Healthier Living San Francisco - Leader Training

Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is organizing a Healthier Living Leader Training for the community. We are currently reaching out to all San Francisco Community friends and family who want to volunteer to become a Trainer and through a series of workshops, will learn to teach the community about Healthier Living.

As a trainer, you will learn about the program. Healthier Living is about managing ongoing health conditions such as, but not limited to, diabetes, lung disease, stroke, heart disease, or arthritis. Studies have proven that for participants who attended the Program's workshops, when compared to those who did not, demonstrated significant improvements in exercise, better communication with their physicians, fatigue, and social activities and appropriate limitations.

Patients Friends & Families should apply!

http://healthier-living-sf.eventbrite.com/ (PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO SIGN UP AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, SCROLL DOWN TO "LEADER TRAINING" AND YOU WILL FIND THE INFORMATION FOR THIS EVENT.)

Also, if you have any questions you may contact me directly. Thank you.

Loving your Job

It's been a while since I've written here. Since then I've been exteremly busy at my job. I've been given two community projects to do and also a big project to do with our volunteers at the hospital. Two and a half weeks ago I received really good news about my job. I was hired in Sept. 2008 as a Full Time Temporary Employee because they were not sure now my position would work since it was a new position that was created. I haven't been benefited since then. I just found out I would become a Benefited Full Time employee. I'm so happy. I love what I do. I do a bunch of things, and our office is really busy, but I don't think I've ever said I love my job. With the economy now a days, I'm really blessed to be where I'm at. I hope that everyone else out there looking for employment, would get a job soon. I pray everyday that my job continues success for me because I found what I love to do, at the same time I get to be around the medical field people. I wanted to work in the medical field when I was in college, but because of bad timing I never pursued that career.

With the upcoming months I have plenty on my plate. We have volunteer recognition week in April and also a Chronic Disease Self-Management Training Program to become a Leader. May, I have a few events involving the volunteers, and the Hepitatis B event at the San Francisco Giants Game. Then in June, I have a big luncheon event for our volunteers at the hospital. Lots of exciting things.

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program is a program that got started by Stanford University in 1996. It's a program where trainers host a series of 6 workshops in the community to teach people living with a chronic or acute condition, how to manage their health. The success rates have been a really good turn out since this program started, and now we want to host the workshops at our hospital after I get trained. Many exciting things!!! :) I'm looking for people who are intrested in becoming trained. Contact me if you want more information. Til next time... :)

Mangers knowing how to manage

So I had a meeting with my boss today. She was LATE again to the meeting. I don't mind it, because she's the director of 4 different departments in the hospital and she's always back to back meetings. I'm not saying that's an excuse. I'm just saying I don't mind it because I always look forward to her meetings. She's always coaching me and teaching me about my job and how to improve. Where many managers like to tell you what to do and the way THEY want things done. This boss, she likes to hear about my thoughts, and my ideas, and we can brainstorm on what's the best efficient way to do things.

I started out with 3 items to talk about...and as I go through my list, I ended up updating her with 10 extra things and she really liked that I was on top of things and organized. I can't stress about how much I really really like my job. My last job which was a job I also loved, but the manager of our Marketing department was a big ERRRRRRRRRRRRR lady. (trying not to use bad words on here....hehehe) We would have 1 on 1 meetings so I could update her with everthing I'm doing on a weekly basis, and she would always ask these tricky questions to make sure you answer what she wants to hear. And if it's not something she wants to hear then she says that I am the one with communication problem. WEIRD! Anyway...long story short...I just found out she got fired. It's so sad, but at the same time, she was such an awful woman. My whole marketing team can vow for that too! Everyone is so much happier now that they aren't working there. I still keep in touch with some of my old coworkers. They are so sweet.

I was told by my manager that her form of management is coaching her staff all the way through their career at the company. When an employee has a review or an evaluation coming up, they should not be surprised at what is said or written down because the manager's responsibility is to let them know their rights and wrongs through out the time that of their whole employment with that company. She also said not all managers do that, but that's the way she does it. I think this way is a really good and effective way to manage. Don't surprise your employee at their evaluation that they did something wrong. Also, if you have to extend their probation period, let them know that you're extending it, don't just extend it without them knowing.

Throughout my many jobs, I've learned many different kinds and forms of management and so far I can say I really like this form. I love learning from my superior at work because they've been at their jobs a lot longer than I have, so hearing their experience is such a good experience for me to look forward to what I have to do to better my job. :)

STUPID DRIVERS IN San Francisco....AND everywhere else!

