’s website for the award along with the 22 previous honorees.

“Len represented all of what was best in these other individuals,” Streets said. “He had the spirit, vision and dedication of Ann Johnson – one of our state’s aging pioneers; he showed the diplomacy and wisdom of Pat Capehart Brown, former chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging; and the integrity of the Rev. Dr. Robert Seymour, a champion of social justice.”

Erker, 65, was director of Respite for Project C.A.R.E. at the Land of Sky Regional Council in Asheville. He passed away on Aug. 10, 2013.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services hosted a roll-out event for the Spanish version of ACCESS North Carolina, titled ACCESO Carolina del Norte, on Friday, December 6. The publication, which was originally printed in English, provides details on the accessibility of nearly 400 tourist sites across North Carolina, including specific information about parking, types of paths, entrances, restrooms, water fountains and elevators.

“This is a very important source of information for individuals with disabilities and it enhances the quality of life for individuals who previously were unable to access areas for vacation and relaxation,” said Sherry Bradsher, Deputy Secretary of Human Services.

“ACCESO Carolina del Norte is a very important resource for the community and the Spanish population,” added Felipe Cabrera, Latino Outreach Specialist.

The guide was assembled with information gathered from visits to sites with a tape measure, and from phone calls and questionnaires returned that were sent to hundreds of sites across the state. It is available in print, CD and on-line format and will soon be available at various DHHS offices and all of North Carolina’s Welcome Centers. It is also available in text format for individuals with vision loss who use a screen reader. This travel resource is funded through fees from special license plates, which also help to pay for improving accessibility at state-owned tourist sites, such as adding captioning to visitor center videos or improving physical access at campgrounds and bathhouses.

The on-line English and Spanish PDF and text versions are available at:www.ncdhhs.gov/dvrs/pwd/ils.htm.

Anyone wishing to request a copy in print or CD format can email mailto:access.nc@dhhs.nc.gov to request a copy.

For millions of people every season, the flu can mean a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue, and miserable days spent in bed. However, you may not realize that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States from flu complications each year. The flu can also be deadly; North Carolina has already seen three adult deaths this influenza season.

Cherry Hospital staff after flu vaccination

“We hope that these tragic cases will help alert other people to the risks associated with contracting flu and the importance of protecting yourself and your family through vaccination,” said Acting State Health Director Robin Gary Cummings, M.D. 

This week marks National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), a national observance created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination.  

Flu season typically peaks during January and February. Complications from flu can be particularly dangerous for high risk groups including infants under 2, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or immune system problems.

“Anyone in a high risk group who gets the flu should see a doctor right away so they can receive treatment with an antiviral drug,” Cummings said. “Early treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between a mild illness and a very serious illness.”

A critical audience for improved vaccination rates is the healthcare workforce.  Beginning this year, DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos approved a policy requiring that  employees and individuals working in clinical areas of the Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities (DSOHF)  be required to receive a yearly influenza vaccine  unless they have received a pre-approved exemption. Out of 10,307 facility employees, only 10 did not meet the December 1 deadline or received an approved exemption.

“I am so proud of all of our facilities and employees, and very thankful to Secretary Wos who directed us to undertake this important project,” said DSOHF Medical Director Dr. Susan Saik Peebles. “Our facilities and employees worked together to take this great step to protect some of our state’s most vulnerable citizens.” 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an average of 96.5 percent of healthcare workers nationwide who were subject to mandatory flu vaccination policies received immunizations in the 2012-13 year.  DSOHF surpassed not only the national average, but also UNC Hospitals’ mandatory employee vaccination initiative on all fronts – lower number of separations, lower number of exemptions, and higher rate of actual vaccination.

Hoping to increase not only awareness to the importance of influenza vaccination, but vaccines needed through the lifespan, the DHHS Division of Public Health’s Vaccinations Protect Generations media campaign was re-launched this fall for its third consecutive year. Learn more about the campaign at www.vaccinationsprotect.org.

MEMORANDUM from December 4, 2013

To: Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Employees

From: Mark Gogal, Director DHHS Human Resources

Laketha M. Miller, Director DHHS Office of the Controller

Subject: Required State Tax Withholding Form for January Payrolls

The North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) has issued revised state tax withholding forms for the 2014 tax year and instructed employers to obtain new state tax withholding data for all employees.  

NCDOR’s reason for this requirement is the NC General Assembly recently enacted House Bill 998 which becomes effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014.  Under the new law, all taxpayers will pay a lower rate and be granted a higher standard deduction.  Taxpayers may no longer claim a personal exemption for themselves, their spouse, children, or any other qualifying dependents.  Additionally, many deductions and tax credits that impact North Carolina withholding tax are no longer available for tax years beginning on or after January 1^st.  

The new law sets a single income tax rate and makes substantial changes to the taxable income calculation. As an employee, your current state tax withholding allowances may not be appropriate under the new law. To prevent under withholding state income tax, NCDOR requires that employees not completing the new withholding form be set to the default status of “Single” with “0” allowances effective 1/1/2014.

