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Director's Message
Feb. 15, 2008
To: All DHS employees From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., Director
"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.”
Although today’s quote references humor, I’d like to discuss a serious topic, one that I know is on many of our minds -- the economy and its connection to our work.
This past week many DHS staff members testified before the Joint Ways and Means Committee about a variety of topics that impact funding for our agency. While the presentations went well, everyone in the room was aware of the most recent state revenue forecast, which predicts that revenues in the months ahead will fall below earlier projections.
We’ve all read news reports stating we’re either in or headed for a recession, so while the revenue forecast wasn’t a surprise, it’s still a source of concern about what it might mean for our ability to serve our clients. And, it brings to the fore the need to honor our core value of stewardship.
Not only must we be especially diligent in finding ways to deliver the highest and most cost-effective services, I think it’s equally important that we consider a different aspect of stewardship -- that of being good stewards of the many individuals who rely on us for help. It is our collective responsibility (that of all Oregonians) to do our best for our most vulnerable neighbors, no matter what the state of the economy.
In times of economic uncertainty, our clients face great anxiety and fear that the services they depend upon will not be there for them. They know, as well as the rest of us, that economic downturns come with a double whammy -- more people need services just as funding for those services drops.
That’s why all of us need to do our part to ease those fears and minimize the potential harm of a slowing economy on our clients and our communities.
We at DHS can do this in many ways -- by exercising good stewardship of resources, by delivering the highest quality services, by stepping up our advocacy efforts to ensure that our federal partners will sustain and strengthen their support, and by engaging Oregonians’ awareness of the importance of providing a health and human services safety net.
The Legislature and the public can do this by continuing to make certain that the resources to support health and human services will continue to be there. This past week, I have been encouraged by the work and commitment of the Legislature to ensure that we have the funding and resources we need to continue to do our job.
I also know very well that we are doing our part to become more effective and efficient, and to help Oregonians, and I thank you for all your good work. But equally important, all of us need to engage Oregonians in a dialog about the importance of the services we provide and the value those services bring to our neighbors and our communities, and to encourage society to make improving our health and caring for our most vulnerable neighbors a priority.
I am hopeful that this economic downturn will be brief and mild. We will get through it. Please keep focused on continuing to do great work in support of our mission.
To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us
This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access. |
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