Health Services
The Health Services Department is responsible for all health and allied health-related services provided to the individuals who live at Murdoch Developmental Center. These services include Dental Clinic, Medical Clinic, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physician, Physical and Occupational Therapy and Radiology.
Duties include budget administration, contract procurement and management, personnel administration and program development within the 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 Developmental 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.
Dental Clinic
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 of North Carolina. 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.
Medical Clinic
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 Developmental Center and employees.
Services provided for individuals living at Murdoch Developmental 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.
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.
Nursing Services
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 Developmental 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
Pharmacy Services provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care within an interdisciplinary environment to the individuals living at Murdoch Developmental 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 Developmental Center.
Physician Services
Staff physicians provide comprehensive medical care for individuals who live at Murdoch Developmental 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 Developmental 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
Radiology Services provides 24-hour x-ray coverage to the Murdoch Center staff and individuals living at Murdoch Developmental Center. The Radiology Department also performs EKG's during normal business hours with emergency after-hours EKG's performed by qualified nursing staff. Murdoch Developmental Center's Radiology Department performs routine and diagnostic studies as well as limited fluoro studies on site.