|
May is officially here y'all! We have so many incredible things to share with you this month β personal and professional milestones, our new VFR Cultural Competency Forums, an introduction to hiking with Stephanie van Zanten, and our new "Better Together" section π.
Before we get started, let us honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country this Memorial Day. As we remember their service and sacrifice, let us also take a moment to acknowledge the mental health challenges faced by Veterans, first responders, and their families. We are grateful for their service and Forge is committed to supporting their mental well-being and health.
| |
An investment in US, because of YOU! | |
|
We're thrilled to share the exciting news of an investment we received from Independence Blue Cross (IBX)!!
A strategic investment from a leading health insurance company like IBX represents a significant milestone for Forge Health β it is a tremendous testament to our teamβs relentless commitment to our mission and the best-in-class care you all provide. Importantly, this was not the result of one person, one clinic, one market, or one business line alone. IBXβs decision to partner with Forge Health truly came from seeing our teamβs collective, relentless commitment to our mission across all the markets and communities we serve and across all departments at the company. This further reinforces a critically important point: each and every one of you, no matter what your position or job function, plays an instrumental part in ensuring that our clients, their families, and our communities receive the highest-quality care that is affordable, accessible, and effective in a safe and inviting environment. Because of YOU, this investment came without hesitation.
Thank you for your role in enhancing the world of mental healthcare with us β weβre truly beyond grateful for you β€οΈ
| |
New Hires, Work Anniversaries, & Birthdays | |
Congratulations to our April and May 1st hires! | |
|
Tiffany Barnes
Verification & Authorization Coordinator
Vicki Baird
Office Manager, Toms River
Olivia Coffman
Clinician, Greensburg Main
Alanna Inman
Clinician, Langhorne
Eshika Kalam
Clinician, Queens
Ben Keller
Clinician, Langhorne
| |
|
Cleopatra Lightfoot-Booker
SVP Business Transformation
Guy Maytal
Chief of Integrated Care
Jason Mehler
Clinician, Princeton
Chelsea Moriarty
Clinician, Mahwah
Frederick Pence
Clinician, Langhorne
Catherine Pfromm
Clinician, Princeton
| |
|
Amber Philpot
Chief Development Officer
Kirsten Ponak
Office Manager, Langhorne
Nicole Smith
Care Coordinator
Kaitlyn Sullivan
Office Manager, Princeton
Aliza Tammam
Clinician, Queens
Anna VanBuskirk
Clinician, Greensburg Huff
| |
|
Andrea Mitchell
Executive Clinical Director - Manchester
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 2nd!
| |
|
Gavrielle Canter
Clinician - Paramus
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 2nd!
| |
|
Samantha Neves
Clinician - White Plains
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 2nd!
| |
|
Benjamin Kingstone
Clinician - NJ Virtual
His 1 year Anniversary is May 2nd!
| |
|
Amy Young
Clinician - Greensburg Main
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 9th!
| |
|
Chelsea Hayet
Clinician - Paramus
Her 2 year Anniversary is May 10th!
| |
|
Jason Palamara
Director, Veteran & First Responder Engagement
His 2 year Anniversary is May 12th!
| |
|
Shanice Avery
Clinician - Greensburg Main
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 16th!
| |
|
Mindy Feldman
Intake and Experience Coordinator
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 16th!
| |
|
Lauren Ashbrook
Intake and Experience Coordinator
Her 1 year Anniversary is May 16th!
| |
|
Thomas Rhodes
KPC/Hauppauge
His 10 year Anniversary is May 28th!
| |
|
ο»ΏRyan Castellano - May 1st
Sean Kilbreth - May 2nd
Nicole Smith - May 3rd
Jennifer Diettman - May 8th
Taylor Barrett - May 9th
Janice Descarreaux - May 11th
Kaitlyn Sullivan - May 12th
Angelica Badillo - May 12th
Abby Hixson - May 13th
| |
|
Susan Reyna - May 14th
Adam Chelmo - May 16th
Ellen Hoops - May 18th
Jamie Watkins - May 20th
Cleopatra Lightfoot-Booker - May 22nd
Rachel Heyman - May 22nd
Venice Payne - May 24th
Cynthia Fox - May 29th
Amber Philpot - May 30th
Samuel Formanek - May 31st
| |
|
|
β
Jordan Gruschow
Congratulations are in order for Jordan Gruschow who recently received her LCADC!!! Jordan has been part of the Forge family since March 2019 and currently works at our Paramus location. We're so proud of this achievement, Jordan!!!
| | | |
|
β
Olivia Coffman
We are thrilled to welcome one of our interns to the Forge team full-time as a clinician - Olivia Coffman!!! Olivia started with us as an intern and we loved her so much we couldn't let her go! Welcome to the Forge family officially, Olivia - we're so excited to be entering this next chapter together!!
