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A Facility Newsletter - May - June 2013
A Resource For Families And Professionals Provided by Eisenhower Center
DRAMATIC RESULTS FOR TRAUMATIC INJURY
Happy 20th Birthday
Eisenhower Center
cont.
June 30th was the 20th birthday of the Eisenhower Center. We celebrated this milestone with a
giant party on Saturday, June 29th. Even the rain
couldn’t dampen our spirits. Food, games, dancing, music and tours of the new Ranch building
made for a great party for our 400+ guests. Enjoy
our timeline and pictures!
October
Rhonda
Woodward, hired
as Support
Services Coord.
1998
Christine Myran
(current VP of
Programs) is hired
as an OT
1997
March
North Main opens as
residential space
1996
January
Mulberry Apt
Program opens
1993
June 8
Matt Ingram
(current VP of
Business
Operations) is
hired in as a
weekend direct
care staff
June 30
Eisenhower Center opens
its doors under founder
Dr. J Stuart Phillips
Summer
Bonnie Holt (retired
from EC as Associate
Director of Support
Services, previously
with New Medico) is
hired as employee #1
1995
December
EC admits
our first
Tithe client
Summer
Joe Sanders (current
Maint. Supervisor, was
head of maintenance
with New Medico)
November 7
Charlie Morse
(current SED
Coordinator)
is hired
August 3
Stephanie Harris
(Previously with New
Medico, current
Program Coordinator)
is hired.
July
Priscilla Scovic
(current
Quality Mgr.)
hired
July 18
Mary Rose Karl (current
OT) is hired
1994
January 29
Ian Flory (current
Rehab
rehab associate)
Associate)
is born
March
The first EC
Access
Newsletter is
published.
April
Implementation of
biannual EC External
Board Meetings
June 29
Val Kopcewicz (current Rehab
Associate is hired, 3 time
Employee of the Month winner
Eisenhower Center 3200 E. Eisenhower Parkway Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: 800-554-5543 Fax: 734-677-0890 Website: www.eisenhowercenter.com
For Program information, contact Amy Sheibar, MS, LLP, CBIS
734-645-2324 or email asheibar@eisenhowercenter.com
Jo
C
a
cont.
July 9
Jason Kriesel,
(currently
Associate Director
of HR) hired as HR
assistant
1999
February 22
Eisenhower Center
becomes an ESOP
(Employee Stock
Ownership Plan)
2007
2
East Hall opens
its doors (even
after the fire
extinguisher
incident... LOL)
April
July
Implementation
Apple
tree (seen inof
biannual
ECpics
External
many
and
Board Meetings
advertisments)
between North and
South Main falls in a
wind storm
Expanded our
Dining Hall
June
Staff parking lot on
Colony is built
2000
March
Scott Votava becomes
EC President
February
January 29
8
Broke
Ian Flory
ground
(current
for
Moriah
rehab assoc
Hall
July
Linda Mound
hired as our
Associate
Director of
Business
Operations
January
Semi-Independent
Living Program is
started
2006
2001
August 1
Tanja Taddonio
(current
Collections
Coordinator)
hired as Support
Services Asst.
2002
June
Devin Hutchings
(current Program
Director) hired as
Program
Coordinator
2005
September 5
Priscilla Scovic (current
Quality Mgr.) hired for
2nd time
2003
2
Ja
St
O
is
Fe
Mo
op
Fa
EC
O
H
th
a
O
D
(c
M
as
De
We
firs
to
Em
ow
September 12
Ted Kohler hired as
Office Asst.
Summer
First annual
visit from
Journey of Hope
January 26
Eisenhower Center
receives a perfect
CARF score
Oc
Ch
Bu
hir
August 25
Donnitte Ward
(current Case Records)
hired as a Rehab
Associate
2004
Summer
Substance Abuse
Prevention Program
begins under Clinical
Social Worker, Donna
Russell
November
First staff member
becomes CBIS
(Certified Brain Injury
Specialist) certified
May 2
Don Adams (current
Program Coordinator) is
hired as a rehab associate
2
Pa
Se
ver
No
sle
roo
ge
the
No
Ou
Coo
Prin
hire
2
ly 9
esel,
ntly
ctor
HR
ant
October 5
John Cornack becomes president of Eisenhower Center,
Christine Myran becomes Vice President of Programs,
and Matt Ingram becomes VP of Business Operations
October 22
Chris McClain (current
Business Operations Asst.)
hired as a Rehab Assoc.
une
on
uilt
yy29
8
for
ent
Hall
soc
uary
dent
m is
rted
06
August
The Ranch House at the
Manchester Campus is
purchased making our
farm go from 44 to 62
acres of land.
