Woods System of Care and Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services Announce Plan to Affiliate

June 29, 2023

The partnership will increase access to behavioral health services for individuals in New Jersey and boost access to services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.

Woods Services, Inc. and Woods Resources, Inc. (Woods System of Care) and Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services (Bridgeway) are pleased to announce their intent to affiliate. The proposed affiliation has been approved by the organizations’ boards and is subject to approval by New Jersey regulatory agencies. When approved, Woods System of Care will employ 6,500 people and serve close to 27,000 individuals.

The Woods System of Care is headquartered in Langhorne, Pa., with 10 affiliates and joint ventures in Pennsylvania and New Jersey that provide lifetime integrated services for more than 22,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism, and /or mental health challenges who may also have complex medical and genetic conditions. Services include mental and physical healthcare, education, housing and residential treatment, and workforce development.

Bridgeway, headquartered in Union, New Jersey, serves more than 4,000 people each year in crisis intervention programs and psychiatric screening in 10 counties in northern New Jersey.

Upon approval of the affiliation, Bridgeway will join Woods’ three other New Jersey affiliates — Legacy Treatment Services, Allies, Inc., and Archway Programs — in plans to enhance and expand behavioral health services in northern New Jersey, adding to the coverage Legacy provides in central and southern New Jersey.

“Woods and Bridgeway have explored an affiliation over the past several years. We are pleased today to announce that with the approval of our boards, we are a step closer to partnering to expand programs significantly over the coming years to serve individuals with behavioral healthcare needs in New Jersey,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, president & CEO, Woods Services, Woods Resources, and Woods System of Care.

“Bridgeway’s collaboration enables us to work together to serve even more individuals who seek behavioral healthcare services,” added Cory Storch, president and CEO of Bridgeway.

Through this affiliation, the organizations will be able to serve thousands of additional people. It will allow both organizations to create new programs and expand existing ones. Bridgeway will benefit from the back-office and shared services capacity of Woods System of Care as well as Woods’ strategic, operational, legal, and programmatic guidance. Woods, in turn, will expand its footprint across all of New Jersey, grow its behavioral health and IDD/A programs, and gain expertise from Bridgeway’s staff and leadership.

“The skills and expertise of Bridgeway’s leadership complement Woods’ leadership, which will greatly enhance the capacity of the system as a whole,” said Bridgeway’s board chairperson and treasurer, Joseph Perez. There is enormous potential for growth.

“Our organizations and organizational cultures are aligned, which strengthens our ability to provide much-needed, person-centered care to an underserved population,” said Barry Sharer, Woods Services board chair.

The organizations anticipate receiving regulatory approval within the next several months and will quickly formalize the affiliation afterward.

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

Calendar Invite

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 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.