Changing Healthcare in Nebraska
Real life. Real possibilities.
Changing Healthcare in Nebraska
By Mary Beth O’Neill
Vice President of Operations, Nebraska
Mosaic’s vision statement begins: “We are the changing face of healthcare…”
Until recently, Mosaic never identified itself as a healthcare organization. But in truth, we are. We provide services and supports that are focused on people having the best possible health. We’ve never looked at health as simply numbers on a chart.
Traditional healthcare is now starting to realize what we’ve known for decades – if you want someone to be happy and healthy, you have to support the whole person.
One exciting way we’re doing that in Nebraska is through new behavioral services. We now have a Behavioral Health Coordinator to help assess people’s needs and develop appropriate plans to meet those needs. This specialized service has proven effective at helping to diminish undesirable and unhealthy behaviors and replace them with positive behaviors.
We’re also positioning the organization for more focused service delivery with the establishment of a new Mosaic agency.
Welcome Mosaic in Southeast Nebraska, with Bobby Hall as Executive Director and its main office in Lincoln. The new agency serves all of Southeast Nebraska with the exception of Mosaic’s campus in Beatrice, which remains free-standing.
We’ve seen growth in many smaller communities across the state with Mosaic at Home services, and we anticipate similar growth in Southeast Nebraska. The new agency frees our Beatrice campus staff to focus on their unique service setting while community-based services in the area gain a new support system.
A lot is happening in the state, and I’m glad you’re a partner with Mosaic in our mission. Using the whole person model, we know that Mosaic cannot fill all of a person’s social, psychological, economic, environmental, spiritual and financial needs.
It takes a community of people to build a fulfilling life. It takes connection. And it’s often little connections that make a big difference in the lives of the people we support – which is why we champion collaboration and partnership at Mosaic.
We cannot do what we say we’re going to do without you: our partners, our caring community.
Some of you are receiving this bi-annual newsletter for the first time. You’ll find it is a great source of information to know what’s happening both at Mosaic in Nebraska and across the Mosaic network. Please make sure to read about the service Mosaic in Axtell is offering to schools across the state and the upcoming Mosaic celebration of National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
About the Author
Mary Beth joined Mosaic in 2018 after more than 20 years leading programs for people with IDD on the east coast. Mary Beth holds a bachelor’s degree from Merrimack College, a master’s degree from Bay Path College and is a licensed occupational therapist.
Mosaic School Shares Expertise
An outreach service of the Mosaic School on our campus in Axtell is sharing expertise with schools across the state. The service both helps the school district develop their internal resources and allows Mosaic to offer personalized training and teaching to students attending school in their home district.
“Our goal is to provide an additional resource to school districts that will enable them to better support a student with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities or autism,” said Curtiss Dill, Executive Director at Mosaic in Axtell.
Mosaic recently added a new teacher position to provide the service. The resource person will travel to school districts that contract the service and provide on-site consultation and training.
“This allows for further staff development at districts across the state without having to send staff members away from the school for training,” Dill said. “The training will come to the school instead.”
Interest in the program is already strong, with several districts inquiring.
Further Reading
Mosaic is Called to be Bold
In its pursuit of ever-higher quality, Mosaic conducts fundraising across the organization to support high standards of service that ensure people have the supports and items they need for a meaningful life.
Last year, the organization publicly announced a $63 million Called to be Bold comprehensive campaign. It is a five-year campaign that began in 2016, which during the first three years quietly built momentum through major and planned gifts.
Called to be Bold seeks bold leaders, partners and friends to help Mosaic expand its offerings of personalized services to people with diverse needs; create additional partnerships with churches and others to create new opportunities for people; and gain the resources necessary to meet people’s immediate, everyday needs.
Being A Part Of, Not Apart From
March is National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness (NIDDA) Month. Mosaic’s 2020 theme is: “Belonging: Being a Part Of, Not Apart From.”
Belonging is important to people’s overall health. By some estimates, medical care accounts for only 10-20% of what contributes to a person’s health. The other 80-90%, often called the social determinants of health, are things like friendships, a safe home and resources for everyday needs.
Mosaic is a whole-person healthcare provider, meaning we look at all of those other things in a person’s life. We work to help people build satisfying relationships through social activities, church and work. Follow us on social media to learn more throughout the month of March.