It is September, the year 2020 is two-thirds complete, and we are excited to be moving care-fully and safely toward returning as many CMS employees as feasible to office work during the months ahead.

As we do so, many of us find ourselves mired in a complicated and difficult balance of work,

school, and family, perhaps through Fall and Winter, that will require continued patience, creativity, and cooperation. Be assured, CMS supports you as we continue to work through these challenges together.

All of us seem to face new obstacles in day-to-day life that we had scarce-ly considered prior to this year. As Team CMS, we are mindful about the need for understanding among co-workers as we continue to battle the potential spread of the virus, as we implement deliberate and carefully phased return-to-work plans, as we maintain proper distancing and sanitizing techniques, and perhaps most im-portant, as we wear our masks at all times – a strict requirement in the office environment for the protection and safety of ourselves and those with whom we work.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation to date, and of course, we appreciate the continued productivity we have seen from most who have worked from home since mid-March. We are discovering and implement-ing new and better ways for us all to work together in the months ahead.

As we deal with this stage of the crisis and seek to continue doing the work of CMS, there is no question that this COVID-19 emergency has taken a serious toll in terms of individual stress and seems to have left a general sense of helplessness affecting many. September, then, also is a good time to remind CMS staff members that our Bureau of Benefits is rolling out an expanded wellness initiative for State employees, which includes a variety of health resources that focus on mental and behavioral issues and needs, in addition to many other physical wellness benefits.

In keeping with the wellness initiative, I have issued my own challenge to CMS staff on personal wellness. I hope that each CMS staff member will seriously consider their own lifestyle, health, and wellness goals and make every effort to select physical activities that best fit your personal lifestyle to allow each of you to set milestones for fitness

Director’s Monthly Message: Janel L. Forde

September 2020

and work toward those goals, always with the support of co-workers and management. Please send an email to CMS.HealthChallenge@illinois.gov to join the challenge today and share your goals.

We do the work of the State at CMS, but it is exceedingly difficult to do our work properly unless we first attend to our own wellness issues and do our best to operate at a peak level of health and energy.

As we enter the Fall, please remember the importance of getting a flu shot early, especially considering the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Illinois. CMS will provide free flu vaccinations to all State of Illinois Group Insurance members. This year’s flu clinics will look a bit different due to social distancing requirements and the Benefits team is working hard to develop a schedule that will meet both State and CDC guidelines while accommodating health plan members.

As health plan members, you also have the option to receive a free flu vaccination from your doctor or local pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens.

September also brings a fun and exciting annual learning and sharing event in Illinois – National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes a unique and valued ethnic and cultural richness that touches all Illinoisans. With more than 1 million Illinois residents of Hispanic descent, all Illinoisans gain from the diversity rep-resented throughout the Hispanic culture, and the accompanying depth of commitment to a strong and vital Illinois economy and way of life.

Clearly, within the challenges we all face at CMS, we have a long way to go in bringing back a sense of normalcy to State government and to our daily lives. But we are making progress. We are doing the business of State government every day. Our entire staff is working to make it happen, and together, we have faith that we will continue our progress through the difficult weeks ahead.

Director Janel L. Forde

receiving her last flu shot

from Former Chicago

Department of Public

Health Commissioner

Julie Morita.

mailto:CMS.HealthChallenge@illinois.gov

“When all was said and done by May, we had processed more than a thousand new vehicles,” McGrath said. “The coordination was challeng-ing, especially at first. With the Secretary of State’s Office closed down because of COVID-19, we had to work with them to find a way to process and license these vehicles. They have been great to work with, and we managed a special connection that allowed us to get the work done.”“Diana has become one of our most essential employees,” said Peter Newman, Deputy Director for Agency Services. “She is tireless in assuring the work is accurate and timely. Her persistence and attention to detail have allowed fairly seamless operations to continue during the COVID crisis.”

McGrath’s team in Division of Vehicles also is quick to sing her praises. “I think the thing that stands out about Diana is her willingness to assist,” said Kevin Behl, who handles vehicle orders and check-in for the Divi-sion of Vehicles. “Always on the phone, the first few things out of her mouth are, ‘What do you need?’ or ‘How can I assist?’ She is willing to learn new things which better enhance our cus-tomer interactions. She is a stickler for detail and making sure things get done right. Strong work ethics and organizational skills are an asset when things are chaotic.”

“Diana recognizes tasks that need to be completed ahead of time, and takes it upon herself to ensure they are completed, requiring little or no direction,” said Brett Lindsey, Diana’s immediate supervisor in DOV. “She played a vital part during the COVID-19 shutdown ensuring all functions of licensing and titling continued without interruption.”

During the COVID-19 Spring shutdown, McGrath also assisted in provid-ing response support to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) through her efforts to quickly license several semi-trail-ers the agency acquired to serve as temporary morgues during the crisis.

McGrath has worked for the State since 1999, including 15 years with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and six years with the CMS Bureau of Personnel before joining Agency Services. She is an Army veteran, and served in Germany and California for four years during the 1990s.