We are asking all DHHS employees to complete either the http://www.dornc.com/downloads/nc4ez.pdf Form NC-4 EZ or  http://www.dornc.com/downloads/nc4.pdf Form NC-4, and then logon to Beacon ESS (Employee Self-Service) to enter your NC tax withholding selections.  You must enter your selections in Beacon ESS by Friday, January 17^th, in time for the January payroll deadline.  Please note that if no changes are made, your NC tax withholdings will remain at the current default of ‘Single’ with ‘no allowances’ beginning with your January 2014 pay.  

Attached are instructions for entering your NC tax withholding selections into Beacon ESS after completing the NC-4 EZ or NC-4.  Additionally, a Powerpoint presentation of these instructions and the forms are available at the following DHHS weblink: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/humanresources/orientation/day_main.html. If you do not have Beacon access, hard copies of the NC-4 EZ and NC-4 forms are also available upon request in your local Human Resources Office.

If you have questions about entering your NC tax withholding selections into Beacon ESS, please contact your local Human Resources Office, or Best Shared Services at 1-866-622-3784 (or 919-707-0707 in the Raleigh area).  Please have your Beacon personnel number available. 

If you have questions completing the Form NC-4 EZ or Form NC-4 and/or changes to your tax withholding allowances, please call NCDOR at 1-877-252-4487.

All DHHS (and other state) employees must complete a new Form NC-4EZ or Form NC-4 tax withholding form for tax year 2014.

As a result of recent law changes, how you determine the number of allowances for tax year 2014 will differ from previous years.

Most taxpayers will not be entitled to as many allowances, and as a result, more taxpayers will claim zero (0) allowances. 

Additionally, you are no longer allowed to claim a N.C. withholding personal exemption for yourself, your spouse, your children, or any other qualifying dependents.

DHHS Director of Human Resources Mark Gogal has spelled out what employees must know and do to prepare for the new requirements in a memo issued Dec. 4. (click here for Mark Gogal’s memo).

The memo includes links to the Form NC-4 EZ and the Form NC-4 needed to determine your N.C. tax withholding selections. 

One more step – you also must logon to Beacon ESS (Employee Self-Service) to enter your N.C. tax withholding selections. Those selections must be entered by Jan. 17, 2014 in time for the January payroll deadline. If no changes are made, your N.C. tax withholdings will remain at the current default of ‘Single’ with ‘no allowances’ beginning with your January 2014 pay.

If you have questions about entering your N.C. tax withholding selections in Beacon ESS, have your Beacon personnel number available when you contact your local Human Resources Office, or Best Shared Services at 1-866-622-3784 (or, in the Raleigh area, 919-707-0707).

For questions about completing your Form NC-4 EZ or Form NC-4 and/or changes to your tax withholding allowances, call N.C. Department of Revenue at 1-877-252-4487.

Bob Atlas, DHHS Consultant, speaks about options to the Advisory Group, left, and the audience.

An overflow crowd attended the Dec. 5 meeting, held at the Grill meeting room on the Dix Campus in Raleigh.

More than 180 people attended the first meeting of the Medicaid Reform Advisory Group, part of Gov. Pat McCrory’s effort toward finding more efficient and effective ways to provide Medicaid-funded care to North Carolina’s needy citizens.

The appointed advisory group received information from Department of Health and Human Services staff and experts, all aimed at explaining the scope of services and costs, the measures neighboring and like-sized states have put in place to help contain costs, and some of the possible approaches that may be used in North Carolina to bring costs under control.

In North Carolina, Medicaid costs have soared and depleted the state’s budget for years, with $500 million cost overruns often hitting DHHS each spring as legislators prepare the coming year’s budgets.

The advisory group will collaborate with DHHS in its development of a detailed plan to reform North Carolina’s Medicaid system, and DHHS is to present a reform proposal to the General Assembly no later than March 17, 2014.

The advisory group, as instructed by the General Assembly, is obtaining stakeholder input in a public forum to ensure transparency in the proposal development process. The group is working with DHHS as it explores all options to come up with the best plan for North Carolina. It includes three citizens appointed by Gov. McCrory, a state representative and a state senator: 

• Dennis Barry (Guilford County), advisory group chair - Barry is CEO emeritus of Cone Health, a multihospital system serving the Piedmont region of North Carolina.
• Peggy Terhune (Randolph County) - Terhune is the executive director/CEO of Monarch since 1995. She has worked with people with disabilities for more than 35 years.
• Richard Gilbert, M.D., M.B.A. (Mecklenburg County) - Dr. Gilbert has served as the chief of staff for Carolinas Medical Center and was the chief of the Department of Anesthesiology for Carolina’s Medical Center for 20 years.
• Representative Nelson Dollar (Wake) - Appointed by House of Representatives Speaker Thom Tillis.
• Senator Louis Pate (Lenoir, Pitt, Wayne) - Appointed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger.

More information on the governor’s appointees can be found at governor.nc.gov/newsroom/press-releases.

Since its inception in 1970, the N.C. Medicaid program has evolved into an essential component of the state’s health care system. It currently serves approximately 1.7 million low-income parents, children, seniors and people with disabilities.

The Medicaid Reform Advisory Group will hold additional meetings during which stakeholders will have the opportunity to publicly comment on the reform process. Public notices will be issued with the dates, times and locations.

Interested in learning more?

Several presentations were viewed at the meeting. You may view them on the Partnership for a Healthy North Carolina web page, under the heading: Advisory Group Meetings at: www.ncdhhs.gov/medicaidreform/index.htm.