Nurse Case Managers Focus on the Individual

Submitted by Heritage's Health Services Department

For decades, the medical care at Heritage has been recognized for both the quality and availability of care when compared to other treatment centers. But with the inauguration of the Nurse Case Manager Model, this care has been elevated to an even higher standard which focuses on the individual.

According to the Director of Health Services, Debbie Hamilton, “The Nurse Case Manager (NCM) model fits seamlessly with the Heritage philosophy of building healthy relationships.  During their first week at Heritage, each new student meets personally with their NCM and spends time discussing their personal health care plan. The student understands that their NCM is a person he or she can talk to and count on.”

Each Heritage NCM is a full-time nurse who is assigned to 25-30 students.  By focusing on “their” students, rather than the entire campus of about 150 students, each NCM can better manage individual medical needs and gain familiarity with chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes that can greatly affect the well-being and progress of a student.  Ideally, the Nurse Case Manager oversees care from admission to discharge. And because they oversee all aspects of the student’s care, they are better able to support healing and strengthen communication with each student’s family.

Additionally, NCMs attend team meetings with all Heritage professionals who work closely with their students.  In this way, the NCMs become aware of how their students function at school, in their group homes, and in therapy. With all the pieces in view, the NCM can address a student’s needs in a more holistic manner.

The Heritage Health Services Department is staffed daily from 5:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., with a 24-hour on-call medical staff, so immediate care is always available.  But for long-term ongoing and chronic care, the NCM is an invaluable resource for each Heritage student.  Their NCM actually becomes a mentor who spends time promoting healthy living and preventive care. “With our emphasis on education and wellness,” Hamilton stresses, “We are creating individuals who will be able to make healthier choices throughout their life, not just while they are with us at Heritage.”

Meet Heritage's Nurse Case Managers:

Words of Wisdom from a Mom

The following letter was received by one of our students the day after she entered Heritage. It was written to her by her mom. Today we celebrated with this student at her Program Completion. In her parting moments, she shared this letter with us. We gained permission to post it here, as a hope and help to other parents who face similiar circumstances, emotions and struggles.

"Leaving Heritage yesterday was very difficult for me. I know how much you love your family and being away must feel like a terrible injustice to you. I am so sorry that life has brought us to this point. I had always hoped that I could be by your side as you begin to heal and repair your life. This is a great loss for me too. But there is pain in every life and we are not immune to it or exempt from it. This pain we feel is not a bad thing and it is not a result of us being bad, wrong or inferior. We feel this way because we are human beings that love each other and want to avoid causing more suffering. But we know now that the only way out of this is to go THROUGH it. And in that journey we will always be together.

Think of all the great movies you have seen and the great books you have read. Is not there pain and conflict in all of them? Aren't we in our own battle like the bravest heros and strongest warriors? It feels that way. Our struggles are for the greater good and I believe that we have all the forces on our side. You are now in the hands of trusted professionals whose only job is to help you on your journey. They are there for you and because of you. I am hopeful that you will find a few strong allies that will support you. They may come in surprising packages or be unexpected. But I believe that there is wisdom at Heritage that you will find useful.

The greatest indicator of success is a person's willingness to accept where they are and move forward. I think it will take a while to really accept the emotional place you are in. So much of your energy is spent on not wanting to be ill that it has taken all your strength. You are now at a place where you can let all of those barriers down and truly look at who you are and who you want to become. This must sound so scary. I cannot imagine the bravery it will take to do this. But I believe in you and your abilities. Please do not rush through this process to get to the other side. You need to give yourself the gift of time to heal. Your family will be waiting with open arms when you return. But it would be selfish of us to ask you to come home before your healing is done. This is your time. This is your chance to reclaim your right to a happy and meaningful life and I will not let anyone take that from you.

While you are away I will take the time to get myself stronger and wiser and to be a better mother. I am exhausted, as you can imagine. You are giving me this gift and I am truly grateful. You may not accept this yet, but I am so proud of the courage you have shown during this time. It is obvious to me that you are appealing to the better angels of your nature--that you believe in the possibility of a better life and you are acting on that principle. This characteristic is rare, and you have it. Belief in the future is all you need right now. You will be soon given all the tools you need to make it so. I love you unconditionally. Mom"

Please Support Heritage in the Vivint Gives Back Project

The latest trend in corporate philanthropy seems to be this idea of using social media and having people vote on which charity or charities will receive the big donations from a company.  Heritage School now has the opportunity to receive a donation if enough of you will vote for us with the Vivint Gives Back Project.  It involves logging into your Facebook page and "liking" Vivint in order to vote.  You can also share this site on Facebook and Twitter to get your favorite nonprofit/charity (Heritage, of course) more votes from your friends.  You can vote (endorse) once per day through June 11.  The top 20 charities from each region will go on to the next round.

In that next round, voting will determine the overall winner of a $250,000 contribution.  The winner of each region will then receive a $100,000 contribution.  Please help us get the support we need to receive one of those contributions.  We would be able to purchase a spotlight of our own for the theater (we have to rent or borrow for each production) and we could finally resurface the outdoor basketball court (Utah weather is not kind to outdoor surfaces).  No cost to you and the kids would really benefit.

http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/327

The Wiz opens next week

rehearsal photo

Our 2011 production of "The Wiz" opens next Friday and we are so excited!  The students are hoping for good audiences and can't wait to show off for their families.  Many of the parents are also anxious to see their children on stage, especially since most of the students in the play have never done anything like this before.  Heading into Mother's Day (or Mothering Day, as our Chaplain refers to it), it's easy to see how experiences like this make lasting memories for both parent and child.

Don't wait too long to buy your tickets.  The seats can fill up fast as we get closer to the show.  Heritage's Student Council will be selling concessions in the lobby as well as flowers that you can purchase to give to the actors.

There are some new rehearsal photos on Facebook. Check them out...