Health and Wellness Archives

Woods Partners with University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine to Provide Leading-Edge Oral Health Care for Individuals with Disabilities

February 3, 2023

On February 3, 2023, Woods Services, a Pennsylvania- and New Jersey-based nonprofit organization that serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, one of the leading dental schools in the United States, cut the ribbon on Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center. The state-of-the-art dental care center on Woods’ Langhorne, Pa., campus, is providing enhanced and leading-edge dental treatment for Woods clients and residents. Starting in March 2023, services will expand to include the surrounding disability community, including former clients and residents of Woods who are still in need of care.

Residents and staff of Woods Services, doctors and representatives of Penn Dental Medicine, donors, and community members participated in the opening ceremony, which featured remarks from Tine Hansen-Turton, Woods president and CEO; Dr. Mark Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean of Penn Medicine; and Dr. Marc Henschel, director of Penn Dental Medicine’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program. Attendees also joined a tour of Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center, which includes five operatories with state-of-the-art equipment, quiet space for those needing a lower-stimulation environment, a waiting area and reception check-in, and conference room.

In addition to meeting the dental care needs of individuals with disabilities, Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center is helping prepare the next generation of dentists to care for patients with disabilities.

“Woods is pleased to announce our partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and to work with the school’s dean, Dr. Mark Wolff, to enhance dental services for our clients and residents,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, president and CEO, Woods Services. “Penn’s personalized care and interdisciplinary team approach are perfectly aligned with Woods, as is its emphasis on preparing the next generation of dentists to care for patients with special needs. Penn’s dentists are now able to perform procedures at our on-campus dental clinic that in the past would have required a visit to a specialist for treatment. This expansion of services will be less disruptive for our clients, further enhancing their quality of life,” she said.

Dr. Mark Wolff was appointed in 2018 as the new Morton Amsterdam Dean at Penn Dental Medicine and brought with him international renown as a pioneer and leader in teaching and providing care for patients with special oral health needs. Upon arrival, he established dental care for persons with disabilities as a priority for the school and set about raising money, renovating a space, and hiring team members, each with 20+ years of experience treating patients with special health care needs. In 2021, Penn Dental Medicine opened the state-of-the-art Care Center for Persons with Disabilities at Penn Dental Medicine, and under his leadership, Penn has established a national reputation for excellence in treating the dental needs of people with disabilities and in training dental students to care for these individuals.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our service and care within the community through this Woods partnership,” says Dean Wolff. “It not only allows us to help provide comprehensive care to the Woods clients, but also offers an invaluable setting for our students to gain experience caring for individuals with a wide range of disabilities.” Postgraduate students within Penn Dental Medicine’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program will provide clinical care at the center under close faculty supervision.

Woods’ existing dental clinic was extensively renovated and modernized to create Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center, with renovations and operational expenses made possible through generous donations from foundations and individuals. Woods Services is grateful to the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation for supporting start-up operational expenses for Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center, and to the Joseph and Mary Faulkner Family Foundation, Eamon Foundation, The McLean Contributionship, TD Charitable Foundation, and Simon and Lisa Kimmelman for supporting the renovations. The waiting room renovation was made possible by the Joseph and Mary Faulkner Family Foundation.

Woods is organized around the principles of population health management and addresses the social determinants of health through a comprehensive continuum and system of care that connects prevention, wellness, education, behavioral health, and social services with coordinated and integrated healthcare delivery. “The Medical Center at Woods serves as a national model for providing comprehensive, coordinated personalized care for people with complex diagnoses and medical conditions, like Mikey Faulkner, current Woods client and the clinic’s namesake,” Hansen-Turton said. “The opening of Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center continues Woods’ commitment to providing an integrated healthcare experience for our clients – an approach that optimizes outcomes for individuals.”

Woods Services Leadership Debuts Book, Webinar Series on Organizational Change

February 3, 2023

“Thriving Through Transformation: A Practical Guide to Creating Organizational Change in the Social Sector” seeks to inspire current and emerging professionals in organization management

Few organizations have undergone the kind of radical transformation that helped Woods Services, a nonprofit organization that serves the complex needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, comprehensively re-envision its structure, services, and future. Now the organization is sharing its lessons learned and providing a roadmap to help other organizations in the newly released book, “Thriving Through Transformation: A Practical Guide to Creating Organizational Change in the Social Sector.”

