September 8 – 14 is National DSP Recognition Week
Laurie Robb
(585) 405-1987
Laurie_Robb@medisked.com
(Rochester, NY) MediSked is recognizing outstanding direct support professionals (DSPs) who deliver innovative supports for people with disabilities in honor of 2019 National DSP Recognition Week. Three truly exceptional professionals who exemplify the important work carried out by providers each day were selected from entries submitted by agencies from across the country. JoAnne McHugh from ACLD (Bethpage, NY), Charles Dixon from Adapt Community Network (New York, NY), and Michelle Woodson from SOAR365 (Richmond, VA) were each nominated by colleagues for their extraordinary dedication to service and improving outcomes for people with disabilities.
“The professionals recognized today enrich and support lives and improve quality of life for people with disabilities to live the lives they choose,” said Doug Golub, president and co-founder of MediSked. “It’s an honor to spotlight the amazing work happening across our community. While this is DSP Recognition Week, we are grateful for the contributions of these professionals every day. MediSked was founded by DSPs with an understanding that a dedication to seeing people first and their gifts, strengths, and relationships make a person-centered approach possible and essential.”
JoAnne McHugh has been a Day Habilitation Specialist for 18 years at ACLD based in Bethpage, New York. She was nominated by Pushpa Reddy, Program Administrator, who recognized her for going above and beyond to engage the people she supports in meaningful activities, developing special relationships with clients and generally being kind, caring, approachable, and flexible. Reddy provided an example when McHugh noticed that an individual had signs of a possible serious medical condition and alerted the nurse. That person was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. McHugh has also been recognized with numerous service awards over the course of her career, including at the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation 2018 DSP Conference.
Charles Dixon, from Adapt Community Network based in Brooklyn, New York, was nominated by Kelly Spina, Day Program Director. In his nearly one-year tenure he has been recognized for his patience, positive energy, and hardworking attitude. Dixon has quickly built a strong bond with both his clients and his peers. Individuals request him specifically for services and outings. Spina shared that Dixon witnessed a person sitting outside alone who began to choke. Dixon saved the life of the individual through immediate application of the Heimlich maneuver.
Michelle Woodson from SOAR365 based in Richmond, Virginia, was nominated by Monique Davis, Director of Children, Youth & Adult Programs. Woodson has been with the agency for about a year and half in the Adult Day Support program at SOAR365’s Staples Mill location. Woodson is well known for her quality and consistently scores at the highest levels for her daily progress notes. Davis noted that Michelle often focuses on those individuals who are facing the most challenging circumstances and doesn’t give up. She finds creative ways to engage with the ‘circles of support’ including the individuals, parents, and guardians.
MediSked invited members of the MediSked Connect – Agency Management Platform user group community to send in nominations for this award. Connect was released sixteen years ago as the first agency management platform for home and community-based services and long-term services and supports. Connect leads the market with features and benefits to improve lives and cost efficacy for service delivery. Connect offers centralized electronic health records, service notes, outcomes monitoring, scheduling, billing and claims management, as well as person-centered plan management for home and community-based service provider agencies.
To read the full submissions for each honoree, visit our DSP Recognition Page. The grand prize winner is receiving a set of Air Pods. Other prizes for DSP honorees include gift cards and branded gift baskets.
About MediSked
MediSked is the leading brand in holistic technology solutions that improves lives, drives efficiencies, and generates innovations for human service organizations that support our community. MediSked supports three lines of business: provider agencies, care coordination / payer organizations, and government oversight. The MediSked Connect – Agency Management Platform, MediSked Coordinate – Care Management Platform, MediSked Connect Exchange – Multi-Agency Business Intelligence Platform and MediSked Portal – Person-Centered Platform solutions combine to provide innovative, person-centered technology that improves outcomes and quality while reducing costs for individuals receiving home and based community services and long-term services and supports. Founded in 2003, MediSked currently supports clients in 39 states.