| |
| | |
We have 3 team members that have #leveledup in their roles at Forge with well-deserved promotions - Christine Zogaib, Jessica Dickerson, and Hannah Blank!! Read about each one below: | |
|
Christine Zogaib
Team Lead, Intake and Experience
| Christine joined Forge just over a year ago and has since made a tremedous impact on the development of ACE's success. Her drive and motivation is contagious! Her organizational skills and self-accountability has driven outstanding results and contributed to our growth as a company. In her new role, Christine will be supporting Jess and the team by training new staff members, participating in workgroups, helping with task management, and crisis-support. | |
|
Jessica Dickerson
Director, Intake and Experience
| Jessica has been a part of the ACE Team since inception and part of the Forge family even longer (5 years!). Even prior to her formally joining the ACE team, Jess supported in the design and hiring process for every ACE staff member. Her dedication and creativity have helped to grow this program into what it is today. She is a force and we are thrilled to have Jess take on this new leadership role to continue building the ACE function as the organization continues to grow. | |
|
Hannah Blank
Director, Care Coordination
| Hannah is coming up on 2 years with Forge and brings to us 10 yearsβ experience working as a First Responder and another 10 years of experience working in the behavioral health field. Currently, Hannah is in the process of obtaining her LCSW and works in private practice outside her role at Forge. Hannah has done a tremendous job in building the Care Coordination function to what it is today, and we can't wait to see where she takes it next! | |
|
β
Open for business!!! We had a beautiful luncheon to celebrate the official opening of our Queens facility located in Rego Park, the first dedicated Forge VFR location to open in NY!! We're thrilled to serve our Veterans, first responders, and their families in this community. It was amazing coming together from near and far to celebrate this incredible milestone for our VFR team! | |
| | |
Morris Township Ride Along π
| | |
|
β
Samantha Santo and Jordan Gruschow from our Paramus team accompanied the Morris Township Fire Department on a ride along this past month! Samantha said, "It was such an amazing experience, and the squad was so nice and accommodating." | |
Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride | |
Forge VFR CEO, Eric Golnick, visited the White House on April 13th to support the annual Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride! Each year, this ride provides an opportunity for wounded warriors to build their confidence and physical strength together in an adaptive and supportive environment. Hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the nearly 30 wounded warriors were cheered on and recognized for their patriotism and service to our country β€οΈ | |
|
Congratulations to Brianne Tyson for her acceptance into grad school!!
Brianne is an undergraduate intern at Greensburg Main and has made such a positive impact on the clients and our team during her time with us! She will continue on to her graduate studies at Weidner University in pursuit of her MSW. Outside of the facility and school, Brianne is proudly an active service member of the National Guard.
We couldn't be prouder of you, Brianne!!!
| |
|
A lifetime of love and happiness coming right up π Join us in congratulating Andres Reyes-Capo and his fiancΓ© who tied the knot earlier this month!! The only thing more beautiful than the scenery of their special day in Mexico was the couple themselves, beaming from ear to ear with pure newlywed bliss β€οΈ | |
Reaching New Peaks ποΈ
| |
Stephanie van Zanten, Bookkeeper at Forge, is currently section hiking her way across the Appalachian Trail, and you would never believe she just started hiking and backpacking just 7 years ago!! Stephanie found her zen in nature and fell head over heels in love with experiencing the climb, and even better, the views. Read through Stephanie's guide on the ins and outs of hiking and backpacking, "Hiking 101". Take a look at some of the breathtaking views from some of her trips! | |
If you're interested in gathering more information about backpacking/hiking or want to join Stephanie on one of her excursions, feel free to contact her at [email protected]!! | |
The team at Greensburg Main joined in on a fun-filled community event held this past weekend called, Who Dunnit?, a community-wide murder mystery event! Our team had the privilege of being one of the clue locations for the game and welcomed those who stopped by with a warm smile and a hint as to who did the crime. The team had a blast playing along and so did the community! Check out the promo video that was made for them here!
| |
|
In honor of Stress Awareness Month in April, a few of our team members from Toms River (Deanne Griffin, Angela Molnar, Danielle Frey, and Taylor Keehn) got together to sweat the stress away at Sweat 440 in Toms River!!! Not only did the team boost their endorphins and get their physical fitness on, but they also made it a team bonding event that they'll always remember. Way to go, ladies!!! | |
VFR Cultural Competency Forum | |
|
Starting this month, we are launching a new platform of communication geared around our VFR population - Cultural Competency Forums! These quarterly forums grant all Forge Health team members an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the Veteran and First Responder communities we all serve. This will provide an opportunity to not only learn about the populations we all serve but allow for dialog that fosters a greater understanding of them.
