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“One Woods. One World. Day” Begins with American Red Cross Proclamation and “Cards For Peace” Campaign


How diverse is Woods? Our staff comes from more than 50 countries. On October 25, the Monday following United Nations Day, Woods recognized the value of cultural differences and the wealth of it we enjoy. We named this celebration “One Woods. One World.” day to honor the diversity of our staff and commemorate United Nations Day.

 

The morning began with Woods employees and residents gathered at Common Grounds to commemorate the day. The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, staff from Pennsylvania State Representative Frank Farry and State Senator Robert “Tommy” Tomlinson’s offices, and 6abc joined us.

 

Woods President and CEO Tine Hansen-Turton opened the event by introducing the audience to our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee, formed to ensure every person in our Woods community is recognized and heard. As part of the event, we wanted to grow awareness amongst staff of the work of the EDI committee and opportunities for participation.

 

Hansen-Turton announced that the hanging of flags of more than 50 countries representing the birthplaces of our staff was finished.  You can drive on any part of Woods’ campus and see the flags flying.   Our EDI committee made this possible.

 

Regional Chief Executive Officer Guy Triano of the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania took the stage next. He read aloud a proclamation that highlighted the importance of United Nations Day, explained the shared values of Woods and the Red Cross, and recognized “One Woods. One World.” day.

 

“We talked about this a few months ago – this idea of bringing these two organizations together,” Triano said. “They both celebrate humanity, volunteerism, and unity together. Our organizations align, and that’s very important to the Red Cross.”

 

“At the core of our mission is an understanding that every individual is exceptional,” Hansen-Turton said.

 

As the event concluded, Woods and the Red Cross launched a community volunteering campaign, “Cards for Peace” where everyone is encouraged to write a letter of gratitude for veterans and peacekeeping troops.

 

Here’s how you can contribute:

 

  1. Create a card appreciating military service
  2. Send that card to:

Woods Services

c/o Communications Office

P.O. Box 36

Langhorne, PA 19047-0036

  1. Call Cheryl Kauffman at 215-750-4255 with any questions!

 

From there, Woods will make a bulk delivery to those abroad and the Coatesville VA Medical Center.

 

“We are so proud of Woods, and this doesn’t get said enough,” said Ryan Skoczylas, Chief of Staff for Senator Tomlinson. “When we’re in Harrisburg, we’re proud to talk about Woods.”

 

 

Woods Services Awarded $100,000 Grant to Expand Access to Primary Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Woods, a New Jersey- and Pennsylvania-based life cycle care management organization, received one of the first Inclusive Health Communities Grants from the N.J. Department of Human Services’ Division of Disability Services

 

LANGHORNE, P.A. (April 5, 2021) –Woods Services, a Pennsylvania and New Jersey-based nonprofit organization, was recently awarded a $100,000 capacity building grant to increase access to primary care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health challenges who experience significant disparities in access to care and health outcomes. With the funding, Woods will establish an integrated and inclusive primary care practice within or adjacent to Salem Medical Center, a hospital destination of choice for those living in or around Salem County, N.J. The initiative is funded by an Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant from the Division of Disability Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services, and administered by Rutgers University Bloustein School of Public Policy and Planning. Woods is one of the first recipients of an Inclusive Health Communities Grant, a program that launched in January. This national initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focuses on policy, systems and environmental change to create inclusive healthy communities.

 

Woods’ project, titled “Expanding Access to Primary Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities,” will be implemented over the next nearly 18 months. Other program partners include Woods’ affiliates Allies, Inc., located in Hamilton Township, N.J., and Legacy Treatment Services in Mount Holly, N.J., that along with three other human services nonprofits, comprise Woods’ life-cycle management and advocacy organization serving 22,000 people with disabilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

 

Woods will conduct a needs assessment of health care access and experience among people with disabilities, their families and provider organizations to further inform project planning. In addition, an inclusive primary care practice will be established over the 18-month timeline, serving community members with and without disabilities in Salem County and surrounding areas. Outcomes will be documented and shared. The health care model proposed will be replicable throughout New Jersey where there are documented shortages of primary care providers and gaps in services.

