Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

July/August 2001

Patty Robidart, Deputy Regional Commissioner of San Francisco Region Addresses GP/Pacific BiRegional Conference
by Ken Forbes, Oregon DDS

Ms. Robidart indicated that Larry Massanari, the new acting commissioner, has many years of experience in the disability program. Equally exciting is that Lou Enoff has come back to SSA to head up the transition team. He has also been with the agency before and he is knowledgeable about disability.

Prototype is on hold for now but has provided very valuable lessons for SSA. Ms. Robidart said that the two prototype branches in California have, after two years, begun to gain productivity and take on work from the other ten branches. While here for the conference, she had the opportunity to breakfast with some of the representatives from the two prototype branches and she learned that the staff is excited about working in prototype.

Robidart points out that the Claims Representatives are aware of the need for a more complete product for the DDS and they are doing a good job of putting out a higher quality product.

Regional Office staff has come up with a desk guide for everyone to use in communicating with the claimant. It is on their web site and they have a paper guide to do the same thing. They have also developed PowerPoint presentations to download to individual PCs for use in a self-education program.

Region IX is committed to improving understanding between DDS and the FOs and has included training for FO personnel about the DDS and the work process in the DDS. They also have a leadership-training program through which at least one leader for the FO/RO will be out-stationed in a DDS at any one time. In California they have a small pilot where they are focusing on the economic impact of the disability program on individual communities and working with local chambers of commerce to get CE panelists from the local community at no cost.

Public Key Infrastructure is a key piece of the electronic disability folder and California is part of a pilot to test whether getting medical information over the Internet, encrypted and matched with an electronic digital signature, can work.

Ms. Robidart informed the meeting that the OHA receipts are down in her region. When SSA has tried to find out why, they have been told that the DDS is producing a much better product. Congratulations on a job well done. She thanked all DDS employees for the work they have been doing. She also indicates that the prototype training has improved the quality and skills of the disability examiners.