So part of my job besides the obvious of my job title "Chinese Guest Relations and Outreach Coordinator" is that I supervise our volunteers in our hospital. Our volunteer program is a very large program that we host for the community. Ages range from high school students to retired seniors. The seniors in our volunteer program have dedicated many years and time to our hospital to help out, and we love them for that. I have a senior that volunteers in my office every Monday. She has been with us for many years (86 yrs old) and she only lives 3-5 blocks from our hospital. Yesterday as she was walking home, she was struck by a car. Now in ICU, and then would have to have surgery, then possibly back to ICU. I'm so sad for today and I will be thinking about her and praying that she's ok.

People in San Francisco, can NOT drive. They don't stop when they have to, and they don't go when they have to. They do not pay attention and thats why stupid things like this happen. I don't know how else to voice this out.

This same incident almost happened a few months ago with another senior volunteer of mine. There are so many one way streets in San Francisco, that a lot of people who are not used to the streets, end up turning onto the wrong streets. I'm so glad I just work in San Francisco, and that I don't live in San Francisco.

Please keep my senior in your prayers too. :)

UPDATE, AS OF 3/11/2009 12PM, SHE PASSED AWAY: RIP Kathy Wong. :'(

Year of the Ox 2009

I can't believe it's 2009. 2008 just flied by so quickly. But I can say that my holidays for 2008 was one of the best ones so far. Last year was my first Christmas in San Francisco. I tried to make the best of it because I always dreamt of having my own real christmas tree and lights, etc... Anyway...long story short, it ended up being ok...so I decided to tell my boyfriend that Christmas 2008 will be a much better one. I'm glad it turned out well, with some lights, we went ornament shopping together...had a chance to get together with my boyfriends family. This Christmas really felt like Christmas, with the cold weather, raining, and wind. I was really happy.

Now with 2009, I can't believe it's March already, and this weekend we already have to set the clocks forward. My boyfriend and I went back home to Huntington Beach to see family for Chinese New Year. It was his first time experiencing the new year with my family and it was such a great time. My nephews want to play with him, my family's talking to him, it really felt like home. :)

Since then, I've been back at work and it's such a crazy time because I'm up and about all the time for work. I'm still a little anxious about work because I don't have benefits yet, and I have so much work to do. I just pray that they get my benefits in quicker. The annoying part is that if I get benefits started, my 90-day probation has to be restarted. Sigh** so many things...I was just told not to be worried about it. So I just look on the positive side, since they like me a lot and know that I can do my job, they trust me with projects, etc...that's a good thing. I look forward to getting my benefits quicker. :)

Not only that...but I hope this year of the ox will bring lots of good fortune to me and all my friends and family, even everyone around me. I had a great 2008...lets pray that it continues to 2009 and many, many years later. ;)

Update for year end of 2008

I haven't been here in a long time. I should do two updates today. So the last time I wrote in here was when I found out I was going to be laid off. That was really a hard time, but I had a lot of positive coworkers/friends around me, so I was sending out resume's constantly. I was lucky to have 6 weeks before my last day of work to find a job. It was really nice to come home early, do some chores, clean the house, etc...when I didn't have an interview.

My last day at my old job, 09.12.2008...the weirdest thing happened. Since I worked for a non-profit senior services firm, many people in the community, and our community partners knew what was going on, and they really wanted my team to stay to work for this firm, so they asked what they can do to help. The people I worked with wrote letters to the CEO and my boss about how well I did and how they really hate to see me go. That morning I checked my email, and one of my buildings I worked with, the social worker sent an email to the CEO, and CC'ed my boss about being really disappointed about their decision of letting all of my team and I go. My boss go furious and came over to scream at me. She not only screamed at me, but she screamed at me in front of other coworkers. (Tip: Not very professional at all for managers who do that. Next time you have to say something to your staff, please take them into a room or conference room to do it in private.) I've been told in the past, when I first started working there...that my boss doesn't like her staff being recognized for doing good. I didn't understand why, and now I don't know if I still do understand why or not, but if I was a boss or manager, and someone said my staff is doing well, I'd be really happy because that means I'm doing something right. Anyway...after I got my lay off package, I just left and went shopping. :)

The last week at my old job, I went to interview for a job. This position is doing some chinese translation, outreach coordinator, supervising, and project management. I really liked the opportunity, and it was a Wednesday when I went to interview. This place is really close to my old work, so that was kind of good, if I wanted to see my old coworkers, but too bad this job has later hours. :( An hour after I interviewed, I got a call saying I got the job right away. I was so happy....I was praying and praying for a job right after my old job ends, and this just came right in time. I'm so glad I was persistent. A friend of mine always says I'm persistent in anything I do and thats what he loved about me. :) I hope I can continue to be like that for a long long time. :)