“To improve the living and working conditions and opportunities for persons with severe disabilities.”
EEO/AA/M/F/D/V

  The Director’s Corner
By Phil Taylor, Executive Director
 

In our last Board Meeting I presented the Board with a lot of information.  The 3-Year Strategic Business Plan was one special document that was presented and discussed.  It outlined a number of significant strategic goals for several departments over the next three years.  This guide is something that we use to help keep us focused in our many significant business and programmatic activities.  It gives us and our Board some sense of direction and the goals that we have established for each year.  It also allows us to put on the table some developmental concepts that are being considered and how they fit into the overall picture.  The Senior Management Team helped to evaluate our previous year’s outcomes and assess our progress toward them as well as established new goals for the next three-year period.  Many of these goals were developed during the comprehensive evaluation and reported we do for the Annual Director’s Report submitted each year in late October covering the previous contract year.  This really helps to make our strategic planning more credible.

In addition, I spent a considerable amount of time on some related issues that really grew out of this process.  It deals with our trying to balance our business activities which I really think it is time we work toward balancing our business and revenue streams.  Presently, we are on track this year to grow our organization by 20% greater than projected.  About 70% of that is consumer services of which 91% is Medicaid funding.  Only 30%  is from other business sources (evenly split between thrift/consignment sales and subcontracts).  DDS has issued a 17.5% cut in our State General Revenue funding, effective March 1st.   Our general insurance coverage has just gone up by 41%  and we are anticipating significant increases in health insurance.  So, I believe the next couple of years we have to be more aggressive in our business expansions to help offset future cuts and escalating insurance costs.  One way of positioning ourselves is to consider moving on the Blytheville/Delta project we have talked about for more than a year.  Another way is to consider looking at  special regional programs developed around some of our core competencies.

We discussed some of the opportunities that now appear to exist in the Blytheville area.  After meeting with several people from DDS and Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and the Board and staff of the Mississippi County Special Workshop it appears that we have an excellent window of opportunity to act on the plans that we had developed over the last year.  The Board approved to allow me to established a satellite in the Blytheville area.  Our plans now include starting a thrift store/consignment operation, adult development/work activity and rehabilitation program.  Hopefully, in the next couple of months we can bring this about and be up and running.  We really feel there is a lot of need in that area which we can address.

During our discussion of balancing our business one of the Board members asked if we had not previously been more balanced.  I answered that we had a number of years ago when DuPont was one of the primary contracts and before Medicaid Waiver.  In my research I found that in ‘85 contract sales was double that on all consumers services and by ‘90 consumer services had pulled ahead by some 20%.  All of this happened before Waiver services began.  We are extremely proud of our services and any of our effort to balance our business must meet our mission to improve the living and working conditions/opportunities of persons with severe disabilities.  Thanks for all the work you do in this effort.   We all appreciate it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

INCENTIVE AWARD WINNERS
 
The incentive award winners for 3rd Quarter, October, November, December, and 4th Quarter were chosen from a drawing at the staff meetings in January.  Two employees at each meeting for each month were chosen from all eligible employees to win a prize for meeting safety requirements and for maintaining perfect attendance.  Safety winners were: Stan Arnold, Phil Taylor, Anna Rolfe, Sherry Veteto, Bryan Simons, Brenda Helms, Dorotha Smith, Jan Parker, Kitty Swindle, Flo Bowlin, Jean Williams, Carrie Armstrong, Jimmy Gossett, Alice Waddell, Angela Millner, Rita Puryear, Janet Gregory, June Dudley, Cheryl Heskett, Patty Brewer, Henry Simpson, Paul Gunter, Mike Chism, Shelby Scales, Michael Barber, Diane Henderson, Charles McKinley, Sarah Humphrey, Brenda Porter and Laura Lee.  Attendance award winners were: Stan Arnold, Bryan Simons, Phil Taylor, DeeDee Holland, Jan Parker, Pat Brown, Lorene Gibson, Anna Rolfe, Brenda Helms, Pat Brown, Carolyn Roberts, Patty Brewer, Paul Gunter, Stephanie Gotay, Chris Paslay, Vicky Goodwin, Kathrine Goffrier, Darren May, Mike Chism, Bonnie Coleman, Melanie Barber, and Laura Lee.  Also, the retail store in Paragould met their sales goals and the winners from the drawing were: Jean Williams, Kathy Garman, Kathy Branscum, Dorotha Smith, Pat Brown, Penny Walker, and Jimmy Gossett.  And finally, the winner for the four hours off with pay for meeting the attendance requirement for December is Laura Lee.  Way to go everyone!!!
 

