2023 Woods Golf Classic

June 6, 2023

Join us at the

Union League Golf Club at Torresdale

Monday, October 2, 2023

3801 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114

Directions | Course information | Woods website | A look back at the 2022 classic

New Course. New Date.

Woods Golf Classic is back again, so save the date to tee off and support Woods Services! Every swing counts toward making a difference in the quality of life for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism served by Woods.

Questions?

Please email:

Diana Martinelli

diana.martinelli@woods.org

215-809-8628

Woods System of Care’s Three Outpatient Healthcare Centers in Langhorne, Pa. Welcome Patients for Primary, Dental, and Behavioral Healthcare

May 18, 2023

Woods Healthcare Opens to the Community, Providing Exceptional Outpatient Health and Behavioral Care for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional and Behavioral Challenges

Woods System of Care, a network of healthcare organizations located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey that ensures lifelong support to individuals with disabilities, has launched Woods Healthcare to offer world-class outpatient health and behavioral care for children, adolescents, and adults in the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral challenges. Woods Healthcare includes three outpatient healthcare centers – The Center for Behavioral Health at Woods, The Medical Center at Woods, and Penn Dental Medicine at Woods Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center – which are now open to the community. The three centers are located on the Bucks County site of Woods Services at 10 Meadowood Drive in Langhorne, Pa. Community members can now make appointments by calling 215-750-4004 and learn more at www.woodshealthcare.org.

“With the launch of Woods Healthcare, we are building on a long tradition of experience and service to our community,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, president and CEO of Woods System of Care and Woods Services. “For more than a century, Woods has been a leader in providing comprehensive lifelong care to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral challenges at Woods. Our industry-leading specialists know how to break down the barriers that stand in the way of quality care for people with disabilities,” she said. “Now, with Woods Healthcare, we are expanding our services to support the community by providing individuals with disabilities access to world-class comprehensive primary care, dental care, and behavioral healthcare throughout their lifetime.”

The Center for Behavioral Health at Woods specializes in helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral challenges achieve their highest potential and independence. With a wellness team that includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, nurse navigators, counselors, and family therapists, The Center for Behavioral Health at Woods provides outpatient services for individuals ages six years through adults and seniors, including: intake, psychiatric, and diagnostics assessments; medication review and coordination; complex condition nurse navigation; and extended therapy. The Center for Behavioral Health at Woods also evaluates children ages 12 months through adolescents aged 18 years for autism spectrum disorder, making diagnoses and treatment recommendations. Sailaja Musunuri, MD, executive vice president of Integrative Medicine and Chief of Psychiatry, oversees integrated healthcare at Woods and across the Woods System of Care, including the new Center for Behavioral Health at Woods.

The Medical Center at Woods, which is led by Dr. Stephen J. Kolesk, chief medical officer/vice president for Medical Affairs and Managed Care at Woods, provides primary care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral challenges. The Medical Center offers outpatient services for individuals ages six through adults and seniors. The Medical Center at Woods serves as a national model for providing comprehensive, coordinated personalized care for people with complex diagnoses and medical conditions. In April 2023, the Medical Center at Woods was awarded Recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home Program (www.ncqa.org).

Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center is a state-of-the-art dental care center providing enhanced and leading-edge dental treatment for individuals of all ages. Woods partnered with the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, one of the leading dental schools in the United States, to develop the dental program, and Dr. Marc Henschel, director of Penn Dental Medicine’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program, oversees the new center. The Woods facility includes five treatment rooms with advanced 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.

“We launched the Medical Center at Woods in June 2018, to provide a patient-centered medical home for the clients we serve and our Woods employees,” Hansen-Turton said. “We added Penn Dental Medicine at Woods in February 2023, followed by The Center for Behavioral Health in March. Now, we are opening these centers to the community, providing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral challenges with needed services in close proximity to their homes,” she said.

Start-up funding of $500,000 for The Center for Behavioral Health was awarded to Woods by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick through a Community Project Funding grant. The project was supported by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and selected because it will bridge the gap in mental health services in Bucks County. Penn Dental Medicine at Woods Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center renovations and operational expenses were 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 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, and Penn Community Foundation for funding operations. The waiting room renovation was made possible by the Joseph and Mary Faulkner Family Foundation.