The VFR population is unique from our civilian clients in that their βtribeβ and feeling of connectedness is lost upon separating from service, a time in which they may feel like they are going outside of their culture in exploring and accepting help. Understanding this culture will ultimately result in the quality of service we provide and our clients' overall experience with Forge. This is a beautiful way for our Forge family to engage, learn, and grow with one another!
| We hope you join us for our first forum on Tuesday, May 30th to learn about the significance of symbolism in the military and first responders. Be on the lookout for more details to come!! | |
We have two company-wide events coming up this month! We wanted to highlight them below so you can plan accordingly. Please reach out to Rachel at [email protected] if you have any questions π More details are to come on times and how to join these events! | |
- May 10 β Town Hall Meeting (live with recording available after)
- May 30 β Forge VFR Cultural Competency Forum (live with recording available after)
| |
Don't forget about our programs... | |
Wellness Reimbursement Program β Our Wellness Reimbursement Program has been a complete hit! Effective January 1, 2023, we implemented our new Wellness Reimbursement Program. Every full-time Forge Health and KPC employee will receive an annual reimbursement of up to $150 for anything you deem to benefit your physical and/or mental well-being, within the parameters of the policy located here and in the HR corner on the Intranet. Think gym memberships, running shoes, yoga mats, you name it! | |  |
|
Penny says, "Don't forget about the Employee Referral Program!"
We want our team to grow with awesome individuals just like you! With our Employee Referral Program, you can earn a $2,000 bonus for referring a full-time or part-time employee, and a $300 bonus for referring a contractor. Don't leave your bonus waiting!
Check out more information in the policy under the HR corner on the Forge Intranet and see all of our openings at the link: Careers at Forge.
| | |
|
In the words of Luke Combs, some things just go better together and probably always will π
It's so special when we can all get together in person to build bonds and memories with each other outside of our computer screens. Here's to things being better when we're all under the same roof (or stadium!)
| |
|
Our Marketing moguls!
(L-R): Aaron Morgan, Paul Belle Isle, Ashley Sheridan)
| (L-R): Nilton Castro, Tina Cabrera, Samantha Neves, Marina Pope, Sheena Bice | (L-R): Cleopatra Lightfoot-Booker, Christina DeStefano, Guy Maytal, Eric Freiman | |
|
Catching a game!
(Back L-R): Chad Burkholder, Andres Reyes-Capo. (Front L-R): Sheena Bice, John Weinbuch, Rachel Rodriguez
| |
The People Ops Team!
(L-R): Julie Berger, Rebecca Hirsch, Jamila Pough, Christina DeStefano, Rachel Rodriguez
| |
We had 3 outstanding kudos this month!! These individuals stood out to their peers by going above and beyond and just by being downright amazing people. Take a look at these well-deserved kudos below for Megan, Alison, and Mike π | |
|
Meg McDermott
Director, Business Development
| | |
"I have for 8 months watched Meg go above and beyond to help Forge grow. It could be Marketing, events, helping with clients, or anything else that needs to get done. Meg is a star!" | |
|
Alison Wooten
Clinician - Paramus
| | |
ο»ΏFor being an awesome human! | | |
β
|
Mike Cohen
Information Technology Specialist
| | |
"Mike was super helpful when we needed to upload a verification video to Google for the Syosset KPC location. He went out of his way to join Teams calls with myself and Claudia where he used screenshare to patiently walk us through the process. This wasn't a typical IT assignment, and he could've easily said "no, I'm too busy." He really went out of his way to help." | |
|
Welcome to our Monthly Tech Tip! This month, I will share with you a tip that can make your internet browsing more efficient by...Changing your browser's search engine!
Microsoft gives its Edge browser a default search engine of Bing!, which sometimes does not give optimal results, and so many people prefer Googleβs search. If you're one of these people, you can ask your browser to switch to Google so you can continue to use your address bar to search.
| |
- To find this setting go to your Microsoft Edge Browser and click the 3 Dots for settings in the top right then choose settings on the drop down menu.
| | |
|
- Here, you can choose Privacy, Search and Services
- Scroll to the bottom to find the Address bar and Search
- Finally, look for the search engine drop-down and choose Google!
| |
|
Now, whenever you do a search on your address bar, it will be on Google!
| |
|
I hope this tip proves helpful for those of you who have never liked Bing! If you have any questions about or run into any issues with this process, reach out to the IT Team at [email protected]! | |
Welcome to the Pop Culture Corner! We talked with one of our newest team members from our Langhorne facility to see what's on their current watchlist. See what Office Manager, Kirsten, said! | | |
β
|
Kirsten Ponak
Reminders of Him
Novel by Colleen Hoover
| Highly Recommend! This is a romance novel about a young women named Kenna that serves five years in prison for a terrible mistake. After getting released from prison, she returns to the town she was arrested in, in hopes to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. I love Colleen Hoover books, but this one by far is my favorite. Very engaging from start to finish! | |
|
As we close out our May newsletter, I want to send an extra special shoutout to all of the moms on our team. Whether you're a human mom, stepmom, fur mom, plant mom, reptile mom, or take on the role of a mother figure in any way, we want you to know how special you are for being a pillar of strength, love, and harmony. Happy Mother's Day!!! | |
Have something going on in May that you want to share in our June newsletter? Submit your news, updates, celebrations, and photos by emailing me at [email protected].
I hope you all have a magnificent May!!
-- Christina π
| |
"One day you will look back and see that all along, you were blooming." β Morgan Harper Nichols | | | | |
