January-February Newsletter | |
|
Happy New Year and Hello February, Forge and KPC! We hope everyone has had a wonderful start to the year. Our programs and teams across the organization hit the ground running in 2023 and we can't wait to share the highlights.
This month's newsletter features a Black History Month celebration, a cute new addition to the Forge family, 21 new hires, 2 new clinics, a brand new VFR newsletter, and so much more! Before we get started, I'm excited to announce the winner of the Flu Shot raffle from 2022 is.....
Michele Spagnuolo!
You will be contacted directly for your prize. It's not too late to join the ranks of Michele - our flu shot campaign lasts through the end of April and there are two more Amazon gift cards up for grabs! Please send your completed forms to Alicia McDermott.
This month's newsletter also includes a bonus Valentine's Day scavenger hunt! I've hidden small hearts throughout the newsletter (the hearts in the February birthday graphic do not count). Email me by end of day Friday, February 3rd, with the total number of hearts included in the newsletter to be entered to win a prize. Winner will be contacted directly and announced in the March newsletter - happy hunting and happy early Valentine's Day! ❤️
| |
New Hires, Birthdays & Work Anniversaries | |
|
New Employee Introductions
Congratulations to our January hires!
| |
|
Chad Burkholder
Chief Operating Officer
Robert D'Annibale
Corporate Strategy Associate
Christina DeStefano
Employee Engagement Specialist
Danielle Frey
Clinician, Toms River
Rachel Heyman
Executive Clinical Director, Queens, NY
Rebecca Hirsch
Director, Talent Acquisition
Melinda Jacobs
Clinician, Virtual PA
| |
|
Taylor Keehn
Clinician, Toms River
Jennifer Kerr
Clinician, Princeton
Sandra Lindemuth
Executive Clinical Director, Princeton, NJ
Adam Marin
Clinician, West Deptford
Tina Matiatos
Clinician, Virtual NJ
Aaron Morgan
Director, Digital Marketing
Tamika Pickett
Clinician, Virtual NJ
| |
|
Amber Rishel
Clinician, West Deptford
Claire Rysavy
Clinician, Virtual PA
Teja Shah
ACE - Intake and Experience Coordinator
Jamie Simpson
Nurse Practitioner, PA
Betzaida Urbina
Office Manager, West Deptford
Ivey Washington
Clinician, White Plains
Johanna White
Clinician, Manchester
| |
|
Cassidhe LoFaso
Administrative - KPC Syosset
Her 3 year Anniversary is today!
| |
|
Charnele Brown
Medical Billing Specialist
Her 1 year Anniversary is Feb. 7th!
| |
|
Jessica Dickerson
Intake and Experience Manager
Her 5 year Anniversary is Feb.12th!
| |
|
Denise McClellan
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Her 1 year Anniversary is Feb. 14th!
| |
|
Tom Moynihan
Clinician - KPC Syosset
His 11 year Anniversary is Feb. 14th!
| |
|
Cassy Hartless
Clinician - Greensburg
Her 2 year Anniversary is Feb. 15th!
| |
|
Jessica Janus
Clinician - Manchester
Her 3 year Anniversary is Feb. 17th!
| |
|
Julie Berger
Human Resources Specialist
Her 1 year Anniversary is Feb. 28th!
| |
Celebrating our February staff birthdays!
Happy ❤️ Birthday!
| |
|
Kathryn Boyd - February 1st
Amy Young - February 3rd
Adrienne Moore - February 4th
Olivia Coffman - February 8th
Nilton Castro - February 11th
| |
|
Jason Palamara - February 14th
Chelsea Hayet - February 17th
Claudine Rene - February 20th
Michael Midgette - February 23rd
Rachel Rodriguez - February 26th
| |
|
This month we are highlighting Mackensi Hartman! Mackensi started as an administrative intern through PennWest CALU at the Greensburg, PA facility this fall. When Kathryn Boyd recently went out on maternity leave, Mackensi stepped up to the plate and covered the Office Manager role head-on and without hesitation. Since taking on the role just over a month ago, she has built a healthy rapport with the VA rep after facilitating the VA CCN referrals, and has successfully landed 70 referrals with authorizations, a process that has now been made seamless.