In early 2024, the three new Woods Healthcare centers will be joined by a primary care center to serve individuals in N.J. In April 2023, RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and Woods Services announced they joined forces to establish the very first integrated primary and behavioral health care center for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism in New Jersey. The Governor and the New Jersey Legislature recognized the critical need for I/DD services by supporting a grant of $800,000 toward the start-up costs for the initiative. The world-class center is expected to open to families and individuals in early 2024 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Hamilton, Mercer County, New Jersey. The Center will serve individuals who live in the central New Jersey region, with future plans to expand services to other areas of the state.

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.

For more information about Woods Healthcare or to schedule an appointment at one of its three outpatient centers, call 215-750-4004.

About Woods Services

Woods Services is a nonprofit organization that supports children, adolescents, and adults with complex medical and behavioral health care needs, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, achieve their highest potential and independence through innovative and individualized approaches that promote learning and personal fulfillment. Woods’ vision is a world where individuals have opportunities and supports that promote self-determination, dignity, respect, the joy of achievement, and a fulfilling life. Woods achieves this vision by providing comprehensive and integrated health, education, housing, workforce development, behavioral health, and case management services, along with a population health management strategy that includes the integration of primary and specialty medical care with behavioral health. More than 600 individuals from 23 states and 175 school districts are supported by Woods and its 1,400 staff at its Langhorne, Pennsylvania headquarters.

To ensure lifelong care and supports for the individuals its serves, Woods created the Woods System of Care – a $400 million organization with 10 affiliates and joint ventures that provide a full range of lifetime integrated services that include mental and physical healthcare, education, housing and residential treatment and workforce development for an estimated 22,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism, and /or mental health challenges who may also have complex medical and genetic conditions.

Founded in 1913 by Philadelphia schoolteacher Mollie Woods to advance the quality of life and standard of care for individuals with disabilities, Woods continues this mission today. For more information, visit woods.org.

About University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

Founded in 1878, the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine) ranks among the nation’s leaders in oral health education, research, and patient care. The School’s educational programs include: a four-year DMD program; postgraduate study in all the major clinical specialties as well as general dentistry; advanced graduate degree programs, including Doctor of Science in Dentistry, Master of Science in Oral Biology, Master of Advanced Dental Studies, and Master of Oral Health Science; and the Program for Advanced Standing Students in which foreign-trained dentists earn a DMD. As one of 12 schools within the larger urban campus of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Dental Medicine is uniquely positioned to provide a depth of opportunities for interdisciplinary study and research across other professional disciplines. The School is a major provider of oral health care for the Philadelphia community, serving approximately 31,000 patients each year in its care centers and Penn Dental Family Practice, while students also provide nearly 65,300 hours of clinical care in the community each year.

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.

$1 Million Grant Helping Build Skills for Employment

December 2, 2022

Woods Services has a critical need for enhanced and increased vocational training space in the Gardner Education Center due to its growing day student population. Woods actually maintains a waiting list because it cannot accommodate all of the students for whom it receives referrals.

Thanks to a $1 million grant from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development Redevelopment Authority Capital Program (RACP), the Gardner Education Center will be renovated to accommodate state-of-the-art vocational training space and classrooms for students with intellectual disability, autism and behavioral challenges. Requirements of the grant stipulate that Woods must match the grant with $1 million, which will be supported by a bequest from The Estate of Marilyn Goldstein.

This project will address the need for education, vocational and training for students with disabilities so they can enter the workforce, and help recruit and retain special education teachers and instructional aides.

Modernizing this space is urgently needed. The project entails creating a 5,054 square foot state-of-the-art vocational wing to house remodeled classrooms, each dedicated to a vocational track needed to train students for 21st century jobs, and will add a new modern façade along the entire front of the building, and a brand-new glass-walled entryway with a reconfigured reception area which will be more welcoming for students and families, and improve safety.

When the renovation is complete, students and teachers alike will benefit from a state-of-the-art vocational program, bright, welcoming and safe entryway into the building, and a visually appealing new façade that will modernize the look of the entire building.

Woods receives referrals from school districts which are unable to serve students who have a high level of need for intensive services and supports. Students attend as day students or as residential students. A hallmark of the Woods Schools is the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support program, a nationally-recognized approach which puts in place universal supports for all students, which significantly reduces challenging behaviors for the majority of students, and adds more intensive tiers of supports for students with the greatest social, emotional and behavior needs.

The renovated vocational areas will provide pre-vocational and vocational training in one of three tracks:

cosmetology
food and nutrition and life skills
horticultural.

