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ISSUE 10 APRIL 2005 

NEWS2USE

OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES

VANPOOLING: A COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE

CARPOOL PERMITS

INTRODUCING LINDA FITZWATER:

NEW PROGRAM SPECIALIST, DIVISION OF TRAVEL

AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

MAIL AND COURIER SERVICES THRIVE

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE:

ORS SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES RATED

LOST AND FOUND

TOP FIVE SAFETY WEBSITES

FIRE SAFETY TIPS: PERSONAL COMPUTERS

HOME SAFETY CHECKLIST:A DOZEN TIPS

DIVISION OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

ANNOUNCES 3RD ANNUAL IMMIGRATION

CONFERENCE

THEN & NOW: CHILD CARE AT THE NIH

VANPOOLING:A COST 

EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE

Commuting can be a real hassle: racing out the 

door in the morning, fighting traffic, relying on the

radio for companionship, and paying sky-high prices

for gas.When you finally get to work, you feel the

effects of a stressful, unproductive and costly commute.

Vanpooling is a cost effective alternative.

Qualified NIH employees can receive up to $105.00

monthly to reduce the cost of vanpooling. Individuals

who vanpool can also enjoy the convenience of 

sharing a ride to work with others in a friendly

environment.You’ll arrive at work safe, on time and

relaxed. But the benefits don’t stop there. By 

vanpooling you can begin to use your commute

time productively to catch up on your work, sleep 

or read the latest bestseller.

Dinah Huffer is a VPSI Vanpool coordinator.

“I have commuted via carpool/vanpool to NIH for

almost 29 years. Six years ago, I started a VPSI vanpool

that originated out of Brunswick, Maryland, with

one stop in Jefferson and the final destination being

Bethesda. Starting the vanpool is the best thing I

have ever done. It has saved mileage, reduced wear

and tear on my own personal vehicle, and the

Transhare subsidy from the government makes my

out of pocket expense minimal. Our ride home is

anything but dull.We have a good time!”

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Vanpool No. 1 members (left to right): Mary Demory, Lt.

Jason Barr, Dennis Potts, Pat Smothers,Trevin Skeens,

Dinah Huffer, Ron Whittington, and Debbie Whittington.
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Kenny Floyd says,“The reason

I like the vanpool option is that it

provides a reliable and less expensive

transportation mode than any others

available to me. I have driven myself,

carpooled, taken the train and vanpooled while working at the NIH.

The most reliable of these has been

the vanpool.As someone who is

concerned about the environment, I

also see the advantage of reducing

vehicle emissions by sharing a ride.

Beyond the information sharing and

friendships that I’ve experienced

while vanpooling, I also have an

opportunity to rest before and after

work.While not every trip is a bed

of roses there is always someone

along to commiserate with about 

work, the weather and the traffic.

Anyway, who can beat the price?

For approximately $50 a month you,

too, could enjoy a few new friends,

save money, help save the environment and relax while going to and

from work.”

Maryann Sofranko reports that

“With a round-trip commute from

Jefferson, Maryland of approximately

100 miles, vanpooling has been a

real lifesaver for me. Prior to getting

involved in the vanpool, I drove by

myself to work daily,and the commute

took its toll not only on my car, but

on me physically and emotionally.

With chronic congestion on 270, my

daily commute had become a source

of much stress and anxiety. Now that

I commute to work via the vanpool,

I find myself in a much more relaxed

and balanced state that carries through

my entire day,at work and at home.”

WHAT IS A VANPOOL?

A vanpool is a group of 7-15 people

who commute together on a regular

basis in a van.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

To start your own vanpool or to join

existing NIH vanpools looking for

passengers, contact 301-402-RIDE.

You do not need to provide your

own van.The van is provided by a

vanpool operator such as VPSI

Vanpool. One person volunteers to

be the driver/coordinator of the van.

