Hello fellow MACers,
In this edition of MACer Matters, we are pleased to introduce you to our first set of Board of Directors of The MAC. This group was recently voted in and we are glad to be able to count on their knowledge and experience. They are also very committed to the MAC and their focus is on the success of this great endeavor. We are looking forward to working with them in the months and years ahead. We will be adding additional Board members as time goes on so please let us know of any additions to the Board you’d like to suggest.
In addition, communication with fellow MACers is very important. We want to communicate as much as possible through various means. One of the communication channels we have recently created is a SharePoint where all MACers can access common document, calendars, guidelines, and communicate with each other. Please see section titled “Stay up to date with all things MAC” below for more information.
I hope you all are having a great summer!
Ad Astra,
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The MAC at Morgan's Wonderland Board Members |
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We are pleased to announce our Board of Directors for The MAC at Morgan's Wonderland. The board will conduct annual strategic plan reviews to ensure our mission, strategy, funding, public image, board composition, programs, and financial oversight meet the needs of our MAC Members and community. Our Board of Directors is dedicated to helping advance the mission of The MAC. Stay tuned as we continue to grow our Board with additional members. |
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Gordon Hartman, Founder
Native San Antonian Hartman grew the company he founded at age 19 into the largest locally-owned home building and land development enterprise. In 2005, he sold it and pursued – along with wife Maggie – bold initiatives to help the special-needs community. Inspired by daughter Morgan, who was born with cognitive and physical special needs, the Hartmans opened Ultra-Accessible™, fully-inclusive, non-profit Morgan’s Wonderland in 2010.
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Maggie Hartman
Maggie has worked alongside her husband Gordon in trying to make life better for individuals with special needs. A lifelong San Antonian, she was employed in the mortgage business when she met Gordon. They married in 1991, and after their daughter Morgan’s birth, she became a stay-at-home mom to focus on Morgan’s care and well-being.
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John Erwin, Carenet Health Founder and CEO
Driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, John was part of the original investment team that acquired Carenet in 2004. He brought with him a vision of helping the healthcare industry deliver exceptional member and patient experiences that ultimately improve care, outcomes, and costs.
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Chantel Keller
Like many families whom The MAC will serve, Chantel Keller has spent countless hours multitasking therapies, shuttling between doctors' appointments, attending school meetings, training nurses and teachers on the detailed care of her son, and navigating insurance and community services. She has made Texas her home, and she truly loves to serve the many individuals and families who are a part of The MAC family.
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Angela Packard
An extraordinary young woman whose life experiences bring a unique and important contribution to the Board of Directors. When Angela was born, she suffered an extensive brain hemorrhage that led to several disabilities, including hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, Raynaud’s disease, myasthenia gravis, and an intellectual disability. She wants to give back, and she hopes to use her own personal experience to advocate for other individuals with special needs.
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Rick Moore
As NCQA’s Chief Information Officer, Rick Moore is responsible for the vision and strategic direction of the Information Services, Information Technology, and Information Products. Before joining NCQA in 2008, he was the Director of Health Informatics at the National Association of Children’s Hospitals. He led the development of information services and products for over 200 member hospitals.
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The dedicated team at BlueSprig is on a mission to change the world for all children with autism. They believe they can accomplish that with compassionate care that is close to home while producing exceptional results. BlueSprig is honored to be invited to be a part of The MAC family of providers. Like The MAC, BlueSprig believes in the positive impact coordinating care with multiple providers can have on the progress of our clients. BlueSprig strives to build relationships in all communities we serve and look forward to being a part of this amazing project to serve the San Antonio area.
Ivy Zwicker, Area Vice President shares, "At BlueSprig, we are dedicated to providing easier access to compassionate care in communities all over the nation. Our values and mission are more than just words we put on the wall – they shape our conversations, decisions, priorities, and behaviors. We understand that children often have numerous physicians, educators, and specialists involved in their care. We believe that coordinating care with a client’s treatment team will create the best outcomes for all. We are proud to be a part of the MAC, so children have easier access to care and greater collaboration amongst the entire team."
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Be sure to check out The MAC team August 19th on BlueSprig's ABA Unfiltered Podcast! |
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The MAC Construction Continues!
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Take a look at new photos taken from a drone of The MAC construction site. The entire foundation has been poured, and the next step is to raise the seventy, 60-foot concrete tilt-wall panels by mid-August.
Stay tuned as we continue to share our construction photos with you as we make progress.
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Stay up to date with all things MAC!