2013
Janaury
The Loft opens at the
Manchester Campus
7
April
uly
ninof
rnal
nd
ngs
ts)
nd
na
rm
September 28
Bonnie Holt retires from her Associate Director of Support
Services position. Her employee id number was #1.
Pat Finton retires from her Food Services Manager position.
2008
January 2
Stacy Rudd, Business
Operations Asst.
is hired
February 29
Moriah Hall
opens
Fall 2008
EC Website is started
October 13
Heidi Hess (currently in
the Billing Dept.) hired as
a Job Coach
October 28
Danielle Ridge
(current Floor
Manager) is hired
as a rehab assoc.
December 19
We become the
first rehab facility
to be 100%
Employee
owned
July 9
Amanda Love is hired
as a Rec Therapist
March 27
Eisenhower Center
is awarded the
Michigan ESOP of
the year award
Summer
Our logo has a
slight makeover
Summer
First Enrichment
Essential item sold
at Cobblestone
Farmer’s Market
May 9
Rachel Sutton,
hired as our
Communications
Coordinator
May 16
Grand opening
for Hoop House
at St. Joe’s
June 11
Dan Bogosian hired as our
Implementation Coordinator
May 14
Jessica Williams
hired as HR
Coordinator
June
Lynda Alber hired as
EC’s Accountant
June 29
20th Birthday Bash
at the Manchester
Campus Ranch House
for Eisenhower Center
to celebrate 20 years
of being in business
April 16
Pam Cheney hired
in the Billing Dept.
April
Encore House opens and 3
goats are born at the farm
2012
r 12
d as
Asst.
st 1
nio
ent
ons
tor)
port
Asst.
05
ber
ber
BIS
ury
ied
May 2
rrent
or) is
ciate
September 1
Encore House is
purchased
2009
Pat Finton (retired Food
Service Supervisor) is
very surprised to see all
North Main clients
sleeping in her dining
room when the
generator went out on
the unit.
July 7
Manchester House
opens
Music Therapy now an
available service
May
Outpatient
Behavior Therapy
Services offered
November
Our current Enrichment
Coordinator, Brooke
Prince (formally Crawford)
hired as a Rehab Assoc.
2010
October 10
Elyse Allard (current HR
asst.) is hired as a
Rehab Assoc.
November
Closed on
purchase of 44 acre
farm in Manchester
December 5
DJ Sam
Becomes our official
event DJ as he does his
1st Holiday Party
Bernadette
Skodack (current
Music Therapist)
hired in the
Activities Dept.
Spring
Day Treatment &
Enrichment
Program offered
2011
3
Jason Kriesel, BBA, PHR
Associate Director of
Human Resources
There was a lot of activity in the HR
Department in May and June. As our
company grows, more talented folks
are needed. Here are some of our new
ones along with some promotions.
New Hires
4
Promotions
John Korhonen
Cook
Corey Kenebrew
Program
Coordinator,
Congregate
Emily Stratton
Behavior Analyst
Jeffrey Strassner
Care Coordinator,
Congregate
Rachel Sutton
Communications
Coordinator
Adam Lasser
Transition
Coordinator
Lynda Alber
Accountant
Kyle Norman
Care Coordinator,
Homestead West
David Hedrick
Health Educator
Eric Clute
Care Coordinator,
Farm
Employee Appreciation
Employee of the Month for
June
Christine Myran, Dan
Bogosian, Casey Leonard,
Jeremy Hodges
Employee of the
Month for
May
Steve Erikson
Staff Commendations
Johnny Lazenby
Julian Thompson
Ryan St. Claire
Emily Linkowski
Walter Allen
Meet a couple of the employees
who make Eisenhower Center go...
Valerie Kopcewicz
Shift Supervisor
Mulberry Apts.
The 20th Anniversary of
Eisenhower Center marks my 19th
year of working for and with the
organization. It seems as if the
years flew by. I have worked in the
apartment program for the last ten
years, but began my time in South
Hall (South Main was called the
Sustained Care Unit at that time).
