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The Health Services Department is responsible for all health and allied health-related services provided to the individuals who live at Murdoch Center. These services include Dental Clinic, Infirmary, Medical Clinic, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physician, Physical and Occupational Therapy and Radiology. Responsibilities also include residential services for Alpine, Parkview, Ridgeway and Summerset Cottages. Duties include budget administration, contract procurement and management, personnel administration and program development within the department. The Assistant Director for Health Services is responsible for the overall supervision of the Infirmary and the residential areas housed within the Health Services Department. Major clinical responsibilities of the Health Services Department include: the provision of comprehensive medical evaluation and treatment for the people who live at Murdoch Center in the most normalizing manner possible; the treatment or referral to specialists of employees who sustain on-the-job injuries; and the maintenance of a limited, preventive employee health program. The purpose of the Dental Clinic is to provide comprehensive dental diagnostic and treatment services to the developmentally disabled individuals who reside at Murdoch Center and to selected outpatients of the North Central Region. Comprehensive dental services are limited only by the individual's ability to benefit from or tolerate the needed treatment, or the desires of the guardian. The Infirmary is a 29-bed unit which provides 24-hour nursing care to individuals requiring hospitalization to treat acute illnesses, as well as comprehensive permanent residential care for individuals who require intensive 24-hour nursing care. The Infirmary provides emergency response and professional nursing coverage in residential areas after the nurses in those areas have left duty. It also provides assessment and treatment of employee injuries for the entire campus after hours, and on weekends and holidays, and ensures administrative staff are informed of events as indicated per policy. The Medical Clinic is open 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M., Monday - Friday (excluding holidays). The Medical Clinic staff coordinate outpatient medical services for the individuals who live at Murdoch Center and employees. Services provided for individuals living at Murdoch Center include: emergency response, medical procedures that cannot be done in divisions due to equipment required, scheduling and coordination of referrals to all specialists, physician exams after division rounds have been completed, and surgical clinics twice weekly with Triangle Physician Assistants and Premier Surgical Associates. Services provided for employees include: evaluation, treatment, referral and follow-up of Worker's Compensation cases, immunization program, tuberculosis control program and medical surveillance program. Licensed nurses (RN and LPN) are assigned to each of the thirteen residential divisions, as well as the Medical Clinic and Infirmary for acute health care needs. Nursing is integrated into an interdisciplinary environment, integrating health needs with personal care and developmental programming to assure optimum health for the individuals who live at Murdoch Center. Professional nursing supervision is provided for all admission, routine, urgent, and emergency care needs. A limited preventive employee health program is also provided. Pharmacy Services provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care within an interdisciplinary environment to the individuals living at Murdoch Center. The department operates a computerized unit dose system of drug distribution as well as an IV admixture program. Clinical Pharmacists work to optimize drug therapy for each individual through quarterly drug regimen reviews, and participation in quarterly medication and neuropsychiatric behavioral review meetings. Continuing education through in-services, training programs and provision of drug information is provided to staff and guardians of individuals living at Murdoch Center. Staff physicians provide comprehensive medical care for individuals who live at Murdoch Center. The scope of practice ranges from outpatient management of chronic, non-acute illnesses to Infirmary admissions for acute illnesses. If the individual's condition is too critical to be managed in the Infirmary, transfer to an area hospital is arranged for appropriate care. Referrals are also made to specialty clinics as needed. Murdoch physicians are responsible for quarterly medication reviews, as well as participation in other reviews, team meetings, and committees. In addition, Murdoch physicians evaluate and treat employees with work-related injuries. Physical and Occupational Therapy Services The Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Services Department at Murdoch Center is dedicated to providing compassionate care and support to people with developmental disabilities, with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life. Physical therapists and occupational therapists work within an interdisciplinary team model to develop, restore or maintain a person's functional abilities and independence through therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic intervention includes evaluation of the person, assessment of results, and the development and implementation of an appropriate intervention plan that may include direct treatment, consultation with caregivers, and the provision of adaptive/assistive devices. Areas of focus and programs addressed by the PT/OT Department include: musculoskeletal; neuromuscular; orthotics and prosthetics, sensorimotor; sensation and perception; cardio respiratory; gross motor skills; fine motor skills; edema; skin integrity and wound management via the Wound Care Task Force, a collaborative effort with Physician Services, Pharmacy, Nursing, Food and Nutrition, and Direct Care to provide an integrated approach to skin integrity and wound management; oral motor function via the Swallowing Team, a collaborative effort with Speech Pathology, Food and Nutrition, and Nursing to provide a consistent and efficient approach to handling swallowing difficulties; functional vision; Animal Assisted Therapy; assistive technology; adaptive equipment; special protective devices; body mechanics; manual and mechanical lifting and transferring; fieldwork and affiliation sites for therapy programs. Additionally, the PT/OT Department operates several specialty clinics including: Seating and Positioning, Hand Clinic, Shoe and Brace Clinic, Adaptive Equipment Clinic, and Special Protective Devices Clinic. Radiology Services provides 24-hour x-ray coverage to the Murdoch Center staff and individuals living at Murdoch Center. The Radiology Department also performs EKG's during normal business hours with emergency after-hours EKG's performed by qualified nursing staff. Murdoch Center's Radiology Department performs routine and diagnostic studies as well as limited fluoro studies on site. Alpine Cottage serves 56 individuals who function in the profound range of mental retardation, ranging in age from 21-81 years. The cottage serves medically fragile individuals who require 24-hour nursing care. Medical problems experienced by these individuals include gastrostomy tubes, jejunostomy tubes, tracheostomy tubes, gastrointestinal problems, frequent pneumonia and advanced cardiac, renal, neurological and other organic problems. Programming involves sensory stimulation, improving or increasing eating / drinking skills, increasing communication skills, and object manipulation. Parkview Cottage serves a geriatric population in addition to individuals who are in declining health. It serves 42 individuals who function in the profound to moderate range of mental retardation. Most of the individuals have multiple handicaps, including visual and auditory impairments and significant medical problems associated with the aging process. Many require the assistance of a wheelchair or walker. Programs focus on reducing the rate of loss of skills that accompanies the physical aspects of the aging process. Much time is devoted to providing the necessary medical / nursing services which the elderly require. Ridgeway Cottage serves 60 primarily nonambulatory, nonmobile individuals with severe / profound mental retardation requiring 24-hour-a-day licensed nursing care and who range in age from 22-70 years. All individuals require some degree of assistance in bathing, dressing, feeding, and grooming due to physical limitations. Emphasis throughout the day is placed on positioning, gross motor activities, basic self-help skills, increased communication skills, and health care needs. Medical concerns include: seizure disorders, gastrointestinal problems (approximately one-half of the individuals require tube feedings), neurogenic bladders, chronic respiratory problems, brittle diabetes, etc. Summerset Cottage serves 32 individuals who have a diagnosis of profound mental retardation. Individuals who live in Summerset Cottage also have many complex medical conditions. These include seizure disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, gastrostomy tubes, chronic respiratory conditions, and chronic bowel problems. All require some degree of assistance in bathing, dressing, feeding and grooming due to physical limitations. Emphasis throughout the day is placed on basic self-help skills, positioning, gross motor activities, and health needs for this medically fragile population.
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