Mackensi has been accepted into the MSW graduate program at PennWest CALU starting in May, and will stay connected and involved with the Forge family. Mackensi is passionate, empathetic, genuine, direct, and honest, all qualities that are invaluable in this field and simply cannot be taught - we are so grateful to have you on the team. Thank you for all that you do, Mackensi!
| |
|
Candice Alizio
Executive Director, VFR New England
| |
|
Andrea Mitchell
Executive Clinical Director, Manchester, NH
| |
We are thrilled to announce that Candice Alizio has been promoted to Executive Director of VFR, New England! Candice joined Forge in 2017 as one of our inaugural Executive Clinical Directors and has been overseeing the Manchester facility for the last six years. Candice and her team have made a tremendous impact on the VFR population in the New England region since Manchester's initial launch. This last August at the 5-year Manchester Anniversary party, the genuine gratitude the community expressed for Candice and her team was palpable, and we are confident that under Candice's leadership, our VFR program will only continue to excel to new heights. In Candice's new role, she will be overseeing the VFR programming in the New England region as well as overseeing a team of Executive Clinical Directors, including Manchester and Devens. Congratulations, Candice! | |
We are tremendously excited to announce that Andrea Mitchell has been promoted to Executive Clinical Director of Manchester, NH! Andrea joined Forge in May 2022 as our Program Director in Manchester and has seamlessly fit in with the culture, heart, and cadence of the Manchester team. Andrea has demonstrated exemplary leadership skills in her time with Forge and an ability to ensure the program is growing and clients are remaining the number one priority, all while maintaining the mission of the company at the forefront of what she does. In her new role, Andrea will oversee the Manchester facility and work alongside our incredible VFR communities to continue providing safe, effective, and empathetic care to those in need. We are so excited for you to take on this new role and for your continued growth and success with Forge, Andrea - congratulations! | |
❤️ Please join us in congratulating Candice and Andrea in their new roles! ❤️ | |
Celebrating Black History Month | |
|
Each February, we celebrate Black History Month to honor, acknowledge, and pay tribute to the immeasurable achievements and contributions of Black Americans. From activists to civil rights pioneers, the stories and successes of Black people provide a deep understanding of the racial discrimination they battled to better future generations, though there is still much work to do. This annual observance gives us the opportunity to increase awareness, express appreciation, and expand our knowledge about the role that Black people have in continuing to shape our communities and our nation today.
Celebrating Black History Month also gives the opportunity to amplify and support Black voices through reading materials, supporting Black businesses, donating to and volunteering for organizations that pour resources back into the Black community, and more. We have included resources below that will provide opportunities for staff to learn about the Black American experience and celebrate iconic achievements and contributions from the Black community.
We at Forge are proud to celebrate our diverse workforce and clients every day, as we work to continue providing a safe and inclusive environment for all.
| |
Introducing Chad Burkholder | |
|
We are thrilled to announce that Chad Burkholder, former Optum Behavioral Health COO, has joined the Forge team as our Chief Operating Officer!
Chad’s extensive health care operations experience and outstanding leadership skills make him uniquely well-positioned to lead Forge’s operations, and we're confident that he will drive operational excellence as we continue to deliver best-in-class care to our patients, and best in industry clinical and financial results for our partners.
Chad is primarily based out of Pennsylvania and is a huge Penn State fan (go Lions!). Chad started with Forge earlier this month and is gearing up to get on the road and meet all of you! We are thrilled to have you on board, Chad, and are all looking forward to working alongside you to help our communities in need.