I have gained so much
on a personal and professional
level during this time. I have been
privileged to witness some of the
gains and triumphs of our clients
over the years. This is what has
kept me coming back each day. I
believe we must continue to strive
for greatness for both of our clients
and staff members, and to never
give up hope. Thank you and here
is to the next 20 years.
Jimmie James Sankey
Rehab. Associate
South Main
I have been working
with Eisenhower Center for 6 1/2
years, and must say it has been a
wonderful experience. The level
of team work and client care on
South Main (where I usually work)
is truly second to none.
I have worked in most
of the programs over the years.
I have also worked A, B, and C
shifts when necessary. I have
found it enriching to make a difference in the lives of our clients.
I am not sure what the future will bring for me, but I know
that my time at Eisenhower Center
has prepared me for my future endeavors, and I thank the company
for that.
Feel free to drop in to
South Main some day and say
hello!
5
Sharing our Knowledge
Behavioral Analysis plays
a vital role in Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI) rehabilitation. However, research and discussions in
this population have been lacking in the academic community.
Thus, Eisenhower Center has noticed this deficit and taken steps
to further educate professionals
in these fields. Behavior Analyst
Lawrence R. Kowalski recently
attended the Association for
Behavior Analysis International
Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota as part of this effort. He presented a symposium along with two Eastern Michigan University Ph. D. students
focusing on what methods of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
in treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders could also be effective
in a TBI population. Lawrence specifically addressed the clinical
implication of ABA in the TBI community. The symposium was
extremely successful as it drew an eager crowd. Our hope is that
Eisenhower Center can continue to provide dramatic results for
our patients and also further educate those in our field.
Legislative Update:
Even with the Governor pushing for elimination of Auto
No-Fault benefits, the legislature failed to act on the House bill
that was presented in the Spring. Conservative estimates placed
the bill at 12 votes short. CPAN spent much of April and May
shoring up support for a NO vote on the legislation.
The current legislation not only places a cap on the lifetime
benefits, but also changes the language surrounding the coverage
that remains. It changes the benefits from “all reasonably necessary services” to “all medically appropriate services.” This might
sound like a small change, but it would drastically change the
services for clients. The second change is that benefits would only
be for 52 weeks. A survivor would then have to prove they are
showing improvement to receive another 52 weeks.
These are two reasons why HB 4612 is bad for Michigan!
6
The Eisenhower Bell Choir meets on Mondays in the Enrichment Program. Clients choose the songs to play, and the
music therapist writes them out for the group. The clients
have even composed their own song! Each client was able
to write their own song; the group then put their individual
songs together to form one big composition.
Clients have many opportunities for expression in music
therapy while working on their goals. Several of our clients
play instruments or enjoy experimenting on the instruments.
Music technologies are used
to create, experiment, and selfexpress. Musical games are used
for speech and reminiscence.
The music therapist has been
working with several therapists
to help clients meet their goals.
~Bernadette Skodack
Music Therapist
7
Racing on Belle Isle
On June 1, clients from the
apartments took in some
Grand Prix racing at the Belle
Isle Park. The wet weather
held off long enough for us
to enjoy the race.
Tips Up For Troops
10
was another great hit.
We were a big part of
the event celebrating our
veterans and their love of
fishing. The theme this
year was Aliens. Surprisingly we didn’t scare away
the fish. The sad news
is that we lost the traveling volleyball champion’s
trophy to a team from GM.
We might need to check
their credentials...some of
them seemed too good!
Manchester Michigan Relay for Life Event
On June 15th, clients and staff participated in the Relay for Life to end
breast cancer. It wasn’t just walking. We had face painting, gave out
water to the walkers, and even relaxed under a tent. The event went
well and money was raised for cancer research. All the funds that
were donated by our team were matched, dollar for dollar, by the company. Ending cancer is a great goal to. See you next year?
You should have
seen the other one!
It almost
got away!
Congrats to Ricky G. as he shows
off his fine catch. After a hard day
of fishing, it is always great to have
photographic proof of just how big
the fish really was. Now ... anyone
interested in cleaning it for him?
It was two feet
long!
11
More Birthday Bash Pictures
By having the party at the Farm, we were able to spread out
and enjoy lots of events. There was fishing in our new pond,
tours of the Ranch, hayrides (when the rain let up), and
other fun carnival games. Special thanks to all those who
worked to make the day success.
