By OPEN MINDS Circle
Woods System of Care, a Pennsylvania- and New Jersey-based network that provides support services for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) across the lifespan, launched Woods Healthcare, with three outpatient centers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The centers provide behavioral health, medical, and dental care. Sailaja Musunuri, MD, executive vice president of Integrative Medicine and Chief of Psychiatry, oversees integrated health care at Woods and across the Woods System of Care. The three centers initially opened to serve consumers served by Woods and Woods employees. All three are now open to all individuals with the community with I/DD, autism and emotional and behavioral challenges.
The Center for Behavioral Health at Woods: The center opened in March 2023. Sailaja Musunuri, MD, oversees the Center for Behavioral Health at Woods. The center has a wellness team that includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, nurse navigators, counselors, and family therapists. It will evaluate children age 12 months though 18 years for autism.
The Medical Center at Woods: The center opened in June 2018 for consumers served by Woods and for Woods employees. It is led by Dr. Stephen J. Kolesk, chief medical officer/vice president for Medical Affairs and Managed Care at Woods. It provides outpatient primary care for people ages six through adulthood diagnosed with I/DD, autism, or emotional and behavioral challenges. In April 2023, the Medical Center at Woods was awarded Recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home Program.
Penn Dental Medicine at Woods, Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center: The center opened in February 2023. Woods partnered with the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, one of the leading dental schools in the United States, to develop the dental program, and Dr. Marc Henschel, director of Penn Dental Medicine’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program, oversees the new center. The center has five treatment rooms with advanced equipment, quiet space for those needing a lower-stimulation environment, a waiting area and reception check-in, and conference room. It provides dental care for individuals of all ages.
In early 2024, the three new Woods Healthcare centers will be joined by a new primary care center to serve individuals in New Jersey. In April 2023, RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and Woods Services announced they joined forces to establish the very first integrated primary and behavioral health care center for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism in New Jersey. The world-class center is expected to open to families and individuals in early 2024 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Hamilton, Mercer County, New Jersey. The Center will serve individuals who live in the central New Jersey region, with future plans to expand services to other areas of the state.
Woods is organized around the principles of population health management and addresses the social determinants of health through a comprehensive continuum and system of care that connects prevention, wellness, education, behavioral health, and social services with coordinated and integrated healthcare delivery.
“With the launch of Woods Healthcare, we are building on a long tradition of experience and service to our community,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, president and CEO of Woods System of Care and Woods Services. “For more than a century, Woods has been a leader in providing comprehensive lifelong care to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral challenges at Woods. Our industry-leading specialists know how to break down the barriers that stand in the way of quality care for people with disabilities,” she said. “Now, with Woods Healthcare, we are expanding our services to support the community by providing individuals with disabilities access to world-class comprehensive primary care, dental care, and behavioral healthcare throughout their lifetime.”
Contact information: Tine Hansen-Turton, President and Chief Executive Officer, Woods System of Care, Post Office Box 36, Langhorne, PA 19047-0036; Email: thansen-turton@woods.org; Website: https://www.woods.org/woods-services/wsoc/