MACers, be sure that you are a part of our MACers Microsoft Group. We use this group to stay connected, share ideas, files, important dates, and SharePoint.
Contact Jana Grohman if you need assistance accessing the group.
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Sight For Life Foundation |
Dr. Sponsel literally climbed a mountain to raise funds for the Sight For Life Foundation. He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on July 28-Aug 2, 2021. That’s a climb of 19,341 feet!!
Wow! He is climbed to save sight!
Sight for Life Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in need of funds to support the Eyes of Africa Clinic in Malawi Africa and Roger William Lytle Clinic in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. These funds will help to expand the clinic’s surgery areas, purchase medical supplies, and most of all provide sight-saving surgery and treatment in these areas of the world where eye care is very difficult to obtain. This nonprofit organization also provides education for the local medical professionals in these areas. It involves them in our clinics and surgical care to ensure eye care is available year-round.
The climb might be over, but donations will be accepted for the next 60 days!
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In June 2021, The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and Texas A&M University-San Antonio entered into an agreement to transition Autism Lifeline Links to the College of Education and Human Development. Autism Lifeline Links (ALL) is a special initiative launched and funded by the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation in 2016 to improve the lives of those on the autism spectrum. It brings together hundreds of stakeholders and 14 different organizations serving individuals with autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families to increase collaboration and improve the system of care in the San Antonio region. Texas A&M University-San Antonio and ALL will be perfectly aligned to continue this level of work and engagement.
We are also thrilled to announce that the new director of ALL at A&M-San Antonio is Hugo Hernandez. Hugo has been an integral partner since the Foundation first convened community conversations on autism in April 2015. He served as one of the 14 Leadership Committee members to ALL and the Chair of the ALL Community Engagement Workgroup. Through his past work as CEO of a local non-profit, he has become a thought leader and a trusted advocate for families of children with autism and IDD.
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#DYK - Community First Health Plans, Bexar and surrounding counties only local, nonprofit health care coverage provider, has created a new initiative to help combat food insecurity in our community – Community First Food Pantries. The mission of Community First Food Pantries is to supply food and other needed items without barriers for those in immediate need while acting as a catalyst, inspiring others to give alongside us.
Community First is looking for community partners, businesses, libraries, churches, and other organizations to volunteer their site or outdoor space to house a free-standing, weatherproof, outdoor food pantry. Each pantry will be maintained by Community First and stocked by the local community. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact CFHP at info@cfhp.com.
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#DYK - Disability Rights Texas is now assisting Texans with disabilities who need information about the vaccine or are having trouble getting it through our new Vaccine Access Program.
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August 18, 2021
MACer Meeting
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. at Morgan's Wonderland Event Center
August 18, 2021
Medical Home Committee Meeting
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Virtual Meeting
August 18, 2021
Autism Committee Meeting
3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. at Morgan's Wonderland Event Center
August 23, 2021
Legal Home Committee Meeting
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. at Morgan's Wonderland Camp
August 25, 2021
MAC Navigation Committee Meeting
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. at Morgan's Wonderland Event Center
August 31, 2021
Client & Caregiver Committee
2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Morgan's Wonderland Camp
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The Angel Affair
August 28, 2021
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For the past 39 years, Any Baby Can has been open to families raising children with special health care needs in San Antonio and the 18 surrounding counties. Services are provided at no cost, regardless of income, meaning there are no financial guidelines or barriers for families. After careful consideration of the safety of our supporters, The Angel Affair 2021 will be virtual due to COVID-19 and the ongoing uncertainties impacting our community. The Virtual Angel Affair campaign starts now and will run through August 31st, 2021, with a brief video presentation on Saturday, August 28th, 2021. Our online silent auction will start on August 18th and conclude on August 28th, 2021. |
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Build your MAC terminology with new words and definitions every month.
MAC Care Model™
[Mack - care - mod·el]
A collective-impact model that brings an entire community of service providers together, where collaboration will be at the heart of our success. A custom framework designed to provide most of the services needed for individuals with special needs, based on 4 anchors:
Navigation, Community Support Services, Medical Home, and Therapy Home
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The Medical Institute at The MAC will be the anchor of all medical services, including diagnostics, ambulatory surgery center, imaging, pharmacy, telemedicine, and a specialty clinic. Projected to see approximately 150,000 MAC Members with special needs annually and will house over 145 staff members. |
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Submit Your Content!
We would love for all the MACers to submit content for the monthly newsletter. Let us know about updates, events for the calendar, a Tell Me Something Good, or a one-minute video for the MACnificent Minute. Please submit all content by the 20th of the month.
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