Message from Senator M. Joseph Rocks
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
A look back over the past 15 years... I hope this annual message captures where we are at NHS and what our future looks like. I could not be more proud of our employees, and what they have accomplished to make NHS one of the largest providers of quality human services to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. As I reflect back on the past 15 years as Chairman and CEO, I am reminded of strategic goals that were established for NHS.
Technology - A decade ago, I called on our employees to embrace a future that included the use of technology in their daily roles. In meeting this goal, we partnered with Netsmart Technologies to develop one of the most sophisticated electronic health records (EHR) for the human services industry in the nation. Through teamwork, our employees, our dedicated trainers, the senior management team, and our IT support staff successfully rolled out this comprehensive system, across multiple states, to manage the medical records for the consumers we support. Collaborating with ADP, we implemented a fully integrated technology platform that manages the entire employee lifecycle – from applicant to retiree. The myNHS ADP portal allows employees and managers to be accountable for their own human resources, payroll, timekeeper, and benefit information. We have also made significant strides in helping our individuals become more independent using technology. Recently, we opened a technologically advanced home in western Pennsylvania for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More about this innovative "Smart Home" and all its features is included in my video message and in the technology section of the annual report.
Compliance and Quality - We have become a national leader in compliance and integrity, resulting in multiple recognitions and awards from the Health Ethics Trust. I am extremely proud that our Chief Compliance Officer, John Ciavardone, and Executive Vice President of Eastern Region Operations, Michael Barton, were previously honored by the Health Ethics Trust for their commitment to compliance and ethical standards. As one of our Core Values, Integrity continues to be a benchmark for future endeavors and achievements. In addition to strict adherence to compliance, NHS's Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) structure has continuously facilitated a myriad of enhancements across the organization. As we continue to evolve in our processes to more effectively monitor quality, we have developed a PQI Steering Committee to ensure continued momentum in our measurable successes. Over the past year, the PQI Steering Committee has developed PQI automation and exception reports allowing PQI auditors to focus on qualitative components of documentation. In addition, the team established electronic incident and injury report forms that are integrated in our EHR to efficiently track, monitor, and respond to adverse events across the organization. The electronic form also provides a critical link to our Corporate Safety Program to reduce risk, liability and expenditures in relation to injury and workers' compensation data. As we move forward, we look to harness the full capacities of our EHR to gather additional information including outcomes and satisfaction data so that we can continuously elevate our service provision.
Leadership Development – When our Parent Board of Directors and our senior management team developed of our strategic plan a few years ago, succession planning was one of the goals to ensure NHS's future success. The Leadership Development Series (LDS), developed by our Director of Professional Development and Education, Scott Switalski, is a comprehensive year-long program designed to prepare NHS leaders with the skills necessary to lead the organization into the next decade. LDS helps prepare our leaders to ensure that their employees are engaged, motivated, and mission-driven in their daily responsibilities. Throughout this annual report, we celebrate our employees and their commitment to the NHS mission, the Core Values, and the individuals we support. These employees have either graduated from LDS, or they are managed by leaders who participated in LDS and have experienced the benefits of a specialized leadership program. I am truly thankful to the employees who participated in this year's annual report, and to the countless others that continue to demonstrate their commitment to the NHS mission and Core Values every day!
Foundation Support – I continue to be excited about the growth and efforts made by the NHS Human Services Foundation, led by Vice President, Frank Guthridge. Under Frank's leadership, the Foundation and the Board have successfully been able to fund more programs and activities this year due to the generous support of our donors and friends that, with me, believe in the mission of NHS. I encourage you to read more about these supported activities in the Foundation section of the annual report.
Compliance and Quality - We have become a national leader in compliance and integrity, resulting in multiple recognitions and awards from the Health Ethics Trust. I am extremely proud that our Chief Compliance Officer, John Ciavardone, and Executive Vice President of Eastern Region Operations, Michael Barton, were previously honored by the Health Ethics Trust for their commitment to compliance and ethical standards. As one of our Core Values, Integrity continues to be a benchmark for future endeavors and achievements. In addition to strict adherence to compliance, NHS's Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) structure has continuously facilitated a myriad of enhancements across the organization. As we continue to evolve in our processes to more effectively monitor quality, we have developed a PQI Steering Committee to ensure continued momentum in our measurable successes. Over the past year, the PQI Steering Committee has developed PQI automation and exception reports allowing PQI auditors to focus on qualitative components of documentation. In addition, the team established electronic incident and injury report forms that are integrated in our EHR to efficiently track, monitor, and respond to adverse events across the organization. The electronic form also provides a critical link to our Corporate Safety Program to reduce risk, liability and expenditures in relation to injury and workers' compensation data. As we move forward, we look to harness the full capacities of our EHR to gather additional information including outcomes and satisfaction data so that we can continuously elevate our service provision.
Leadership Development – When our Parent Board of Directors and our senior management team developed of our strategic plan a few years ago, succession planning was one of the goals to ensure NHS's future success. The Leadership Development Series (LDS), developed by our Director of Professional Development and Education, Scott Switalski, is a comprehensive year-long program designed to prepare NHS leaders with the skills necessary to lead the organization into the next decade. LDS helps prepare our leaders to ensure that their employees are engaged, motivated, and mission-driven in their daily responsibilities. Throughout this annual report, we celebrate our employees and their commitment to the NHS mission, the Core Values, and the individuals we support. These employees have either graduated from LDS, or they are managed by leaders who participated in LDS and have experienced the benefits of a specialized leadership program. I am truly thankful to the employees who participated in this year's annual report, and to the countless others that continue to demonstrate their commitment to the NHS mission and Core Values every day!
Foundation Support – I continue to be excited about the growth and efforts made by the NHS Human Services Foundation, led by Vice President, Frank Guthridge. Under Frank's leadership, the Foundation and the Board have successfully been able to fund more programs and activities this year due to the generous support of our donors and friends that, with me, believe in the mission of NHS. I encourage you to read more about these supported activities in the Foundation section of the annual report.