In the 228-page book, Tine Hansen-Turton, MGA, JD, FCCP, FAAN, president and CEO of Woods Services, and Peter Shubiak, MS, former chief operating officer, break down the essential elements of Woods’ transformation. They use employee stories, research findings, and business best practices to explore themes that include creating a clear and consistent organizational vision; developing strategic directions and planning; managing change; engaging employees; cultivating a culture of innovation and care; embracing equity, diversity and inclusion; planning for mission-driven growth; improving infrastructure and enterprise shared services; and developing strategic positioning, policy, and thought leadership.

“We didn’t set out to write a book, but as we saw how our work changed the lives of our clients, employees, and community members, we wanted to share what with learned with other mission-driven organizations,” said Hansen-Turton.

Coinciding with the book’s release is the launch of a free, monthly webinar series, Thriving Through Transformation. Moderated by Hansen-Turton, the symposia will include 90-minute virtual panel discussions with national and regional visionaries who will discuss cutting-edge innovation in the health and human services sector and beyond.

“All organizations must embrace change to best serve their clients, but it can be difficult to know where to start,” said Hansen-Turton. “We hope our success story will inspire others to start the journey and serve as a roadmap to plan their own transformative journeys.”

In the first webinar of the series, “Vision, Strategy, and Cultivating a Culture of Innovation,” which took place Jan. 12, four health and human services experts discussed how they developed their own visions for organizational change, and then established both a strategy and a culture of innovation to weave those visions through every level of their organizations. Panelists included Josh Rubin, Principal, HMA; Rita Gardner, President and CEO, Melmark; Dawn Holden Woods, President, Generative Consulting Partners; and Dawn Diamond, Executive Vice President of Operations, Woods Services. This webinar is available as a recording.

Upcoming webinars will address employee engagement (Feb. 16), integrated and complex care for special populations (March 15), and Strategies for Avoiding the Cliff at 21: Models for Education, Behavioral and Family Supports (April 12). All webinars run from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and will be available as recordings.

“Thriving Through Transformation” is available for free electronically by clicking here or on www.socialinnovationsjournal.org. Hard copies are also available on Amazon. Hansen-Turton has written several other books, including “Making Strategy Count in the Health and Human Services Sector,” “Practical Tools for Not-for-Profit Leaders,” “The Social Innovator’s Playbook 2.0,” and more. All are available on Amazon.

The Woods System of Care, Explained

January 10, 2023

As Woods transformed into a nonprofit in 1948, founder Mollie Woods Hare said, “The Woods Schools have always been pioneers. One of our earliest objectives has been constant pioneering research in the techniques of care and training of the exceptional child and the dissemination of that research to the medical profession and educators for the benefit of ALL exceptional children.”

We are again in transformation as the Woods System of Care. The goal remains the same: pioneer new ways of benefiting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), autism, co-occurring mental health, and other chronic conditions so that they can achieve their highest potential and independence.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families face a broken system of inadequate and disjointed services. Woods Services and its six affiliate organizations (Abilities of Northwest NJ, Allies, Archway Programs, Woods Community at Brian’s House, Legacy Treatment Services, and Tabor Services) have joined forces as the Woods System of Care. We’re seamlessly giving people all of the support they need . . . and deserve at any point in their life. We do this through innovative, integrated, and individualized approaches that promote learning and personal fulfillment by leveraging the expertise of each affiliate.

Together, we focus on serving the whole person – ensuring that they achieve and maintain social determinants of health. Our model is rooted in a population health management strategy, which includes integrating primary and specialty medical care with behavioral health. The Patient-Centered Integrated Care Model, through the Medical Center at Woods, has shown that providing integrated primary care and behavioral healthcare advances the quality of life and standard of care for individuals with disabilities.

The Woods System of Care is the leading and largest provider of supports in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for children and adults with disabilities and challenges.

Woods System of Care Names Vanessa B. Briggs as Vice President of Health Services and Equity

January 3, 2023

The Woods System of Care is excited to announce Vanessa B. Briggs, MBA, R.D., as the first vice president of Healthcare Services and Health Equity. In this new role, Briggs will oversee programs that bring Woods’ expertise and integrated service model to N.J. These services include integrated primary and behavioral health care, children’s community-based residential treatment services, and coordination and transition services for older youth entering adult services. Briggs will also serve as the system of care’s Vice President for Health Equity, responsible for developing a framework and standards that reduce health disparities for Woods’ clients and staff. Briggs started in her new role on September 12, 2022.

