2012 Volunteer of the Year Award for the City of San Jose

Each year, the Santa Clara County Emergency Managers Association honors individuals who volunteer their time to serve the communities in which they live.  I was pleasantly surprised when Chris Godley, the Director of the Office of Emergency Services for the City of San Jose (CA), told me that I’d been nominated to receive this award.

The awards banquet was held on Dec 20, 2012 at the Three Flames Restaurant in San Jose, CA.  Each volunteer was introduced by his or her city’s Emergency Manager and as I listened to the introductions what impressed me was the scope of everyone’s contributions.  No task was too small or unimportant and conversely, no project was too large and daunting to be taken on.  In some cases, volunteers had special skills that the agency needed but didn’t have; in other cases volunteers performed routine duties and in doing so freed up someone else’s time to do other work.

I also took a moment to reflect on why I like volunteering:

  • I can set my own schedule
  • I get to choose what projects I work on
  • I have the freedom to use all my skills and knowledge
  • I have the opportunity to learn new skills and gain more knowledge
  • I have the chance to make a difference
  • I’m appreciated for the work that I do

I feel very honored to be the recipient of the 2012 Volunteer of the Year for the City of San Jose.  It’s been a very rewarding experience and I have no plans to slow down in 2013.  If you’ve ever considered becoming a volunteer, I’d encourage you to give it a try.

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Re-designing the Electronic Medical Record

Friday, Dec 7, 2012 – A few weeks ago, a friend and colleague approached me about entering a Challenge being sponsored by the White House.  The purpose of the Challenge was to re-design the electronic medical record currently being used by over 6 million patients receiving care through the Veterans’ Administration.  The medical records are difficult to interpret and the goal was to make it easier for Veterans to access and understand their medical history.

My friend sent me the link to the Challenge in an email that simply said “Interested?”  Two weeks later our team had grown to four people and after working night after night until the wee hours of the morning, we submitted our design.

Each of us wrote a short biography and described what motivated us to enter this Challenge.  The common thread was respect for our Veterans and the desire to improve their care.  For two of us, it was personal; my friend’s uncle was killed in the Korean War and his remains were only recently recovered.  My father was a soldier for over 29 years and fought in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. We each wanted to give a little of ourselves to make a small improvement, a positive change to the lives of the women and men of the US Armed Forces who have ‘paid it forward’.

The designs are being reviewed by a panel of judges this week and they’ll announce a winner on Dec 12, 2012.  Wish us luck, but regardless who wins the Challenge we believe our Veterans will benefit from the results and that’s what it’s really all about.