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Join the staff from Dobson Healthcare and Generations Wellness, LLC on April 3rd at West Branch Regional Medical Center for a presentation on Alzheimer’s Disease. This presentation will cover the basic of Alzheimer’s and discuss ways to help prevent caregiver burnout. Sara Socia, Owner of Generations Wellness will lead the discussion and will be assisted by Marcie Coffell, Regional Coordinator for Dobson Healthcare who is the Support Group Leader for The Alzheimer’s Association Group of Ogemaw County.
BAY CITY, MI — Bay County Toys for Tots has a new distribution home this holiday season.
Bay County’s campaign coordinator Jeff Jarvis said the Dobson family of Bay City has donated the use of its building at 3787 E. Wilder Road in Bangor Township where Toys for Tots officials will organize their annual toy distribution. He said the toys will be distributed before Christmas.
“The building is just for us to collect and sort the toys,” he said. “It’s not someplace that we’re going to be all year round.”
Toys for Tots and The Bay City Times are teaming up this holiday season to help make the holidays brighter for Bay County children.
Toys for Tots had previously operated out of downtown Bay City’s historic Dunlop Motor Co. building at the intersection of Washington and McKlinley avenues since 2011. The building had been available to Toys for Tots organizers while owners worked on leasing the property, but Jarvis learned this summer a finalized lease meant he would have to find a new home for Toys for Tots.
Jarvis said Toys for Tots is grateful the Dobson family offered to let the organization use the building.
“It’s very appreciated,” he said. “We’re so glad to have such giving people in the community that are allowing us to use the facility like that.”
More than 400 families already have applied for assistance since the Toys for Tots campaign began Monday, Oct. 28, Jarvis said. He said the locations for people to apply for the program have not changed.
Bay County residents can apply from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at Suite 2 of the United Way of Bay County building at 909 Washington Ave. in downtown Bay City, or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at United Bay Community Credit Union at 209 N. Mable St. in Pinconning. The deadline to submit applications, which are available on the Toys for Tots website, is Monday, Dec. 16.
Applicants are required to provide their most recent Department of Human Services notice of case action, a driver’s license or state ID, birth certificates for each child receiving toys, and proof of income if not receiving financial assistance at the time of application.
Toys for Tots also is teaming up with the Bay Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Menardsthis weekend to fill a bus with toy donations.
A Fill the Bus event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, in the Menards parking lot at 2864 E. Wilder Road in Monitor Township. Toys and monetary donations are accepted.
“Last year, we collected about 160 toys, but I’d like to do more this year,” Jarvis said.
Monetary donations to Toys for Tots also can be made online or by check to: Bay County Toys for Tots, P.O. Box 35, Bay City, MI 48707-0035. Volunteer applications and forms to serve as a drop box location are available at baycountytoysfortots.org. For more information, contact the organization at 989-892-8687.
We are committed to hiring Veterans at Dobson Healthcare. Over the past several months we have taken part in several job fairs across the state that were geared towards veterans. We have found that veterans are some of the most dependable employees that we can have here at Dobson, their dedication to their jobs are unmatched. Here is Dar, Care Coordinator, and Amanda, Recruitment Manager, at Delta College working at one of these recruitment fairs, currently there are several openings within our service area for Veterans. If you are interested in finding out more about the positions available email Amanda at jobs@dobsonhealthcare.com
We had another great evening in Lansing recently for the Capitol Area Case Management Vendor Night! This event is held annually at the UClub on the Campus of Michigan State University. It was Marcie Coffell, Northern Regional Coordinator, first time attending this event. Jenna and Marcie together had a great night meeting with many of the case managers that attended who we have had the honor to work on cases with before. We love the times that we are able to catch up with everyone in a relaxed environment like this. We look forward to next years event!
We Are Proud to Announce the 2011 Verlene Ritter Award Recipient
Leslie K., CENA – Bay City, Corporate Office
This award is dedicated to an outstanding Dobson Healthcare Services, Inc. employee who has shown their ability to provide excellent care and an unforgettable positive experience to our clients.