The riders share a fee that covers the

vanpool fare. Riders usually meet at

a designated pick-up location like a

shopping center parking lot or a

park-and-ride location. Some van

routes have more than one pick-up

point, some don’t.And it’s the same

with drop-off points at the destination. It all depends on the nature

and needs of the group. Of course,

the fewer stops, the faster everyone

gets to work and home again.

WHAT’S THE COST?

Because you share the cost with up

to 14 other people, vanpooling is

typically much less expensive than

driving yourself to work. Qualified

NIH employees can receive up to

$105.00 a month in Transhare subsidies to offset the cost of vanpooling.

INFORMATION

301-402-RIDE

http://dtts.ors.od.nih.gov/vanpool.htm

http://dtts.ors.od.nih.gov/transhare.htm

MEET LINDA FITZWATER:

NEW PROGRAM

SPECIALIST

DIVISION OF TRAVEL AND

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 

After 23 years at the NIH, and

much experience as an AO with

extensive travel experience on the

customer side, Fitzwater is excited to

serve the NIH community as the

Program Specialist for travel and the

project officer on the Travel

Management Centers (TMC)

Contract, better known as Omega

World Travel. She will work closely

with the Quality Assurance specialist

for travel, Marisa Sheelor, who also

recently joined the travel and transportation staff. Fitzwater will also

work with the Clinical Center

Project Officer for patient travel.

Challenges of this office

include meeting the needs of the

traveler in a timely and efficient

manner; being responsive to travel

questions, concerns and complaints;

and monitoring the performance of

the contract, a performance based

contract measured by the following

six standards:

■ 98% of all quarterly reservations

will be complete and accurate

■ 97% of all quarterly reservations

for air travel will have the lowest

logical fare based on NIH travel 

policy and travelers’ requests

NEWS2USE

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CARPOOL PERMITS

■ A registered carpool may obtain

an NIH carpool hanger to park in

designated areas. Each carpool will

only receive one carpool hanger.This

hanger should be shared between

each carpool member. In order to

receive a carpool permit, each person

must surrender any other type of

permit they currently hold. If participating in the NIH Transhare program, you must first withdraw from

the program before participating in

the NIH carpool program.

■ Each person must be the registered

owner of a vehicle and possess a

valid NIH identification card and a

driver’s license.

■ Carpool permits are valid in areas

marked with “CP Spaces reserved

until 9:30 a.m.” signs in designated

portions of parking lots throughout

the campus. If carpool spaces are full,

this permit authorizes parking in

“General” parking spaces.

■ Prior to 9:30 a.m., parking of

non-carpool vehicles in carpool

spaces is not permitted and may

result in the issuance of a traffic citation.

INFORMATION

Gary Freeman

301-402-RIDE
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■ 85% of all quarterly customer

telephone calls will be answered

within 20 seconds or three rings

■ 90% of all quarterly telephone

holding times will average no more

than 2 minutes

■ 90% of all customer phone 

messages will be returned within an

average of two business hours

■ 97% of all requesters/users 

surveyed rate the vendor at least

‘average’

Fitzwater plans to schedule

travel meetings for the NIH staff,

update the community on travel

issues through the Travel-Tips

newsletter, update the website, and

use other appropriate forms of 

communication to keep the traveler

informed.

In the meantime, she welcomes

your suggestions and concerns by

phone or e-mail.

INFORMATION

Linda Fitzwater

301-594-6205

http://dtts.ors.od.nih.gov

MAIL AND COURIER

SERVICES THRIVE

The Division of Mail and Courier

Services (DMCS) has reason to be

proud of the excellent results recently reported in a Fall 2004 survey of

its performance over the prior sixmonth period.The training and programs that DMCS has implemented

to decrease postage errors, increase

efficiency, and generally make sure

that the contract requirements were

fulfilled, have all contributed to

improved mail services for the NIH

community.

THE SURVEY

In October 2004, hard copy surveys

were distributed to all NIH mail

stop code contacts.These individuals, who range from secretaries to

scientists, are designated to handle or

report issues and concerns that affect

employees served by their assigned

mail stop.Although they tend to be

busy, over one-third took the time

to submit feedback.