Two additional vocational tracks in customer service and technology will be held in existing classrooms, which do not require renovation. Finally, a new wheelchair-accessible greenhouse will be constructed adjacent to the horticultural classroom. Each classroom is designed to replicate a real-life setting, such as a horticultural center, salon, and a kitchen and dining area where the full range of life skills can be taught related to food, nutrition, shopping and cooking. This allows for students to learn, practice and apply real-world skills that are needed to gain employment and to become as self-sufficient as possible.

Along with the new state-of-the-art vocational classrooms is a new vocational training curriculum, which incorporates brand-new technology and software addressing all aspects of pre-vocational, vocational and entrepreneurial training. New online vocational curriculum modules include financial literacy, creating resumes, conducting job interviews, and building skills needed for the workplace, such as communication, socialization, problem-solving, flexible thinking, behavior and self-regulation skills.

The enhanced curricula, paired with the new vocational spaces focusing on career areas such as customer service, food and nutrition, cosmetology, horticulture, and technology, will help students be prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation. Through this, they can live as independently as possible and to contribute to the economic life of the community.

Furthermore, improved instructional spaces and state-of-the-art installations will improve conditions for special education teachers and support their retention, especially when combined with professional development that the new curriculum offers.

Woods has integrated additional strategies into its education programs to address the teacher shortage, including its new Teach with Heart Fellowship, which allows emergency-certified teachers to obtain their Master’s degree at a low cost, receive mentoring from experienced teachers, and upon completing three years of employment, receive loan forgiveness.

Two Mission-Driven Nonprofits – Woods System of Care and St. Mary Medical Center – Partner to Provide Quality Health Care

September 30, 2022

Woods System of Care, a Pennsylvania and New Jersey-based nonprofit organization that serves approximately 22,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral and mental health challenges, and acquired brain injuries, and St. Mary Medical Center and Nazareth Hospital, part of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic the largest Catholic healthcare system serving the Greater Philadelphia area, are pleased to announce their partnership to ensure high quality healthcare for the individuals Woods’ serves and the dedicated and compassionate staff who care for them.

“This partnership makes sense on many levels for both St. Mary Medical Center and Woods,” said Michael Magro, DO, MBA, FACOI, “but the biggest benefits will be realized within our community. As two organizations with ‘caring’ at the core, our values and philosophies align; both strive toward innovation and clinical excellence. My colleagues and I look forward to a renewed relationship with the residents and staff of Woods to provide the best healthcare possible.”

Dr. Magro was named president of St. Mary Medical Center in July of this year. He also serves as president of Nazareth Hospital, a role he has held since 2018. Under his leadership has come a renewed commitment by two of Bucks County’s largest nonprofit employers to collaborate on innovative healthcare solutions that ensure equity and excellence. Dr. Magro became acquainted with Woods’ president and CEO, Tine Hansen-Turton, shortly after taking the helm at St. Mary, and these two leaders quickly found a way for Woods and St. Mary to work more closely together.

“Dr. Magro is an innovative and dynamic leader who believes in the power of building strong and lasting relationships with community stakeholders, as demonstrated by this new collaboration. Both St. Mary and Woods are committed to improving the overall health and well-being of our community and this agreement is just the beginning of that effort,” stated Hansen-Turton. Next steps will likely include activities to improve health equities in Bucks County generally and to help train St. Mary’s residents and practitioners in caring for the special needs population, she said.

“St. Mary and Woods have been neighbors for a long time, but in a sense we are new to each other – and that makes our journey of opportunity together even more exciting,” Dr. Magro said.

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About St. Mary Medical Center

Established in 1973, St. Mary Medical Center is guided by its Catholic-health core values of reverence, stewardship, integrity, justice and commitment to the underserved. Located in Langhorne, Pa., and with 371 licensed beds, St. Mary is a community teaching hospital and offers state-of-the-art technology and highly skilled physicians and clinical professionals to provide advanced care for complex cases. St. Mary offers advanced non-invasive treatments, adult and pediatric emergency services, inpatient medical and rehabilitation facilities, along with supportive health and wellness programs. St. Mary is designated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Level II Trauma Center. St. Mary offers an NAPBC-accredited breast program, a Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer program and is a member of the Penn Cancer Network. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is a Regional Health System that includes Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pa.; Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia; Saint Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Del.; St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa. and home health and LIFE programs. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. For more information, visit www.st-marys.org.

About Woods System of Care

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 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.