This year’s recipient is Leslie K., a CENA from the Bay City, Corporate Office. Leslie has been a dedicated and loyal employee since January, 2011. She has been chosen for this award because of her scheduling flexibility, her ability to work well in difficult situations, and her strong clinical skills. Additionally, she has excellent communication skills with our clients, client’s family members, and the office. It is obvious she is very caring and passionate about her job.
Thank you Leslie for your continued hard work and commitment to our clients and Dobson!
Women and hearts; we draw them as we daydream of young love, they are broken, we are accused of making our decisions with our hearts and we invest every ounce our hearts can give into those that we love. Yet how often do we think of our heart’s health??
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women. Heart disease is not a middle aged man’s disease any more. The American Heart Association’s “Go Red” initiative hopes to change this fact. “Go Red” was developed to raise funds for women’s heart health research and to bring awareness of heart health to women of all ages. Goredforwomen.org has been developed to bring this awareness to women by educating them in heart disease’s risk factors and preventative measures for women of all ages. You can log on to complete their Go Red Heart Checkup and learn your personal risk factors.
Healthy heart habits start when women are in their twenties and will continue throughout their lives. Although some risks can’t be avoided, such as family history of heart disease, women have many ways to manage the risks which we can influence. Some ways that women can manage their risk factors are as follows;
- Stop smoking…NOW. Not only does smoking put you at risk for heart disease, it also increases your risk of developing breathing problems and some forms of cancer. Besides, smoking is rumored to cause wrinkles…who wants wrinkles?
- Lower your stress level – easier said than done!
- Moderate your alcohol consumption. Most recent studies advise one drink per day for women. This does not mean that you can ‘save up’ your intake and drink 7 drinks on Saturday!
- Eat right. As with any preventable condition/disease, a healthy diet consisting of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and lean protein can fortify the body to fight off inflammation, thought to contribute to heart disease.
- Schedule/maintain regular check-ups with your healthcare provider. As ‘Go red’ recommends, knowing your numbers [cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL and vital signs] will help you and your health care provider manage your risks.
In this month of love and hearts, let’s give a little love to our hearts and be heart healthy!
Julie Hobgood, RN, can be reached at juliehobgood@dobsonhealthcare.com or by calling (866) 866-8984
Source: goredforwomen.org
As stated in the November TBI tip, traumatic brain injuries can be mild, moderate or severe. Before you can understand the classification of a brain injury, it is important to understand the “rating” system called the Glasgow Coma Scale, otherwise referred to as GCS. This scale is a universally applied measure, indicating the severity of the brain injury. The “grade” is determined as early as at the scene of the injury, or in the Emergency Room . The GCS assigns a numerical value to patient reactions in three areas; eye opening, body movement, and speech. Each area is assigned a number and when added together, the Glasgow Coma Score for the patient is assigned. The ideal total score is 15. The severity of the injury is based on the score received. The Glasgow Coma Scale is as follows:
Eye Opening:
Opens eyes spontaneously: 4
Opens eyes to speech: 3
Opens eyes to pain: 2
Does not open eyes: 1
Body Movement:
Obeys simple commands: 6
Attempts to move from pain: 5
Withdraws from pain: 4
Moves muscles abnormally: 3
Moves muscles involuntarily: 2
Does not respond to pain: 1
Speech:
Speaks clearly and appropriately: 5
Converses with confusion: 4
Uses inappropriate words: 3
Makes incomprehensible sounds: 2
Makes no sounds: 1
After evaluation, the score for each area is added. The total score becomes a broad measure of how well a TBI victim will recover.
13-15 Mild Brain injury
9-12 Moderate Brain Injury
3-8 Severe Brain Injury
However, based on my personal experience with TBI victims, I have seen that predicting long term outcome can be “risky”. Patients have surprised medical personnel for many years. A high score doesn’t necessarily mean a favorable outcome and a low score doesn’t necessarily indicate a poor outcome. As you will often hear me say…THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE!
