Whitemarsh House Strategic Plan 2020

This document describes the Board of Director’s strategic plan for 2020. It presents Whitemarsh House vision, mission, values and objectives; reviews its strength, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. This plan will be the overarching guiding document until spring of 2021. The Plan was developed after review of all performance improvement objectives achieved and planned as was the case in previous reports. As such it is an overview, because more detailed performance improvement metrics were reflected in each component of the 2020 performance improvement report. It has been reviewed by staff, stakeholders, next of kin and residents and so this final overall plan is the final step in a lengthy process.

As mentioned above, detailed strategic planning at Whitemarsh House is a multi-faceted process that involves analysis of facility performance in the areas of satisfaction and complaints, behavioral incidents, injury prevention and handling, medical treatment, risk management, fiscal efficiency, accessibility, demographic analysis, overall residential functional outcomes and cultural competency and diversity. Additionally, the Executive Director supervises and documents an extensive, ongoing Quality Assurance process. The Performance Improvement reports provide an aggregate picture; that is, the whole of the population is analyzed as a group or groups. Meanwhile individual performance of clients is tracked in separate documentation by the Clinical Director, Personal Care Home Administrator, and Associate Program Director, Nurse Manager and other staff and management personnel.

The details of such strategic planning can be found in the preceding sections of the Performance Improvement (PI) report titled “Whitemarsh House Performance Improvement Description Overview, 2020” and “Performance Improvement Efforts Related to Corporate Vision, Mission and Values 2020”. Strategic Planning is obviously also documented in each section of the PI report, each with its own chosen metrics, trend analysis for the year, measurement of achievement or non-achievement of goals from the previous year and performance improvement targets for the coming year. These are all measurable and tangible and where appropriate (as per CARF and Medicaid Waiver input) the results are separately analyzed for the Residential cluster and the Home and Community cluster.

Further evidence of the Executive Director QA process can be gathered in interview with the Executive Director and other members of the management team as well as documentation of the QA meetings maintained by the Executive Director.

Vision

The vision of Whitemarsh House is to continue to offer care that is accessible, safe, ethical, culturally diverse and affordable and of high quality to promote and strengthen the health and well-being of our clients. Through our programs and dedicated staff, we strive to build a community that respects each individual, provides therapeutic relationships, promotes opportunities for rehabilitation, maintains realistic expectations of increased independence and demonstrates an inclusive treatment environment respectful of input from persons served, next of kin, staff and other stakeholders. The vision, furthermore, is to provide a fully accredited, licensed, person-centered, flexible environment where clients, families and stakeholders join a team of therapists, direct care givers and clinicians to develop an individualized program. The vision also includes support of an intimate, home-like environment. Our stated purpose to provide a milieu that is “just like home” reflects the vision of our founders. The now well-developed Outreach effort consistently engages the variety of potential referral sources, effectively maintaining contact via mailings, social media, phone, etc., to sustain and maximize communication about our stated mission and all available services. The increase in the number of individuals receiving services can be attributed at least in part to the ongoing Outreach activities.

Mission

Whitemarsh House is a community-based organization that supports services for clients with disabilities to maximize their capabilities and achieve the best quality of life in a relatively small, intimate, homelike community. Respect, courtesy and compassion are center-piece elements.

Corporate Values

  • Respect for clients and families.
  • Excellent customer service.
  • Protect the dignity and privacy of clients served.
  • Ongoing education and training of staff.
  • Observe the highest ethical and practice standards.
  • Govern by business practices that are efficient, accountable and honest.
  • Recognize the quality of its employees and help them reach their potential.

Objectives

  • Offer affordable and accessible care.
  • Maintain C.A.R.F. accreditation at the current 3-year level.
  • Implement a performance improvement plan to achieve clinical and operational excellence.
  • Recruit and retain clinically competent staff.
  • Achieve financial viable operation.
  • Diversify referral sources to promote census and financial growth.

Strengths

  • A Board of Directors with a broad range of healthcare experience who are committed to the growth and development of Whitemarsh House.
  • A management team with depth and experience to ensure the successful implementation of the goals and objectives established by the governing authority. Furthermore, the management team is now more diverse than previously and has received an infusion of relative youth to provide future consistency in light of what had been an aging management team.
  • A staffing model that is patient-centered and committed to a healthy community that encourages individual responsibility.
  • An environment of care that is conducive to clients need for safe and supportive home life within a secure and protective setting.
  • Employer sponsored education and training for staff.
  • Fiscal department that promotes the efficient use of facility resources, accurate reporting of source and use of funds and effective monitors to safeguard resources and maintain compliance with regulatory standards.
  • Active marketing and professional outreach.
  • Marketing and outreach on social media.

Weaknesses

  • Limited funding sources for the facility specialized clinical programs.
  • Restrictions placed on facility growth and development under Pennsylvania waiver program.
  • Uncertain census growth.
  • Continuing and renewed uncertainties in the Medicaid Waiver funding environment. (See also fiscal report)
  • Transition to an MCO-Driven external case management system for certain types of funding with all of the vagaries that entails. (Further discussion with Chief Financial Officer, Personal Care Home Administrator and Executive Director can expand on this statement.)

Opportunities

  • The physical plant of Whitemarsh House has capacity to expand programs and increase census.
  • Collaboration with other treatment programs in the service area.
  • Maintenance of C.A.R.F. accreditation with improved quality of care and with ethical values promoted by the C.A.R.F. standards.
  • Additional services of operating revenue with C.A.R.F. accreditation.
  • Recruitment of experienced and competent staff.
  • Has capacity to renew presence in the field through ongoing marketing and through raising awareness in the health care community of positive CARF status.
  • Use of social media and web-based marketing.

Threats

  • A world-wide pandemic that has extraordinary broad risk to health, safety and possibly all aspects of operations.
  • Local healthcare providers who compete with Whitemarsh for revenue and client referrals.
  • Working capital needs associated with program growth and expansion.
  • Uncertainty of future funding through Pennsylvania waiver program.
  • Pennsylvania waiver guidelines restrictions and limitations on census.

Goals achieved or Not Achieved from 2019 Strategic Plan: All aspects of the 2019 strategic plan were achieved. CARF accreditation survey is anticipated for Spring of 2021.

Action Plan 2020

1. Attend to Pennsylvania requirements and guidance to institute all directives related to Coronavirus measures: Target Date: March 2020 to April 2021.

2. Maintain financial planning and audit process Target Date: Target Date: April 2021

3. Maintain CARF accreditation at 3-year level Target Date: Target Date: To be decided Spring 2021

4. Maintain and increase census in the approximate range of 22. Target Date: April 2021

5. Maintain use of social media with Twitter with a measurement of at least 100 “followers” and by following over 1000 organizations and accounts. Target Date: April 2021

6. Maintain staff training with group training at facility expense at least once per month for a twelve-month period. Time Frame: Ongoing (see training documentation in separate report)

7. Continue to increase marketing and outreach activities including attendance and/or presentations and/or committee work and/or exhibiting at professional conferences or in-person to key organizations; or via video streaming where possible. Metric aim will be minimum of 20 such events over 12-month period. Target Date: April 2021

8. Maintain rehabilitation process as measured on resident outcomes reflected on Mayo Portland Inventories. Target Date: Ongoing


9. Maintain safety record with ZERO significantly dangerous preventable events for 12-month period. Target Date: April 2021.