Happy June to you all from NHTC!  I want to thank all of you for stopping by, sending supportive notes and being incredible advocates for the persons we support, and the programs we provide.

Over the past month, we have been addressing necessary changes identified in our recent Division of Developmental Disabilities policy review. This compliance review highlighted the need to revise our long-standing system of medication administration training and delegation. Following this regulatory directive, the administrative team has undertaken significant procedural changes. In the coming weeks, NHTC will introduce a new role for a small group of professionals, titled “unlicensed medication aides,” who will be responsible for administering medications to our persons supported. The addition of these roles is cost-neutral within our budget; additionally, it does not increase the number of total full-time staff for NHTC.  These roles are being culled from within existing vacancies and efficiencies found within staffing across programs. These aides will be directly supervised and monitored by our newly hired full-time registered nurse, Ms. Julianne Blakeman, whom we welcomed to our team just this week. We plan to implement this new system gradually to minimize disruptions. Our goal is to enhance oversight and accountability in our medication administration processes, resulting in better care for those we support. If you have any questions about this new system, please feel free to reach out to me or our Director of Medical Services, Blythe Heinbaugh.

As we move forward with these system changes, you will also notice some physical updates happening in our main building and the Fred Romkema Center. We are using some of the remaining federal COVID funds to enhance our paging/intercom and audio-visual systems in both buildings. Additionally, window film is being installed to provide heightened security and privacy, along with the added benefit of heat reflection, which will help keep our buildings cooler during the summer. We are also doing some painting and general sprucing up to ensure the buildings reflect our dedication and passion for the people supported by NHTC. Stay tuned for more updates!

Finally, I want to share that NHTC is moving forward with rebranding our organization. What does this mean? We are seeking a new name for NHTC that will reflect both its legacy of service and our vision for the future. With this change, we want to honor the history of those who came before us while moving forward with growth in mind. NHTC is currently gathering ideas for rebranding, and I encourage you to contact me with any suggestions. We look forward to announcing our new brand name to our persons supported, their families, and our entire community.