Since they keep abreast of mail

related issues, the mail stop code

contacts are in the best position to

judge mail services.The surveys

assessed attributes such as timeliness,

reliability, convenience and resolution of problems. Open-ended comments were also encouraged. ORS’

Division of Mail and Courier

Services was rated from a high of

8.84 out of 10 on “responsiveness” to

a low of 8.22 out of 10 on “quality,”

on average.The lowest average rating

of 8.22 was still well above the midpoint of a 10 point scale. In general,

respondent’s perceptions were very

positive.

The surveys were analyzed by

the Office of Quality Management.

All responses that contained comments and contact information were

forwarded to DMCS for follow up.

In addition to the customer

survey, DMCS has gathered several

other measures of business performance.

PROMPT DELIVERY

Delivery is on time most of the

time, within eight minutes of the

targeted schedule, improving steadily

over the last two years.

ACCURATE DELIVERY

Mail sorting errors are minimal, with

one mistake for every 625 pieces of

mail during the initial sort.Almost

all of those mistakes are caught in

subsequent sorts.

POSTAGE

Quality control checks show that

the number of postage errors

(postage misapplied or miscalculated)

was extremely low. Proper training

of the postage metering staff has all

but eliminated postage errors.

FINANCES

The ground shipping program put

in place as an alternative to USPS

Parcel Post service, increased savings

by an additional $43,000 ($183,000

total for FY 2004), which is more

than 31 percent in savings over the

previous year. IC mail managers

contributed to the success of this

program by responding to communications promoting it.

SECURITY

Identifying potential hazards is a top

priority. X-ray clerks are maintaining

high efficiency and accuracy.

Retention of employees in this sensitive position is critical.

THE FUTURE

DMCS plans to continue to look for

strategies to improve customer service and decrease costs.Additional

or enhanced training, technology

and quality control will all be considered ongoing priorities. In addition, there will continue to be strict

enforcement of the requirements

outlined in the performance-based 

ISSUE 10 APRIL 2005

Linda Fitzwater, new program specialist

and project officer on the Travel

Management Centers contract.
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NEWS2USE

contract, as well as positive and constructive feedback. DMCS will continue to hold meetings with mail

managers to keep the lines of communication open. Flyers and other

printed communications will be distributed to the NIH community.

Another survey will be scheduled

sometime this year to keep tracking

performance.

MISUNDERSTOOD ISSUE:

POSITIONAL MAIL

At the NIH, mail is considered organizational or positional.This means

the intended recipient of most mail

is the specific government organization or the person holding a specific

government position, not the individual. Mail addressed to the previous person holding that job will be

delivered to the person currently

occupying the position. Mail will

not be forwarded by DMCS when

an employee accepts a new government position. Employees are

encouraged to notify correspondents

of any address change. Send and

receive all personal mail at home.

The reason for this policy is that just

like other government property or

service, the NIH mail system is government-funded and operated and

therefore should not be used for

personal matters.

INSTITUTE/CENTER (IC) MAIL

MANAGERS PERFORMANCE

IC mail managers are an integral

part of our mail management program.They do well at communicating and distributing information

regarding mail service issues, performance initiatives and postal news.

They are also a good source of

information to the mail and courier

services staff about predicted IC customer reactions to issues such as

postage rate increases and performance initiatives.

INFORMATION

Mail and Courier Services Customer

Service

301-496-3586

mcsbcs@mail.nih.gov

PERFORMANCE

MANAGEMENT

CONFERENCE

ORS SCIENTIFIC 

RESOURCES RATED 

On February 23, ORS conducted 

its fourth performance management

conference with presentations from

the Scientific Resources divisions.

Presenters addressed how their services performed in 2004, and what

changes they plan to implement to

pursue further improvements in

2005.The Acting Director of ORS,

Shirl Eller, presented the opening

remarks and welcomed the attendees.

