October 6, 2006

Goodbye and thank you for all your help

Hello,

Next Friday is my last day at L&I so this is my final opportunity to have a thoughtful conversation with you about my 18 months here and provide a little advice on the future.

When I took this job, I thought it would be the best job in government and, frankly, it was everything I hoped it would be. Working at L&I provided me with a wide variety of experiences, a chance to gain new knowledge and, most of all, an opportunity to make a difference. Like the recruiting ad says, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.

The Governor gave me a great opportunity to be here and I am thankful to her. I accepted this position in large part because of her vision of a state government that is more responsible and accountable to the people of Washington. I have some experience in this area since I worked directly under four other governors down in Oregon. Governor Gregoire is one of the few chief executives I’ve known who is able to consistently follow through on what she believes are the goals of the state. And she holds us accountable for our performance. She really does want to make things better — it’s not just a cliché.

I feel like I made a lot of close friends both within the agency and among stakeholders. I am grateful for all the people who work here. You helped me understand the issues and you supported the changes we made.

I wish I could thank all of you individually but I’m afraid I’d accidentally leave someone out who really helped me. I did want to thank the Leadership Team, the top executives at L&I. I felt really supported by them throughout my time here.

This weekly message is something I have done for 20 years. I want to acknowledge three people who have helped me keep my thoughts organized and well articulated in developing this message each week. A big thank you goes to Kim Contris, Jerry Gilliland and Steve Pierce from the Communications group.

A lot of good things happened during my time at L&I. Here are a few that stand out in my mind:

• I’m proud of the effort to reorganize the way workplace safety is delivered. As you may know, we went through quite a process to determine the best structure for our field and headquarters safety staff. There were lots of opportunities for people to get involved and many of you did. I want to thank people for being willing to try something different, to take a risk. The idea was to make sure our workplace-safety consultation and enforcement efforts were predictable, consistent and fair.

• We launched an effort to reach out more to small business. We established the first-ever small-business-liaison position to make sure this important customer group is well represented and consulted. That was just one of many efforts by agency staff to help create much better relationships with the small-business community and help them find ways to work safely and still stay in business.

• We rededicated our focus on making sure our own L&I staff are safe on the job. I am told that the number of injuries is down again this year. Of course, the most important thing is that L&I people are avoiding painful injuries, but we also will save on the amount we will have to pay in workers’ compensation premiums.

• We continued the successful Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHE) effort. For those who don’t know, L&I sponsors these centers in Renton and Spokane. The idea is to partner with local clinics, health-care providers, employers and workers to help injured workers get high-quality care and return to a job they are capable of doing as quickly as possible. Of course, COHE began before I got here, and I was pleased to be able to help keep it moving forward. It is a national model for how to control health costs while still producing high worker satisfaction.

• We’re on our way regarding improving the vocational rehabilitation system. I think the legislation that’s being developed along with our stakeholders will set the stage for action that will be better for injured workers and ultimately reduce costs.

There are lots of other things I could mention, but the point is we have created a good path to the future. I know there is some concern whether these programs will continue to move forward. I may be gone, but Governor Gregoire will continue on and I assure you the Governor is committed to the goals she set when I was appointed. They are:

• Find ways to get the business and labor community to work together to make Washington businesses more competitive.

• Balance workplace-safety enforcement with education and assistance.

• Keep workers’ compensation rates stable and predictable.

• Make L&I easier to do business with, especially for small businesses.

I’m sure the next L&I director will be given similar instructions.

So, my advice to you is to continue the efforts now under way. Stay focused on doing the very best job you can. Keep looking for opportunities to do things better each day.

I have had a number of questions about my new job as executive director of Washington Health Care Association. I will be focusing on nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. I want to help Washington have the finest long-term care system in the country. These facilities have lots of challenges ahead, such as a growing population, staffing concerns, and workplace-safety issues.

While I look forward to many challenges in my new job, I want you to know that I will miss all of you. Good luck and good fortune in all that you do.

Safety tip: Wherever you go, think about safety — at work, at home or at play. The best way to avoid accidents is to make safety a key part of your entire life.

Food for thought: “Step with care and great tact, And remember that life’s a great balancing act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft, And never mix up your right foot with your left."
—Dr. Seuss – Theodor Geisel (1904-1991) American author and cartoonist