 

The grant builds on the successful patient-centered medical home model employed by the Medical Center at Woods located at the Langhorne campus. Woods utilizes quality care coordination as well as the deployment of nurse practitioners as primary care providers. Woods’ model places an emphasis on prevention and management of chronic conditions thereby reducing unnecessary and costly emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations.

 

Children and adults with IDD and mental health challenges experience multiple barriers to healthcare access, including finding providers who are willing to take the time often needed for longer patient visits and are trained to overcome communication, behavioral or other challenges. Additionally, children and adults with IDD and behavioral challenges tend to have more complex medical issues than those without. When their intellectual disability is linked to a variety of genetic disorders, the medical challenges may significantly exceed those of persons without such genetic conditions.

 

The proposed primary care settings are adapted to mobility, communication and sensory needs, delivered by providers who are well-versed in the care of people with disabilities and complex needs, and who are able to accommodate and overcome barriers to care resulting from those complex challenges. The project will focus primarily on Salem County and adjacent counties which have gaps in access to care, and where project partners have a strong presence serving individuals with IDD and mental health challenges and their families.

 

“As a life-cycle care management organization, we are grateful for this grant that will enable people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and challenges to receive first-rate healthcare in a setting that meets their needs, provided by people with expertise in treating their complex conditions,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, president and CEO, Woods Services. “For many people with IDD and mental health challenges, who often have complicated medical needs, the ability to reduce environmental disruptions while providing them with exceptional healthcare is truly a game changer.”

 

“We were truly excited to support Woods in their grant-seeking efforts to bring integrated and primary care services for people with intellectual disabilities,” said Dr. Tammy Torres, CEO, Salem Medical Center. “Bringing these behavioral health services to our community is part of our strategic vision building on the opening of our adult Psychiatric Unit by bringing in complementary and integrated mental health programming.”

 

This initiative was funded (or funded in part) by an Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant from the Division of Disability Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services.

 

About Woods Services

Woods Services is a nonprofit, life cycle care management and advocacy organization that, along with five affiliate organizations located in Pennsylvania and New 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 20,000 children and adults in the intellectual and developmental disability, behavioral, child welfare, and brain trauma public health sectors who have complex and intensive 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 or 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 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  For more information, visit woods.org.

 

About Salem Medical Center

With a mission of delivering high quality, compassionate healthcare to Greater Salem County, SMC returned to not-for-profit status in 2019. Salem Medical Center is licensed for 126 beds, inclusive of medical-surgical, intensive care and behavioral health. SMC provides critical access to the community through its Emergency Department (nearly 20,000 patients annually), Surgery (outpatient/inpatient, about 2,500 cases annually) and Inpatient Acute Care (about 2,500 admissions annually). SMC has more than 200 physicians on staff. Salem Medical Center is dedicated to growing new services and recruiting physicians relevant to our community—making SMC a destination of choice for Salem County and surrounding areas.

The Philadelphia Inquirer | Opinion | How can employers improve healthcare access for workers? Consider worksite clinics

Tine Hansen-Turton and Neil Goldfarb, For the Inquirer

Healthcare costs continue to rise and the lack of coordinated primary care access is still a challenge, which means millions of employees use the emergency room for basic healthcare. To combat this, self-insured companies are beginning to create their own solutions by partnering or establishing their own health clinics at work locations or near their work locations.

Primary care is essential to prevention and early identification of disease, and has been shown to improve health and lower costs of care, especially by avoiding unnecessary visits to urgent care centers and emergency departments. Improving access through worksite and near-site clinics helps employers demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a healthy workforce, save money for the employers, and support employee goodwill and retention.

At a recent national forum sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, which brings together 51 employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, companies of varying sizes from across the country, including Cerner, Comcast/NBC/Universal, and Clemens Food Group, discussed how they are grappling with healthcare access challenges for their employees. They agreed that they must innovate, and one of these innovations is to bring healthcare to their employees. For example, to address primary care access for its 24/7 workforce in Langhorne, Pa., Woods Services, a population health management provider in the intellectual developmental disability sector, established an onsite medical center, which offers free primary healthcare to all its employees.

