Ability Connection Colorado

We see ability.

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Patient Safety Organization Finds New Platform, Same Strong Voice

Patty Skolnik

Former ACCO Family Support Program transitions to Colorado Foundation for Medical Care

PRLog – Oct. 9, 2014 – DENVER — Ability Connection Colorado (ACCO) and The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care announce the collaborative transfer of Citizens for Patient Safety (CPS) from ACCO to The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care effective October 13, 2014. During the past seven years at ACCO, CPS founder and director Patty Skolnik has developed a patient safety curriculum and spearheaded legislation that ensures transparency in healthcare statewide.

Skolnik believes that CPS’ formative years at ACCO “created a safe place to discover how to tell [my son] Michael’s story while beginning a journey of family healing and broader purpose. Patient safety was virtually an unknown issue, and Judy Ham [ACCO President and CEO] saw the potential impact on healthcare in Colorado. ACCO provided a vital incubation period for CPS as an educational platform.”

The newly reorganized Colorado Foundation for Medical Care has enlisted Skolnik as Director of Healthcare Safety. The CPS mission to increase engagement for better medical outcomes will be foundational for this healthcare learning services consortium. “Patty has been such a champion for the voices of patients and families, and, through CPS, has created actionable tools and resources at all levels. Her working knowledge is vital to bridging the gap between patients and providers and our capacity to facilitate fully integrated healthcare solutions,” said CEO John Bozin.

ACCO remains committed to patient safety and looks forward to partnering with Skolnik and The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care in the future. “At Ability Connection, Patty has brought patient safety to the forefront of the national healthcare conversation,” said Ham. “The time is right to pass the baton, and we wholeheartedly support this move.”

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We see ability.  

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Vanguard Classical School East is open!  

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Attend the CHA Patient Safety Leadership Congress in Denver Oct. 28, 2014

Health care is in the midst of a transformation from payment based on volume to payment based on quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness. Boards of trustees and physicians are critical in leading this transformation into the new era of heath care.

The 2014 Michael Skolnik Patient Safety Award will be given to the outstanding individual, team or organization chosen for advancing patient safety across Colorado. The award is named in honor of Michael J. Skolnik, a bright, compassionate 22-year-old that died following complications related to medical errors and will be presented by his mother and Citizens for Patient Safety founder, Patty Skolnik.

Registration deadline: Oct. 21, 2014

Click here to learn more at the Colorado Hospital Association's website.

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EnerCom’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament Generates Commitments of $57,400 for ACCO Programs

Pictured: Enercom President, Greg Barnett, comedian, Josh Blue and Ability Connection Colorado President and CEO, Judy Ham

A big “Thank You” to EnerCom, Inc. for generating charity commitments of more than $55,000 for Ability Connection Colorado through its annual charity golf tournament on Sunday, August 17, 2014 at the at the world-renowned Arrowhead Golf Club in Littleton, Colorado. The tournament served as the kickoff event for EnerCom’s The Oil and Gas Conference® 19, which drew 118 companies from all over the world, including many industry leaders. Golfers enjoyed the scenic venue at Arrowhead and a perfect day of weather. At the conclusion of the tournament, attendees gathered together for a little bonus entertainment, courtesy of one of Denver’s favorite funnymen, comedian, Josh Blue.  The annual charity tournament is the highest grossing event for ACCO.

EnerCom first named ACCO beneficiary of the tournament in 2006. Since that time, the annual fundraiser has gifted more than $300,000 to help support the critical work Ability Connection does on behalf of Coloradans with disabilities and challenges. The cause is near and dear to Enercom President Greg Barnett and wife, Tommey, as they have two nephews impacted by cerebral palsy.

As Barnett explains, “EnerCom’s relationship with Ability Connection Colorado, through its annual golf tournament and participation in other events hosted by Ability Connection Colorado, provides EnerCom with a trusted platform to build lasting customer and personal relationships, while giving back to a very personal cause”.

“EnerCom is a company that values the happiness that comes from its work, its relationships and families. For EnerCom, having a purpose like ACCO for its corporate and personal charity work provides the company with the opportunity to connect with its customers and business partners on a different plane. We believe that giving back is what we should do, not what we have to do. Everyone at EnerCom invests their time and capital back into the community. Balancing life and work are important for our long-term success.”

With sentiments like that, it’s easy to see why EnerCom has become a successful business and a loyal community partner of Ability Connection Colorado. We are honored by their many years of support and inspired by their commitment to helping people with disabilities thrive and achieve. For all you do, we thank you!

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March-Apr 14 Colorado Medicine is the award-winning publication of the Colorado Medical Society.

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Adele Arakawa knows that Concours is about the KIDS!!!  Join us!  coloradoconcours.com

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Happy National Women's Health Week! Join us in supporting #NWHW. http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw http://thndr.it/1s7LrbB

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Temple Grandin Speaks on "Different Kinds of Minds"

Author, activist and noted expert on livestock handling and autism, Dr. Temple Grandin spoke at St. John Francis Regis Chapel in Denver on Monday (April 14, 2014).  Sponsored by the Institute on the Common Good, the event attracted a full house.

