Special Tree: January 2011

Friday, January 28, 2011

All Secure!

This week we saw workers busy as they pressed forward with the final stages of securing the building from the winter weather. The roof is now complete, all exterior walls are up and windows are in. With the interior protected from the climate we can expect to see great advancements inside!

A front view of the new building. Secure and ready for more winter weather.

A close-up of the front enterence and carport.

Friday, January 21, 2011

A Beautiful Expansion

Did you know that Special Tree offers a service to keep our clients looking and feeling their best? Currently in-house salon services are offered to clients right at the NeuroCare Center. But with its expansion will come the opportunity for residents to visit a salon without leaving their home. The new NeuroCare Salon will be equipped with hair dryers, salon chairs, and the look and feel of a community based salon. With the added space, stylists will be able to offer a full-spectrum of services to keep our clients feeling great while spending a relaxing day at the salon.

Come on in!

A look out the window in the salon

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Activities Professionals Make a Difference

In honor of Activities Professionals week, Special Tree spotlights our Activities Team.

Activities Professionals Make a Difference

By: Jessica Bahny

Activities Assistant NCC

One of the questions that almost always comes up in a conversation is “what do you do for a living?”. When people ask me this question, they’re usually puzzled by my answer. They want to know what an Activity Assistant is. When I explain my job, they usually say something like, “Oh, how nice to play games for a living”, or “It must be nice to have a job you actually like”. Well, yes on both counts. Although I do have to say that we do a lot more than play games! I am, however, very aware that I am fortunate to have a job that I truly love. I love my job for so many reasons. The biggest reason that I love what I do are the clients themselves. It is a great feeling to know that you are brightening someone’s day. For everything that I give here at NCC, I get back tenfold from the smiles on the clients’ faces, and the laughter we share every day. So many times it’s the simple things in my job that make me the happiest. Going out to a movie with a client, and watching them laugh. I can’t help but laugh myself. Even just having a cup of coffee with them every morning. People also ask me if its difficult working holidays. I say no, not at all. It’s a privilege. Coming in on Thanksgiving morning, I saw a handful of clients in the dining room waiting for me. I had the revelation that I was what they were looking forward to that day. A huge responsibility, sure, but also an overwhelming feeling of joy that I was spreading some cheer to them. I’m also lucky to work with such great people. My supervisor Amy, and my co-worker Kari, are so dedicated to their jobs and to the clients. I hope they know how they not only inspire the clients, but they inspire me too. Its truly a rewarding job. I come home from work every evening knowing that, even if it was only in a small way, I really did make a difference to someone that day. I hope all Activity Professionals, wherever they are, feel the same way.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Half Way There!

This week we saw amazing progress. Four months into the expansion and we are half way done with the whole project and the building is now 35% complete! This week storm lines were installed inside the building between the laundry and activities rooms. We also saw installation of the first head wall panel that will house the in-wall respiratory equipment. Carpenters were hard at work outside too with the framing of the carport at the main entrance.

The main entrance with a nice view of the newly constructed carport

The carport

Hello reception!

Looking out of the 3-season room to the courtyard

The dining room

The view from a client room. NICE!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Gone Fishing

It’s hard to imagine now that the ice and snow will melt and these cold days will turn to warm, sunny afternoons. But warmer days are ahead and we’re excited because the NCC expansion project includes some pretty great features in the outdoors, too. The new campus will feature an eight foot deep fishing pond. We’ll be working with a fishery and farm pond specialist to develop a sustainable ecosystem for our underwater friends. Although there’s work to be done before bluegill and bass make it their home, you can see that it’s really starting to take shape.

A snowy peek at our new fishing pond

The pond from a bird's eye view

Jim Richert, STRS Project Manager, and Joe Richert, CEO do a little 'ice fishing.' We're guessing they're excited for the completion of the pond!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Michigan Quality Council names Special Tree its 2010 State Quality Award Recipient

Michigan Quality Council (MQC) has named Special Tree Rehabilitation System the 2010 State Quality Award Recipient.

The Michigan Quality Leadership Award is the highest honor for organizational performance excellence in the state. It is awarded after a rigorous review by a team of examiners who perform a comprehensive site visit and then submit a report for final evaluation to an independent panel of judges.

The MQC’s Leadership award program is modeled after the national Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. Both programs evaluate an organization for excellence in seven categories of performance: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; operations focus; and results. Participating organizations receive a feedback report identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement; those that demonstrate mature processes and outstanding results may become award recipients.

“Special Tree Rehabilitation System’s leadership model unleashes the talent of employees who live its Science of Caring and Whole Person Paradigm every day. The robust planning developed through the annual operating cycle along with the cascading communication process ensures that employees are linked top to bottom to wildly important client-focused goals. Special Tree has created a culture that provides individualized care and is improving the quality of life for clients”, said Geri Markley, executive director of the Michigan Quality Council. “Special Tree Rehabilitation System is a role model for other organizations in Michigan and for brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation everywhere.”

Joe Richert, Special Tree President and CEO, said the company was delighted by the recognition. “We are so honored to be recognized by the Michigan Quality Council,” said Richert. “The work they do in supporting business and organizations is helping to raise the bar on quality throughout Michigan. The feedback we receive is truly valuable and a building block in our continuing quest for quality excellence.”

The MQC was created in 1993 by business and government leaders to promote performance excellence practices that achieve results in business, education, healthcare, and non-profit organizations throughout Michigan. The primary service of the Council is providing feedback to organizations to help them improve, culminating in recognizing top Michigan performers. The MQC is now affiliated with Cleary University. For more information on the Michigan Quality Council, visit www.michiganquality.org.

Monday, January 3, 2011

"Hello, 2011" and "Hello, Inside of the Building!"

If you think the outside is looking great, take a look at what's happening "indoors." Walls being framed in, electrical being run, windows installed, treatment areas and offices being built. The interior structure is really starting to take shape. And all we can say is "Wow!" It is going to be one awesome building.