You can check out the full press release here and our LinkedIn announcement here!
| |
Welcome to the team, Chad! | |
Expanding the Forge Footprint | |
|
We are ecstatic to announce that we are opening two additional clinics! Launching in Princeton, NJ is our newest IOP/OP clinic and launching in Queens, NY is our newest OP clinic, which had it's very first intake just yesterday! ❤️
We are so proud to keep the tremendous growth going and want to take a moment to recognize everyone's collective efforts, contributions, and dedication that allowed us to add new stars on the map.
| |
New Jersey
Princeton, NJ
Sandra Lindemuth, Executive Clinical Director
| |
New York
Queens, NY ❤️
Rachel Heyman, Executive Clinical Director
| |
National Patient Recognition Week | |
Every year, National Patient Recognition Week is observed from February 1st to February 7th, and serves as a special occasion to thank healthcare professionals for their time, dedication and commitment to care for and protect their patients. This year, in addition to extending our gratitude for all that our amazing staff do to help their patients, we wanted to highlight a few patient success stories and testimonials from our patients across the company. There's no better source of gratitude than straight from our clients. | |
|
New York
"Wouldn’t be where I am today without this place. They laid the foundation for recovery and always went above and beyond to support their clients. I’d recommend (and have) to anyone struggling with addiction. Thank you KPC for what you’ve not only done for me, but for my entire family. Forever grateful for this place."
“People should know how you’ve helped in a lot of ways. I feel better than I have before, thanks to you and Forge for helping me become a better version of myself.”
New Jersey
"Making the decision to be proactive in seeking therapy is without a doubt the best and most rewarding choice I've made in recent years, it's been sincerely life-changing. Working with [Clinician] has been transformative, the progress made in how I view and react to stressful and challenging situations is clear and undeniable."
“Working with Forge Health and [Clinician] has been absolutely life-changing. When I started in May I was all over the place in my life, [Clinician] has helped me realize I’m always the priority- never an option! She has taught me the importance of doing things because I want to. Her belief in me has boosted my confidence and many times through the week, I hear her voice in my head before making a decision.”
Pennsylvania
"As a [first responder] it has always been a thing to ask for help…. But when things I was feeling negative about merged into home life, I became lost. And after several months of sessions I can honestly say seeking help was the best decision I ever made. I have learned so much to help guide me into a new view of everything in a more positive way!"
New Hampshire
"It's hard to give appreciation to just one clinician at VFR. Everyone's approach and personality would balance out at the end of each week to create a perfect think tank of ideas for me to analyze. I've learned a lot from everyone at VFR and try to utilize all the teachings."
"VFR, and IOP saved my life. I have learned so much over the last two years and truly appreciate everyone’s efforts. Thank all of you from the bottom of my heart."
| |
We are so excited to announce the newest addition to our Forge Health family! On December 27th, Kathryn Boyd welcomed her baby boy, Collin Montgomery Kelly! Mom and baby are both happy and healthy. Just this week, Kathryn stopped by the Greensburg office to introduce Collin to his new teammates - check out pictures below. ❤️ Congratulations Kathryn to you and your family! He is perfect. | |
Pictured below are Andrea Mitchell and members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Andrea did a full day ride along as part of her requisite hours for her “National Emergency Responder and Public Safety Center Certification." The NERPSCC is a training program for behavioral health providers to better train themselves as a health care provider for our nation’s first responders. Sheriff Chris Connelly aided in setting this experience up with the help of Sean Kilbreth and, in Andrea’s words, "it was a success and an awesome experience!" | |
|
Huge news, Forge and KPC: Jason Palamara and Hannah Blank have teamed up to create Forge Health's very first VFR specific newsletter! This newsletter is an incredible resource for our VFR clients, partners, and communities in general, filled with resources, recipes, holidays, and simple food for thought. Congratulations, Jason, Hannah, and the whole VFR team on a successful launch! We are ecstatic to watch this grow and to see the positive impact this newsletter will have on our VFR communities. ❤️
Please click here to read the inaugural issue of the VFR Newsletter and utilize the poll below to subscribe yourself to the newsletter!
| |
| Select below if you'd like to be placed on the distribution list for the Forge VFR Newsletter: | | | | |
|
|
Benefits Calendar Year – A friendly reminder that our benefits year here at Forge and KPC runs from May 1st to April 30th. With that, your deductible and FSA balance will reset at the end of April. Our FSA has a maximum rollover of $570, so keep that in mind when considering your FSA expenses before open enrollment begins this Spring!
| | |
|
|
Performance Reviews - Our annual Performance Reviews kicked off today and will last the full month of February. All performance reviews were deployed via Gusto and you can locate them in the "Performance" tab on the lefthand side of your Gusto Profile by EOD today. A few dates to keep in mind:
-
February 1st – Performance Reviews are deployed via Gusto.