For her part, McGrath is happy that CMS implemented a measured return-to-work effort in keeping with Governor Pritzker’s Statewide eopening guidelines. “The office is good, as we maintain social distanc-ing and use masks,” she said. “It’s hard to work from home, but now people are coming back. It’s not too crowded, and I feel very safe here.”

To submit a nomination for employee of the month complete the nomination form here and submit the completed form to Marjani Williams at Marjani.williams@illinois.gov.

Diana McGrath of the Bureau of Agency Services (BoAS) has been named CMS Employee of the Month for September 2020 for her exemplary work in vehicle licensing and coordination, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

McGrath joined the Bureau in April 2019 as Executive Secretary II and, as she learned the system, she was tested nearly from the outset by high volumes of paperwork for newly purchased vehicles with limited assistance available. “Diana was diligent in learning her new craft from the beginning, but she came in at the start of a very busy time for us. She has really impressed me in how quickly she learned the roles and responsibilities, and simply excelled in her work,” said Shawn Perron, CMS Vehicle Coordinator for the Division of Vehicles, who nomi-nated McGrath for the honor.

“I’m honored by the recognition,” McGrath said. “I am just glad to be here and able to help out… We definitely have good teamwork at CMS. You can’t do this kind of work alone or on your own. It takes a team effort. There have been some real challenges, but I am really happy to be here and help out where I can.”

By early Spring 2020, McGrath had mastered her daily work routine, just as COVID-19 led to a Statewide work-from-home order for many State employees. With hundreds of new vehicles due to arrive, “despite the shutdown, Diana volunteered to report to the office to coordi-nate, schedule, organize, and even help shuttle vehicles to the State fairgrounds” for final processing and pickup, Perron said. “She spent many hours here in the office manually filling out the Secretary of State’s forms for licensing and registration, and acquiring the necessary license plates for these essential agency vehicles, and scheduling the appointments for agencies to pick up their vehicles and credit cards.”

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EOTM Award for September – Diana McGrath

September 2020 Employee of the Month, Diana McGrath at her workstation.

https://cms2.portal.illinois.gov/Documents/CMS_EOM_NominationForm.pdf

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An AED, or automated external defibril-lator, is a device used to give an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart for someone who has sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). An AED has built-in computers that check the person’s heart rhythm, judge if defibrillation is needed, and then deliver the shock. It will give you audio or visual instruc-tions throughout the process.

Most AEDs are designed to be used by non-medical people such as fire department personnel, police officers, lifeguards, flight attendants, security guards, teachers, and even family members of high-risk persons.

The goal is to provide access defibrillation when needed as quickly as possible. CPR along with AEDs can dramatically increase survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest.

What is ventricular fibrillation (VF)?VF is an abnormal heart rhythm often seen in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). This rhythm is caused by abnormal and very fast electrical activity in the heart. VF is chaotic and unorganized; the heart quivers and cannot effectively pump blood. VF is short lived and will deteriorate to asystole (a flat line) if not treated promptly.

How is VF treated?The only effective treatment for VF is an electrical shock called defibrillation. Defibrillation is an electrical current applied to the chest. The electrical current passes through the heart with the goal of stopping the VF and providing an opportunity for the heart’s normal electrical system to take control. This current helps the heart reorganize the electrical activity so it can pump blood again. An automated external defibrillator (AED) can defibrillate the heart.

Why Learn to Use an AEDSudden cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, more than 350,000 people will suffer a cardiac arrest this year. Currently, the only way to restore a regular heart rhythm during cardiac arrest is to use an AED.

Of course, you can – and should – request the assistance of trained medical professionals. However, because the average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes, and for each minute defibrillation is delayed, the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10%, having access to and AED and knowing how to use one, is critical.

Safety Corner - Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

Before Using the AEDThese AED steps should be used when caring for a non-breathing child aged 8 or older who weighs more than 55 pounds, or an adult.

After checking the scene and ensuring that the person needs help, you should ask a bystander to call 911 for help, then:1. Turn on the AED and follow the visual and/or audio prompts.2. Open the person’s shirt and wipe his or her bare chest dry. If the person

is wearing any medication patches, you should use a gloved (if possible) hand to remove the patches before wiping the person’s chest.

3. Attach the AED pads according to the device’s instructions, and plug in the connector (if necessary).

4. Make sure no one is, including you, is touching the person. Tell every-one to “stand clear.”

5. Push the “analyze” button (if necessary) and allow the AED to analyze the person’s heart rhythm.

6. If the AED recommends that you deliver a shock to the person, make sure that no one, including you, is touching the person – and tell every-one to “stand clear.” Once clear, press the “shock” button.

7. Begin CPR after delivering the shock. Or, if no shock is advised, begin CPR. Perform 2 minutes (about 5 cycles) of CPR and continue to follow the AED’s prompts. If you notice obvious signs of life, discontinue CPR and monitor breathing for any changes in condition.

Click here to view a video tutorial on how to use an AED.

Click here to view a video tutorial for CPR on adults.