During her presentation Different Kinds of Minds Contribute to Society, Dr. Grandin shared personal experiences and specific occurrences in her life that laid the foundation for thriving with her unique mind. She stressed the need for early intervention for a child with no speech or social interaction, highlighting the #1 trait she shared with Albert Einstein – both were nonverbal at the age of three. Her mother pushed her beyond her comfort zone and forced young Temple to learn appropriate social skills such as being on time, greeting people properly and shaking hands.  She excelled in school activities that were hands-on, physical activities such as sewing, woodworking, and shop classes that allowed her to learn experientially. The mentorship of her science teacher continues to affect her life for the better to this day.

Often, different kinds of thinkers and minds are not only misunderstood, but under-valued in education and in the workplace.  Rather than focusing on an area of deficit, she encourages us to celebrate those who think differently and value their strengths.  Further, she identified four Specialist Brain Types.  Photo Realistic minds are visual thinkers - as Dr. Grandin says “I think in pictures.”  Pattern Thinkers may excel in math, music or abstract visualization, but struggle with reading.  Those focused on Verbal Facts may have strong language skills and be weak in drawing. And Auditory Learners connect with sounds but may have fragmented visual perception.

Dr. Grandin was unequivocal in her concern that education today is overly weighted towards verbal, abstract and linear thinking, which she describes as top down thinking. As education becomes more theoretical, the exposure to practical, hands-on experience that builds applied knowledge and skill for visual thinkers is being removed from curricula nationwide. 

She describes herself as a bottom up thinker.  She demonstrated her associative thinking process by requesting that someone in the audience give her a word.  That word evoked visual memories for her, which followed a logical, although not linear, path. MRI images of her brain next to a "normal" brain further illustrated the biological basis for her functional abilities. Her thought patterns enable her to identify flaws in common processes in the workplace and in the world because she "sees" a process in its entirety, through time to completion. This is in stark contrast to top down thinkers, who may over generalize or overlook crucial process-oriented red flags.

Dr. Grandin reminded the audience on several occasions that autism does not define her; rather she is a college professor who lives with autism. She believes strongly that we need different kinds of minds and varied types of thinkers so that all people fulfill their human potential and all aspects of society are enriched. 

- Karen Wenzel, Ability Connection Colorado

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WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!  

National Volunteer Appreciation Week 2014

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Mom, what is Patty's job?

I answered simply, “She makes the world a safer place.”

Get to know Patient Safety Champion Patty Skolnik

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It's National Volunteer Appreciation Week! April 7-12

This year marks the 40th anniversary of National Volunteer Week, demonstrating the enduring importance of recognizing our country’s volunteers for their vital contributions.

Our mission at Ability Connection Colorado is met, in large part, due to the dedicated volunteers who generously give their time, talent and treasure. In 2013  - 1867 individuals volunteered at ACCO - providing over 74,082 hours of service.  The Independent Sector provides a valuation of a volunteer hour annually - and in 2013 the monetary value associated with an hour of volunteer service was 22.55 and in Colorado it was 25.10/hour.  This means that if we were to put a dollar value on the services contributed by our volunteers in 2013 - it would represent between $1.062 - 1.9 million dollars! We know our volunteers are treasured gifts - and thank them for their many contributions. 

Last month at the ACCO Annual Citywide Meeting, 2 volunteers were recognized for their above and beyond service: 

John Forney of the Kiwanis Club of South Denver (pictured with Stella Grinage-Hirn, Education Supervisor for Creative Options Early Education Center - Ironton) 

and Augustine Rodriguez (shown with Lauren Hennen, Program Coordinator for RAMP Youth Mentoring). 

Thank you to ALL of the volunteers that make it possible for more than 40,000 Coloradans to reach their human potential.

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Week of The Young Child #WOYC April 6-12

Let's honor early childhood teachers who are at the heart of quality early learning during NAEYC's Week of the Young Child.™  

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Today is World Autism Day -- Light It Up Blue! #LIUB

WATCH Temple Grandin "I was nonverbal.. and had a speech teacher that worked really hard with me. I can't emphasize enough the importance of young children getting early intervention...Don't Wait!"

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EPIC Colorado Business Reads April 1-30

ACCO is proud to partner with EPIC as a collection site for Colorado Business Reads during the month of April. Drop off your gently used books at 801 Yosemite Street, Denver, CO 80230 and keep kids reading this summer in Colorado!

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Ability Connection Colorado's Family Support Network Grows Stronger

The common thread in Ability Connection Colorado's Family Support Programs is that they are founded and driven by Parent Power.  These Grassroots organizations exist thanks to some amazing parents who created the resource that they needed as they faced disability and health challenges.

The ACCO board voted to strengthen Family Support in Colorado further by bringing the JP Prescription Drug Awareness Foundation under its umbrella.  In honor of their son and brother, the Hill family created this organization in the wake of losing their beloved JP to a fatal mixture of pharmaceuticals that had been prescribed to him and for which there was no warning.

Learn what you can do and how to protect your loved ones at www.jpawarenessfoundation.org.