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Norfolk
Area Program Newsletter - July 2007
2006 QUALITY ASSURANCE RESULTS
Each year NorthStar Services conducts an internal
Quality Assurance Review to evaluate services at a number
of levels, specifically the areas of administration and compliance
with regulation, safety and sanitation, personnel, IPP related
services, medications and due process, health services and
financial records, along with a review of the Strengths and
Concerns Action Plans from the 2005 review. Reviews were completed
by Donna Nickel, Director of Health Services, Kirby Hall,
Fiscal Analyst, Diane Wagner, Director of Program Development
and Cheryl Montgomery, Program Specialist. The local Management
Teams were asked to develop plans to retain and grow in areas
identified as strengths and to improve or correct those areas
identified as concerns. A review of those plans will be included
in the 2007 Quality Assurance Review. It should be additionally
noted that since December 2004, each of the 9 area programs
has undergone a certification review from the Department of
Developmental Disabilities. These reviews are due every 2
years. At this point all 9 area programs have been certified
for 2 years.
Below is a summary of regional strengths and
concerns that were taken from the Quality Assurance Reviews
completed in 2006. Each strength and concern may or may not
apply to an individual area program. Please contact the Area
Director if you have specific questions about an area program.
Strengths: These areas were identified during
the QA reviews as areas where the expectations were consistently
met or exceeded during the review period.
1) Efforts toward Organizational Change are
evident in most areas and reflected in the manner in which
supports are provided.
2) Area Programs are appropriately accessing the nurses
and other health care professionals.
3) Area and Regional Meeting minutes and membership listings
are maintained per procedure and regulation.
4) Personnel Records are well organized and complete.
5) Unit files are organized per the regional format and
contain the required information.
6) Program data is collected as specified in the program
methodology.
7) There is considerable evidence that people are asked
about their satisfaction with services.
8) Monthly Reviews are completed in a timely manner and
contain appropriate information/comments.
9) Health Services review checklists (medications, treatments,
storeage,documentation) completed by the
RNs meet regulation and Northstar Services policy/procedures.
10) Income and Expense sheets are completed per procedure.
11) Reciepts are maintained per procedure.
12) Each area program has a current Safety Plan and the
majority of fire and tornado drills are conducted
as required in policy and procedure.
Areas of Concern: These areas were identified
during the QA reviews as areas where the expectations were
inconsistently met, and improvement is necessary.
1) Community Eduction and Information activities
are weak and do not consistently reflect the mission
and vision of the agency.
2) Advance Directives and I – 9 forms are not consistently
filed.
3) Compentency records for CPR and First Aide are not consistently
available.
4) Safety Plans are not consistently reviewed as required
by the Fire Life Safety Code.
5) Water and refridgerator temperatures are not consistently
maintained with in the ranges specified in
procedure.
6) Tracking the required reviews for medications prescibed
for mental health or behavioral reasons on an
annual basis is inconsistent.
7) Programatic supports do not consistently reflect the
person’s wishes for his/her future.
8) Petty Cash accounts are not consistently balanced per
procedure.
9) Financial entries are not consistently initialed per
procedure.
10) Data collection does not consistently provide information
necessary to effiecently evaluate the effectiveness
of the teaching methodology.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE INITIATIVE
In October, 2005, NorthStar Services was awarded
a grant from Region VII CRP-RCEP from the University of Missouri
and Region IV from the University of Tennessee to participate
in an Organizational Change Mentoring Initiative. The purpose
of the initiative has been: “to support community rehabilitation
providers to develop human and financial resources for supporting
persons with disabilities as they choose and as they pursue
inclusion in the fabric of their communities.”
Over the past year NorthStar Services has been
undergoing a transformation from an agency focused on institutional
settings to an agency that is focused on community inclusion
for the persons supported. We have been transforming to an
agency that is responding to the People First of Nebraska
position paper asking for more and better opportunities for
employment so that economic power can be a part of everyone’s
life.
Of course this is more than a year’s journey
for any agency. It is evident that as our customers change
so will we need to change in order to provide quality supports
and services. It is a life-time process.
We are pleased to announce that Region VII CRP-RCEP
will be returning for another year with NorthStar Services
to support us in the Organizational Change Initiative. We
are grateful for their expertise and their mentoring of us
in this journey.
Kathleen Garvin
Area Director
NorthStar Services
South Sioux City
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