The healthcare sector, either on its own or by advocating for policy changes, must address access to healthcare for all. In the meantime, employers must come up with resourceful solutions to support their employees by bringing them healthcare access. Where a worksite clinic is not feasible (i.e. workforce not concentrated in one geographic location), employers can explore options such as retail clinics, near-site clinics, mobile units that periodically visit the workplace, and telemedicine solutions. The important point is that employers should do something to expand access to high-quality primary care.

New Industry Leading Medical Center Opens at Woods Services

Today leadership from Keystone First and Woods Services officially marked the opening of the newly expanded Medical Center at Woods and the launch of a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program. This innovative PCMH serving individuals with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and complex medical challenges, is a national model for providing more comprehensive, coordinated care for these vulnerable populations.

 

“Through this collaboration with Keystone First, the new Patient Centered Medical Home program and expanded Medical Center at Woods will allow us to improve care coordination, provide extended service hours to reduce disruptive ER visits, and increase access to more advanced medical services right here on our campus,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, President and CEO of Woods Services. “For many of our residents with complex medical needs, the ability to reduce environmental disruptions while providing them with first-rate medical care is truly a gamechanger.”

 

The new Medical Center and PCMH program will empower Woods to provide the Keystone First members in its care, as well as 500 other individuals Woods serves, with superior continuity of care to improve health outcomes. The launch is part of an overall population health management approach at Woods Services that is reliant on industry best practices, moving the industry forward with new solutions, and providing the Woods community with superior care and support.

 

In addition to those served by Woods, the Medical Center will also offer free, on-site primary medical care as a benefit to all 2,000 Woods employees and will serve as a community medical hub for qualifying neighbors with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

“We are proud to work with providers like Woods Services which share our commitment to making high quality, coordinated care accessible to those most in need,” said Keystone First Market President Joanne McFall. “The PCMH program will provide our members served by Woods with a medical home that will help them manage their health. We look forward to joinin

g Woods in this expansion of our respective missions.”

 

Providing medical care for the Woods community on its Bucks County campus is not new.  However, in the past, Woods has relied on external resources such as the emergency room for service during evening and weekend hours, as well as for specialized services such as radiology. For people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, these abrupt environmental changes and exposure to medical professionals not familiar with their cases can be disruptive. In addition, regular reliance on emergency services for ongoing medical issues generates significant costs to the system. This new Woods PCMH program creates a team-based health care delivery model. It provides comprehensive and continuous medical care with extended hours and increased access to more specialized medical services for patients with complex health needs, with a goal of achieving maximal health outcomes and reducing unnecessary costs to the healthcare system.

 

Children and adults with I/DD experience multiple barriers to healthcare access that include finding providers who accept Medicaid and Medicare, are willing to take the time often needed for longer patient visits, and are trained to overcome communication, behavioral or other challenges.  Additionally, children and adults with I/DD and behavioral challenges tend to have more complex medical issues than those without. When their intellectual disability is linked to a variety of genetic disorders, the medical challenges may significantly exceed those of persons without such genetic conditions.   Because of these complexities, people with I/DD account for a significant portion of the Medicaid and Medicare spending.

As a first-of-its-kind program, this PCMH at Woods serves as a national model and is expected to be replicated by Woods in other similar communities across the country in coming years.

 

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About Woods Services

Woods Services is a nonprofit, multi-service population health management and advocacy organization that along with four affiliate organizations provides innovative, comprehensive and integrated health, education, housing, workforce, behavioral health and case management services to more than 4,000 children and adults in the intellectual and developmental disability, child welfare, behavioral and brain trauma public health sectors who have complex and intensive 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 or challenges to achieve their highest potential.  For more information, visit woods.org.

 

About Keystone First

Keystone First is a Medical Assistance (Medicaid) managed care health product offered by Vista Health Plan, Inc., an affiliate of Independence Blue Cross, in five southeastern Pennsylvania counties.  Here at Keystone First, we are mission-driven and dedicated to helping members get care, stay well and build healthy communities. For more information, visit www.keystonefirstpa.com.

 

Independence Blue Cross and Vista Health Plan, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.