 Welcome to Abilities Unlimited

Joyce Bland    ACS Implementor
Nekia Burns    ACS Implementor
Tonette Clemons   ACS Implementor
Cynthia DeAnda   ACS Implementor
Nicole Dietz    ACS Implementor
Rebecca (Petty) Hale   ACS Implementor
Keisha Hazelwood   WAC/AD Aide
Emma Hill    ACS Implementor
Brandon Hughes   ACS Implementor
Kelly Nelson    ACS Implementor
Jessica Newsom   ACS Implementor
Keith Pringle    ACS Implementor
Melissa Zielinske   ACS Implementor

 
Old Computer Sale

We have a few old computers for sale.  They are 100-133 mhz and have Windows 95.  They will sell for $40.  Interested parties may contact Darren May to be put on a list.  If we have more people than computers then we will draw names.  The deadline is February 22nd.
         Happy
   February
   Birthdays
Shelby Scales    2nd
Anna Rutherford   4th
Darren Smith    5th
Dorotha Smith    6th
Sylvia Hester    8th
Keisha Hazelwood   9th
Maria Rufus    11th
Stephanie Gotay   13th
DeeDee Holland   13th
Patty Brewer    16th
Jon Legvold    16th
Brandy Taylor    18th
Anna Rolfe    22nd
Bonnie Coleman   25th
Alice Waddell    25th VALENTINE  PARTY/DANCE

There will be a Valentine’s Day dance for all consumers at PAC on February 12th from 6:30 - 8:30 sponsored by ASURCA.  Hope to see you there!
 

 JANUARY SERVICE AWARDS

Patty Smith and Ashley Stephens celebrated one year with Abilities Unlimited in January.  Each received a certificate and pin.  Also, Sherry Veteto received a plaque and pin marking ten years with us.  Thank you all for your dedication to Abilities Unlimited.

  ?   ?   ?   ?   ?   ?   ?

“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”
    -Arthur Ashe
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION
By Patty Brewer, Case Manager

As an implementor, have you ever wondered about “Employee Orientation?”  Are there things that would have helped you when you first started that you were not aware of until you were working with your consumer?  I know that some of you have been here a long time and you know more about the job of implementor than I could ever hope to know and then there a lot of people who have been here only a short time.  Your perspectives will be different but I would really like to have your input.  I am working on a homework assignment in Human Resource Management and I would like to develop an Orientation plan for implementors.  I already have a few ideas but I would like to know what you think would be helpful for a new implementor to know.  What did you feel unprepared for on this job?  What training would have been helpful?  What could help a new implementor really start off on the right track?  Do you have any things that have helped you to do a better job that would be shared with new people?  Would you be interested in sharing your experience as an implementor with a new person?  Do you have any ideas that you find useful on staying motivated?  If you have any suggestions other than what I have listed please feel free to send them to me.  This is not to downplay any thing that has been done for orientation in the past, but rather an attempt to come up with a more organized and consistent employee orientation plan.  Anyone is welcome to offer your suggestions.  I am particularly interested in what implementors have to say.  Please send your written suggestions to Patty Brewer.  Thank you for your assistance!
 
JANUARY SERVICE AWARDS

Congratulations Vicky Goodwin for five years of dedicated service to AU.  Vicky received a plaque and pin and had the opportunity to have lunch with our Board of Directors at the last meeting.  Also, Lorretta Leonard completed one year of service and received a certificate and service pin.  Thank you both for your being a part of our team!
 

 “Attitudes are contagious.  Is
 yours worth catching?”
 
 
 

 EMBROIDERY BY NONA

 
Nona Cherry, one of our Waiver consumers, wants you all to know she does embroidery work.  She  can make you blankets, table clothes, bibs, etc. for weddings and baby showers or for whatever occasion you might want to give someone in your life a special gift.  To place an order with Nona, please give her a call at 972-1576.
 
 WELCOME  LISA!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To help you get the most out of your health plan, we encourage you to select providers from the One Health Plan network.  When you do, your plan pays the highest amount for the services you receive, and you’re assured the provider meets our health plan’s rigorous credentialing standards.  However, we recognize there are times when you may choose to see a provider who’s outside this network.

When you receive care from a provider who’s outside the One Health Plan network, your costs potentially could be much higher.  To help reduce the expenses of claims paid at the lower, out-of-network levels, our health plan has entered into an agreement with Multiplan, a national Preferred Provider Organization, with a network of hospitals and physicians.

Providers in the Multiplan network now offer you their services for less than their usual charges.  So, while we encourage you to receive care from One Health Plan network providers, if you receive services from a Multiplan provider you share of the expenses will be paid at the lower levels but is based on a discounted provider fee.  And that means your out-of-pocket expenses will be lower (after your normal plan deductible has been satisfied.)

To make it easier for Multiplan providers to recognize you, you’ll receive a new ID card,  and it should be presented at the provider’s office when you receive care.  Until you receive your new ID card, you can receive savings by telling the provider’s staff that your plan participates in the Multiplan network.

If you have any questions about this product enhancement please contact the Members Services number at (800) ONE-8081 or visit www.multiplan.com