23 Feb TNC Community Awarded a $35,000 Grant from the Louetta M. Cowden Foundation

TNC Community was recently awarded a $35,000 grant from the Louetta M. Cowden Foundation their Pandemic Health Supports for People with Developmental Disabilities project.

The project will increase access to health care services for individuals with I/DD through our director of health services and health team. This team includes two community nurses, two health service coordinators, and one pharmacy tech.  The team will ensure clients have the consistent, high-quality, specialized care they need to continue to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a possible alternative care solution in the use of telehealth visits with health care providers, which will free up the team’s time to focus on addressing preventative care of our clients.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated TNC’s development of alternative methods of health care delivery in the form of telehealth, which is offered through StationMD. We have also contracted with Gamma HealthCare for on-site basic health services, such as blood draws for lab testing and x-rays. These telehealth solutions not only better accommodate the needs of our clients but also create efficiencies for the organization. With less time spent on appointment follow-through, document tracking, oversight of nurse delegations, medication administration, and accompanying clients to the emergency room (sometimes for up to 24 hours at a time), the health team will be able to focus on managing everyday client needs and take part in training to improve their ability to offer high-quality, specialized care. The team is also able to help individuals with I/DD find appropriate providers and specialists more attuned to their needs. Through support from Cowden, TNC will continue to increase access to and the quality of preventative care for people with I/DD over the next twelve months.

TNC was founded in 1949 as the Harry S. Truman’s Neurological Center. Since 2001, TNC has supported adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), offering a variety of group home and supported living locations in the Kansas City area. TNC provides a monthly health status review, offers 24-hour on-call health care services, transportation, and a weekly review of medications and medical status. The health team is a central piece of TNC’s goal to help individuals live healthy, happy, interdependent lives.