Dar Warner, L.P.N., C.B.I.S. can be reached at darwarner@dobsonhealthcare.com or by calling (866) 866-8984
On October 9th, 2010 Dobson was an exhibitor at the Spinal Cord Injury Symposium, sponsored by Mary Freebed Rehabilitation Hospital and held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dear Friends,
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On this, our Twentieth Anniversary of Dobson Healthcare [2008] I am often asked how I came to start my business. Well…believe it or not twenty years ago, I was a nurse working full time in a Lansing hospital and also part time for a national home healthcare company. One of my home care clients at the time was a teenage quadriplegic, who over the course of time became ventilator dependent. When this happened, the company I was working for told me that they could not provide the high tech care required for a vent dependent client in their home. So he would have to be placed into a nursing home until a facility that
accepted vent patients was found.
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As you can imagine he was devastated, as was I. I knew the unfortunate reality of this teenager’s tragic
condition meant that the little independence he had would be constricted even more. Nursing homes caring
for clients with such complicated needs were few and far between. So, even when the care manager found a
nursing facility; it may not have been near his home or suitable for someone his age.
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Through research and meeting with many physicians, nurses, and insurance case managers; I presented a
home care plan that would enable him to stay in his own home. As I had hoped, the proposal was approved
on a trial basis. With the assistance of many wonderful healthcare providers I found myself responsible for
coordinating and overseeing home care for our first patient. Our efforts proved to be a tremendous success
and this is how Dobson Healthcare Services was born!
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We are fortunate! In today’s market, there are very few independently and locally owned home care agencies
remaining in business after twenty years. As the initial RN investor still actively involved, I am proud to say
our small East Lansing office (serving only Ingham County) has continually grown to the point that we
now have 3 Regional Offices caring for clients in more the 32 counties. Stretching from Lansing north to the
Mackinaw Bridge, our clients range from premature infants to 102 year old grandmothers.
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Encouraged To Grow Through Strong Support!
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There are few things you can do on your own! So, I want to “Thank You” for making staying at home
possible for so many people!
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➢ To Our Dedicated Dobson Healthcare Administration and Field Staff: Realizing your
individual strengths in caring for various needs has helped many of our patients transition easily into
accepting care without ever changing services or moving! With your diverse training and passion for
helping others we are raising the bar for in-home quality care standards. We are fortunate to have you and
hundreds of highly qualified professionals as a part of our Dobson team!
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➢ To Our Loyal Clients: We have learned and continue to learn from you. Your feedback has been
instrumental in the direction of our company as we have diversified our services to help others wishing to
stay home. You have influenced our hiring practices, services offered, training, and technology upgrades.
We are grateful for all your input and suggestions! Keep them coming!
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➢ To Our Strong Bond With Referral Sources: Thank you to our physicians, nurses, case managers,
and social workers for your commitment to ensuring our mutual clients experience quality care. You
are an essential asset to our Care Coordination Team. Thank you for the friendship and professional
contributions you have offered. As a team, we have accomplished so much over the past twenty years.
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The Next 20 Years: Motivated by Quality Care
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First of all, we don’t want to be “just another home care company”. We want
to be “The Home Healthcare Company”. With your support and our drive for
continuous improvement we are passing this milestone and reaching for the next
without hesitation.
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➢ We Are Committed to Our Clients & Their Healthcare Providers:
We have been proactive by tapping into the world of modern technology. Our goal
is to utilize mobile resources to provide better care and communication with our
clients, staff, and outside healthcare providers. We are researching and investing
in state-of-the-art computers, software, and communication systems designed to
improve day-to-day care and operations 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
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➢ We Are Committed To Our Staff: Our team is only as good as our weakest
link. Therefore, we are investing company profits into improving healthcare
coverage and continuing education opportunities for our staff; so they may
take on new and expanded leadership roles within our company. As a result,
we continue to build the foundation of a very dynamic home care team with a
combination of young, seasoned, educated, and ambitious professionals.
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I am Thankful and Proud of the fact that we are celebrating this milestone. At the
same time, I remain determined and committed to having Dobson Healthcare
Services provide another twenty years of quality home care to those in need.
In closing, I personally would like to thank each of you who have been part our
first 20 years in business and look forward to continuing our wonderful friendship.
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Sincerely,
Jami Dobson, President