Visit the American Red Cross and American Heart Association websites for more information about AED training opportunities.

An automated external debfibrillator (AED)

with full details for proper use.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/perfoming-cpr/cpr-stepshttps://youtu.be/mfiWikreG4khttp://www.redcrossrefresher.com/media/videos/adultcpr.htmlhttps://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/aed/aed-traininghttps://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/illinois/illinois

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The 2020 Illinois State Employee Engagement Survey (EES) is now live. Please help CMS by using the link provided to open and participate in the survey with your candid thoughts about the State workplace. Employee engagement is defined as the

level at which staff is involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. Your feedback from this survey helps agency leaders understand the status of employee engagement in each agency and how to improve the level of engagement.

The EES is both anonymous and confidential. We do not attempt to identify or release individual survey responses. Instead, we perform cumulative analyses on all the survey responses as a whole. The survey

Employee Engagement Survey

will close at 5p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2020. While your responses to the survey are encouraged and appreciated, survey partici-pation is not mandatory.

Your feedback is incredibly valuable to the State and CMS. Previous feed-back from past surveys has informed many current strategies around goals like improving employee morale, skill development, and career-building among State agencies.

Please click this link to complete the survey. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please direct them to TeamIllinois@illinois.gov.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the State of Illinois.

Congratulations to the IL Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) for completing the program’s annual inventory in the shortest timeframe ever for the State of Illinois.

The annual inventory fulfills a requirement of the agreement between the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the State, which allows for the transfer of excess Department of Defense property and equipment to law enforcement agencies (LEAs) across the nation.

The inventory’s timeline for completion is 90 days however the IL LESO team completed the task in an astonishing 36 days. Illinois current-ly has the second-largest LEA participation in the nation and only five other states have completed the task to date.

In 2020, the team used new technology and transformed the traditional format into the “E-LESO” to increase efficiencies. The team credits the use of new e-tools and strong relationships with partic-ipating LEAs in helping to improve responsiveness to DLA requirements and support to LEAs. The DLA has formally recognized the IL LESO’s “hard, tenacity, and innovation” for these efforts.

IL LESO Office Administrator Rewa Bowdrey served as the project manager and used Hubspot, a customer relationship platform, to collect and organize electronic records for LEA contacts. Hubspot also allowed the team to communicate internally and track and monitor progress.

The team also used Pandadoc, a document completion and submission platform, to ensure that required documents were completed quickly and accurately. With the integration of new technology for electronic sub-missions, the LEA’s eliminated the need to print, fill out, scan, and email documents with fewer errors.

IL LESO Program Annual Inventory

Training videos were also created to walk LEA’s through the step-by-step process of creating accounts on the new platforms, filling out required documents, searching for the property, and completing their inventory certification.

Currently, there are 440 LESO participants and the team hopes to enlist more LEA’s into the program soon. The IL LESO Program provides LEA’s with various types of much needed equipment, including medical supplies (AEDs, first aid kits, turnakits), cold weather gear and off-terrain vehicles for search and rescue efforts. After recent flooding in Crawford County, the Sheriff’s department used a LAV-300 obtained through the program to assist an elderly person who was trapped due to floodwaters.

Congratulations to Rewa Boldrey, Dave Rector, Sarah Wallace and Brent Boesdorfer on their hard work in making the IL LESO Program a success!

The Crawford County Sheriff’s department using a light armored vehicle, LAV-300, obtained through the IL LESO program to rescue an elderly resident who was trapped due to floodwaters.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P5SVHVQhttp://www.illinois.gov/leso

Office of the DirectorJanel L. Forde(217) 782-2141

For more information on this newsletter or any other CMS initiatives, contact:

Marjani Williams • Deputy Director: (312) 814-1676

Wendy Butler • Director of Governmental Affairs: (217) 785-19410078-20, 05/20, web21-0139, 09-20, web

National Black Business MonthThe Business Enterprise Program (BEP) celebrated National Black Business Month in August with a series of virtual panel discussions to support Black and other minority business owners. Featured panelists included Matt Simpson from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO), Thyatiria Towns from Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Marcus Yancey from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Rosalyn E. Putman from the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Participants were given detailed information on vendor requirements for selling to the federal government, current opportunities with CPS and funding opportunities available through LISC.

Director Janel Forde and BEP Outreach Manager Irma Lopez also joined DCEO and Groupon for a panel discussion of best practices for doing business with the State of Illinois including options for BEP certification.

Events Corner

Benefits Corner

2020 Rapid Results Summit

Registration for the 2020 Rapid Results Summit, Expedition: Excellence, is now open. Please go to the Summit’s website to register. While there, you can get a preview of the exciting live sessions and informative breakout videos that will be presented.

The Rapid Results Summit will take place from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. It is open to all state employees with supervisor/agency approval, so please feel free to forward this information to your colleagues.

We hope that you can attend EXPEDITION: EXCELLENCE!Click here to register.

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/RapidResultSummit/Pages/default.aspxhttps://www2.illinois.gov/sites/RapidResultSummit/Pages/Registration.aspx