-
February 15th – Deadline for employee self-evaluations to be completed.
-
February 28th – Deadline for all managers to complete reviews and meet with their individual direct reports to discuss performance reviews.
| | |
|
Wellness Reimbursement Program – Our Wellness Reimbursement Program has been a complete hit! As a reminder, 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! ❤️ | |
|
Welcome back to the recurring Monthly Tech Tip section! This month, we'll be learning about App Version of Websites (PWA). The PWA or Progressive Web App is a type of web application that combines the features of a native app with the simplicity of a web page. ❤️
Outlook PWA
- If you are someone who prefers the browser version of Outlook on Office 365 (instead of the Desktop version installed on your computer) it can be a hassle when your inbox is one of your many open tabs. Adding the PWA version lets you have the Web version of your mail as a separate app on your taskbar!
-
To add it, open your inbox on Office 365 (Office.com) and look at the address bar of the website for the PWA icon.
| |
- This adds a new App to your task bar that is a dedicated version of the Outlook web version. This will allow you to use the web version without having to view it through your browser.
RingCentral PWA
- The same process works for RingCentral. If you are sick of having to find the tab that your RingCentral home page is hiding in, install the PWA for RingCentral to get a separate dedicated view of the RingCentral App. Just like before, find the PWA Icon in the Address Bar.
| |
- As before, click install and then allow to add a dedicated RingCentral App to your Taskbar.
| |
I hope this tip proves helpful for those of you who live with too many open browser tabs! If you have any questions or issues with this process, reach out to the IT Team at [email protected] - Mike Cohen | |
We're back with our Pop Culture Corner! ❤️This month, Ashley, Taylor and Betsy share their recent pop culture recommendations: | |
|
Ashley Sheridan
Abbott Elementary
ABC
It’s winning all the awards for a reason. It’s a comedy centered around a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school. The documentary style and characters remind me of The Office – which is high praise from me.
Ashley Sheridan
Once We Were Brothers
by Ronald H. Balson
This is a tale of two boys and a family who struggle to survive in war-torn Poland through the unspeakable cruelty of the Holocaust. Two lives, two worlds, and sixty years converge in an explosive race to redemption that makes for an enthralling tale of love, survival, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.
| |  |
|
Taylor Keehn
Love on the Spectrum
Netflix
In this romantic docuseries, people on the autism spectrum look for love and navigate the changing world of dating and relationships.
Betsy Urbina
American Sniper
Film
It's based on a true story played by Bradley Cooper. Chris Kyle loved what he did. He had the time of his life being a SEAL. Kyle struggled with the transition to civilian life in his roles as husband and father to his two young children. He found that although he left the war, the war didn't leave him. He drank heavily, suffered bouts of depression, and stopped working out, but he discovered a new call to duty by helping ailing veterans suffering from the physical and psychological scars of war.
| |
It is with bittersweet joy that I'm announcing this will be my last newsletter for Forge! Earlier this month, Forge Health's first ever Employee Engagement Specialist, Christina DeStefano, joined our Human Resources team. Christina has an unparalleled passion for building company culture, facilitating employee resource groups and internal events, and fostering an environment where our employees are connected and engaged, allowing our teams to provide an exceptional experience for our clients. | |
|
With that, Christina will be taking over the newsletter and I could not be more excited for her to get started. She will be reaching out to your teams in the coming weeks to get to know you all, but in the interim, please send your submissions for the newsletter to Christina DeStefano at [email protected].
Thank you all for the engagement and participation with the newsletter - it truly brings me so much joy to connect with you and recap each month. We are in excellent hands with Christina and please join me in welcoming her to the team and to the newsletter!
| | | | |