The divisions that participated

through talks and exhibits were

Bioengineering and Physical

Science, Occupational Health and

Safety, Radiation Safety and

Veterinary Resources. Presentation

topics ranged from collaborative

research to animal research support,

to a variety of safety issues.

Antonio Rodriquez, Director

of the Office of Quality Management,

wrapped up the conference by

acknowledging the contributions 

of the conference coordinators,

presenters, and by inviting the audience to attend the next Performance

Management Conference to be held

on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at the

Natcher Conference Center from

9am-12:30pm.The conference will

address the services provided by the

Program and Employee Services

cluster.

If you missed the conference

but would like to learn more about

a specific service or division, please

contact the following speakers

directly:

Nancy Newman

Safety Operations

Deborah Wilson

Occupational Health and Safety

James Schmitt, MD

Occupational Medicine

Eileen Morgan

Facility Management 

Charmaine Foltz, DVM

Veterinary Resources

James Crowell, DWM

Veterinary Resources

Henry Eden, MD

Bioengineering and Physical Science

INFORMATION

Robert Ostrowski 

Science Resource Manager

301-496-0597

LOST AND FOUND

Corporal Dougherty, the NIH

Community Policing Coordinator,

reports that many items ended up in

the Lost and Found recently, from

hairclips to an expensive ring. Call

or go to the NIH Police office if

you lost any of these items.

Hair Clip

Glasses

Sunglasses

Cell phones

Make-up bag

CDs

Car keys

Wallet

Necklace

Books

Jacket

Gloves

Ring

INFORMATION

NIH Police

Building 31C

301-496-2387
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FIRE SAFETY TIPS:

PERSONAL COMPUTERS

The Division of the Fire Marshal

offers these fire safety tips for using

personal computers with the hope

that they might prevent the loss of

life or property both in the workplace and at home.

÷ Make sure that a multipurpose

fire extinguisher (e.g., one rated for

ordinary combustibles and electrical

fires) is located within a reasonable

distance from your personal computer.

÷ When you leave your personal

computer on and unattended, turn

off the monitor during your

absence. Monitors generate high

voltage internally with the potential

to start an electrical fire, or even

trigger an explosion if the computer

is located in a flammable atmosphere

(such as one might encounter from a 

gas leak or from flammable vapors

resulting from a chemical spill in a

laboratory). The switch for the

monitor is typically found at the

bottom of the screen, on the side of

the monitor, or in some cases at the

rear of the unit. Turning off the

monitor while leaving the computer

on will NOT disrupt the computer’s

operation or compromise data

integrity. When you return, simply

turn the monitor back on and wait a

few seconds for it to warm up.

÷ Never leave on a personal computer,

monitor, or printer with protective

dust covers in place. Doing so may

cause excessive heat build-up, which

can cause hardware failure and

potentially result in electrical fires.

÷ Never place liquids on computer

components or other electronic

equipment where damage from spills

could occur.

÷ Make sure that your computer’s

electrical outlet is properly grounded

and has a sufficient power rating to

handle all the components connected to it.

÷ Keep backup copies of important

data in a remote location (i.e., in

another building or in a safety

deposit box). This will allow you to

restore your data subsequent to a fire

or other catastrophic event, rather

than experiencing the expense of

recovery, or worse, the irreversible

loss of data.

INFORMATION

Division of the Fire Marshal

301-496-0487

ISSUE 10 APRIL 2005

Number of Visits 

1 (1) DOHS SAFETY MAIN PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,333 

http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/index.html

2 (2) SAFE HANDLING OF CYTOTOXIC DRUGS . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,393 

http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/pubs/cyto/index.htm

3 (6) ERGONOMICS ‘WELL BACK’ EXERCISES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,196

http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/ergonomics/wellbackhealth.html

4 (3) DOHS TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,700

http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/train.html

5 (5) ERGONOMICS EXERCISES & STRETCHES,‘EYE’ PAGE . . . . .5,538 

http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/ergonomics/exerciseeyes.html

INFORMATION

LCDR Michelle Markley 

301-451-5824 

mmark@mail.nih.gov 

www.ors.od.nih.gov/labsafety

TOP FIVE SAFETY

WEBSITES

For the past two years, the Division of

Occupational Health and Safety has

monitored the usage of its safety

websites. Monitoring has included

such information as the number of

visitors, length of visit, the most frequently accessed pages, the most frequently downloaded files, type of

businesses or domains, country of origin and the type of internet browser

used during the visit.