“We are delighted to welcome Vanessa Briggs to our Woods team, to serve in two significant roles – as vice president of Healthcare Services, and as vice president of Health Equity across the entire Woods System of Care,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, President and CEO of Woods Services and the system of care. “We recently expanded services in NJ in response to the significant need for individuals with intellectual disability, autism, and complex co-occurring conditions,” Hansen-Turton added. “With her expertise, Vanessa will lead Woods efforts in NJ in offering a continuum of services that form a system of care for individuals with complex needs, at every age,” she said. “In addition, she will oversee Woods’ efforts to advance health equity and eliminate health disparities for the individuals Woods’ serves and our employees.”

Briggs has more than 25 years of executive leadership and senior management experience in for-profit and nonprofit sectors, including philanthropy, public health, health and human services, and regional healthcare systems. Prior to joining the Woods team, she served for five years as president and CEO of The Alliance for Health Equity. This grant-making organization works to improve the health, social, emotional, and economic conditions among children, teens, and families in Chester County, Pennsylvania. At The Alliance, Briggs was instrumental in transforming grant-making strategies.

Briggs is a registered dietitian accredited by the American Dietetic Association. She earned her MBA in Health Administration from Eastern University, and a Bachelor of Arts, with a concentration in Dietetics, from Rowan University.

Qualifacts Announces Expanded Partnership With Woods Services

October 11, 2022

Integrated Health Solutions Delivered Through Carelogic And Insync Ehr Platforms

Qualifacts, a leading provider of electronic health record (EHR) platforms for behavioral health, rehabilitative, and human services organizations, today announced an enhanced partnership with current customer Woods System of Care to meet their expanding care needs.

“Over the past several years, Woods and its affiliate network partners have been building a system of care that integrates primary healthcare, specialty care, and behavioral healthcare along with residential and community-based care and services. What has been lacking is software that supports our model of integrated care that would enable us, and other providers, to better support the people we serve who have very complex issues. We are excited to work with Qualifacts to create a new electronic record that coordinates across systems and services, including external referrals,” said Woods’ CEO Tine Hansen-Turton.

To support Woods’ integrated care model, Qualifacts will bring the power of its InSync platform primary care workflows together with its CareLogic platform leading behavioral health clinical engine to allow clinicians across disciplines to have the information they need at their fingertips to provide comprehensive care effectively and efficiently.

“It is an honor to be Woods’ technology and innovation partner and help them in their mission to support those with disabilities or challenges to achieve their highest potential and independence,” said Paul Ricci, Chief Executive officer at Qualifacts.

Roy Leitstein, the CEO of Legacy Treatment Services, a key affiliate with Woods noted, “This is a transformative moment of innovation born of a true partnership between our organizations and businesses that will provide universal capability for both traditional medical care and behavioral healthcare for people needing all levels of care from the most intensive to a simple primary care visit. This product will ultimately change lives.”

This project has already begun and will be fully delivered and available to all Qualifacts customers and the market in 2023.

ABOUT QUALIFACTS

Qualifacts is a leading provider of behavioral health software and SaaS solutions for clinical productivity, compliance and state reporting, billing, and business intelligence. Its mission is to be an innovative and trusted technology and solutions partner, enabling exceptional outcomes for its customers and those they serve. Qualifacts’ comprehensive portfolio, including the CareLogic®, Credible™, and InSync® platforms, spans and serves the entire behavioral health, rehabilitative and human services market supporting non-profit Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) as well as for-profit large enterprise and small business providers. Qualifacts has a loyal customer base, with more than 2,400 customers representing 75,000 providers serving more than 6 million patients. Qualifacts was recognized in the 2022 Best in KLAS: Software and Services report as having the #1 and #2 ranked Behavioral Health EHR solutions, with its Credible and CareLogic platforms, respectively.

ABOUT WOODS SERVICES

Woods System of Care/ Woods Services is a nonprofit, life cycle care management and advocacy organization that, along with six affiliate organizations located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey – Abilities of Northwest Jersey; Allies, Inc.; Archway Programs; Legacy Treatment Services; Tabor Services; and Woods Community at Brian’s House – provides innovative, comprehensive, and integrated health, education, housing, workforce, behavioral health, and case management services to more than 22,000 children and adults in the intellectual and developmental disability, behavioral, child welfare, and brain trauma public health sectors who have complex medical and behavioral healthcare needs.

Founded in 1913 by Philadelphia schoolteacher Mollie Woods with two simple goals – to advance quality of life and standard of care for individuals with disabilities – Woods Services continues its mission today by helping children and adults with disabilities and challenges to achieve their highest potential. Among the ways Woods does this is through its population health management strategy, which includes the integration of primary and specialty medical care with behavioral health. For more information, visit woods.org

Media Contacts:
Qualifacts
MarketingTeam@qualifacts.com