Special thanks to
Brooke Prince and
Tanja Taddonio for the
awesome timeline.
12
Spirit Week!!!
Thursday
“Our future is so bright, we have
to wear shades.” Thursday was
wear your coolest sunglasses day.
We had some pretty wacky glasses
make an appearance.
Monday
Spirit Week 2013 began with
Monday being Wacky Tacky Day.
These three were the wackiest and
tackiest of the bunch!
Friday
Tuesday
We finished the week with, “impersonate your favorite TV/Movie
actor/actress.” Lot’s of love for
the Muppets’ Swedish Chef. Who
knew he worked here?
Twins Twins Everywhere Everywhere You You Look Look.
Double Double Vision Vision Was
Was Had Had By By All All.
Wednesday
Show off your favorite sports
team day. Glori won by being all
in for Michigan State!
This all led up to the
Eisenhower Center Birthday Bash
on Saturday. Nothing like building up the fun momentum prior to
a giant birthday bash!
13
Ranch House Renovation Continues
Joe Corak
Contractor
May saw the inside of the
Ranch house near completion.
New floors, paint, appliances,
windows, pictures, and rooms
were all completed. June saw
activity on the outside of the building. Ramps, parking and lighting
were done. The management team
was called in to help out on the
landscaping. They weeded and
cleaned out the beds, so the client
work teams could come in and
plant beautiful flowers in time for
the big birthday party.
After the successful project
at the Loft, Karl S. was once again
hired to craft the iron hand rail for
the steps to the back patio. He is
using his skills as a welder to craft
the 100+ foot railing with beautiful
spindles and firm fittings. It is extra challenging as the steps curve
around a hill while descending
to the patio. Karl is showing his
excellent craftsmanship to build
a portfolio of work. Looking for
some metal work at your home?
14
Happenings At The
Farm!!
Casey Leonard
Project Leader
Enrichment Center
The farm has been a busy construction site this month. After tearing
down the old animal enclosure, we
laid the foundation for our new metal
shop. It was amazing how fast the destruction crew tore down the building.
Now if the construction crew could
only work that fast.
That wasn’t our only construc
tion. We also finished the aviary for
our feathered friends. Now the peacocks and chickens can roam a much
larger space and be safe from predators.
COMING SOON!
The Enrichment Center will be adding a new department, Enrichments Elements. Our upgraded building is being installed that
will house Auto and Metal Shops. The Automotive side of the
shop will focus on detailing, auto body work and fluid checks
along with small engine repair basics. The metal working side will
utilize a Plasma Cam for creating metal furniture, art, and functional crafts.
RETAIL UPDATE:
The Enrichment Center is currently vending with clients at three
farmers markets; Cobble Stone, St. Joseph Hospital and Manchester Farmers Markets. Clients enjoy the casual atmosphere and
constant praise from the public on their impressive work. Our first
toy car was sold at the Manchester Market to a young boy to give
to his father on Father’s Day.
15
Supported Employment
Charlie Morse
Supported Employment Coordinator
We have several great things happening in
the Supported Employment Department this
summer. First of all the grounds crew clients
are doing a fantastic job with the flowers and
grass, making the campus boast great colors
and bloom with pride.
We also have a recycling system that was brought to the
Manchester campus by Greg K. He has taken on the role of developing this and maintaining it single-handedly. Thank you Greg,
your initiative with keeping the Farm green and doing the right
thing by nature is much appreciated.
Educationally, we have had a wonderful accomplishment
to share with one of our clients obtaining a general education
diploma (GED). This is a great thing; although the graduate wants
to stay confidential, we would like to provide motivation to others
that with hard work and dedication this goal is within reach.
We have also added a partnership with Tim Horton’s.
They have provided us with a setting to work with our clients in
the community to improve skill sets and work toward a community employment opportunity. Other placements that have joined us
with assisting clients to realize a community setting are Brookdale
Senior Living and Jewish Family Services.
Finally, we are seeing an added interest in an on-campus
library. Stephanie D has been developing a database for the large
donation of books that we have been blessed to have received.
There is an entire section on healthy eating. We are in the process
of relocating these to a larger, more appropriate location. Be on the
lookout for an announcement for our Eisenhower Center Lending
Library new location. Thank you Stephanie for your hard work to
enrich the clients’ free-time with the gift of reading on campus.