The following is a list of the

top five websites visited from April

2004 to September 2004.The top

two remained the same in 2003 and

2004.The 2003 rankings are shown

in parentheses.
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HOME SAFETY CHECKLIST:

A DOZEN TIPS FROM THE NIH POLICE

1 Plan escape routes in the case of an intruder or a fire.

2 Be sure to have a telephone in your bedroom.This

will allow you to call if you wake up to the sound of

an intruder.

3 Have a lock on your bedroom door.A deadbolt is best.

4 Don’t ever give out personal information over the

phone to a stranger, including who is home at the time.

5 Never let a stranger in your home. Insist on proper

identification from any visitor you don’t know. If you

are still suspicious, call the organization or company

for verification.

6 If you are female and live alone, don’t put your first

name on a mailbox or in the phonebook.

7 If a stranger asks to use your home phone, don’t let

that person inside. Offer to make the call yourself.

8 Install a security chain on the front door. It enables

you to receive small deliveries without opening the

door all the way. Don’t stand directly behind the

opening.You raise the risk of being grabbed by someone reaching through the opening.

9 Many attacks are planned.Vary your daily routines.

10 Keep emergency numbers near the phone.

11 Keep doors locked at all times.

12 Install a peephole in the door so you can see out

without opening the door. Make it low enough so

your children can see through it.

INFORMATION

NIH Police

301-496-2387

DIVISION OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

ANNOUNCES 3RD ANNUAL

IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE

On April 27-28, 2005, the Division of International

Services (DIS) will host its third annual Immigration

Conference.The two-day event is open to all NIH

administrative and support staff that are involved in

the recruitment and retention of foreign scientists.

The conference provides an opportunity for

the administrative staff to learn more about the procedures involved in recruiting foreign scientists and

understanding their role in the process.The latest

changes in immigration rules and regulations will be

updated by the Department of Homeland Security

and Department of State.

Registration information will be distributed

via an e-mail alert to our “Key-Con” list as well as

posted online.

INFORMATION

Michelle Mejia

301-496-6166 

www.nih.gov/od/ors/dirs/isb/isb.htm

CHILD CARE AT THE NIH

* 2005 figure includes center in Research Triangle, NC

ISSUE 10 APRIL 2005 OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! The Office of Research Services encourages you to submit 

questions, comments and suggestions about the services we provide to the NIH community. Someone from 

the ORS staff will respond to each question. Just e-mail, phone or fax your comments and questions to the

appropriate location listed below.

For questions or comments about ORS services,

contact the ORS Information Line:

E-mail: ORSInfo@mail.nih.gov

Phone: 301-594-6677 

Fax: 301-402-2204 

Website: http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/security/index.htm

For questions or comments about articles in the

News2Use or to suggest future story ideas:

E-mail: ORSNews2Use@mail.nih.gov

NEWS2USE

News2Use is published on recycled paper by the 

OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

EDITOR Bradley Moss

WRITER Ann Cochran

ORS ACTING DIRECTOR Shirl A. Eller 

LAYOUT DESIGN Medical Arts and Printing Services

INTERNET ADDRESS www.ors.od.nih.gov

THEN:

In 1975, NIH sponsored

one (1) child care center

on the Bethesda Campus.

The Center served 35

pre-school children.

NOW:

In 2005, NIH sponsors

four (4) child care centers with a total capacity

of 600 children, ages 6

weeks to 12 years.*