Last week Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI) brought David Miller, DNP, MSN, BSN, CNL, CRRN, onboard as the company’s Director of Clinical Services for Home Health and Home Nursing. Celeste Clarke, PhD, LCSW, IPI’s Director of Human Resources, asked David some questions to help us all get to know him better.
Just over a month ago Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI) brought Danilo Coité, MD, onboard as the company’s new CEO to help drive success and growth while continuing the mission and passion for providing complex patient care in the home. Dr. Coité brings a unique blend of medical and business expertise and looks forward to embarking on projects aimed at developing IPI’s brand and helping to establish new and innovative ideas to embrace opportunities that lie ahead. Earlier this week we asked him a few questions to allow all of us to get to know him better.
Happy New Year from all of us at Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI)! As we begin 2017 we are grateful for our patients and their families and we look forward to another year of providing people with complex medical and respiratory needs the opportunity to live fulfilling lives at home. One aspect of IPI that makes us very proud is our commitment to hiring newly-graduated nurses. We are kicking off the year with the 16th Cohort for our Home Nursing Residency, a unique employment opportunity for RN’s and LPN’s with less than one year of experience.
Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI) is pleased to announce an executive leadership change that will help drive the success and growth of the company while continuing our mission and passion for providing complex patient care in the home. After 30 years at the helm of the company she founded, IPI’s President & CEO Tamara M. Müller will transition to a new role in order to dedicate more time to outside projects primarily related to chronic pulmonary disease management and innovative medical devices. She will remain IPI’s Chairman of the Board.
Family caregivers are an essential component of the work that Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI) does to provide the best possible care for our medically complex, ventilator-dependent patients. While their job is not always easy, the devotion they show can make a profound difference in the lives of their loved ones. Kayla and her husband Kevin are two such people. Their son KJ was born just shy of 26 gestational weeks. He spent a year and a half in the hospital, before coming home with IPI’s skilled hourly home nursing in May 2015.
Almost three years ago Independence Plus, Inc (IPI) began an education and training initiative known as ‘IPI Connect’. Administrative and field clinicians are invited to monthly IPI Connect meetings to help build a more connected professional network for our clinicians and offer open discussions on topics directly related to the care we are responsible for delivering to our medically complex, ventilator-dependent adult and pediatric patients. To allow more of our nurses to participate, we are providing a wrap-up of each topic via our blog.
A great friend of mine sent me a wonderful message attached with a photo titled “Anatomy of a Nurse.” It included “a mind that’s always assessing,” “warm heart,” “warped senses of humor,” “eyes that have seen it all.” It also included “aching back,” “empty stomach”, “full bladder,” “tired feet,” and “dry, chapped hands.” As I continued to read, although my friend was thoughtful with great intentions, the nurse in me said “wait a minute, that’s not a good anatomy.” It is not okay to be hungry, have back pain, nor a full bladder. We would not tell our patients that those things were “okay.” Most of us would use these as teaching opportunities and educate our patients on the risks and benefits, as well as alternatives to positive self-care. So why do we think it is acceptable for us?
In honor of National Respiratory Care Week, Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI) would like to take a moment to thank our dedicated and talented team of Respiratory Care Practitioners (RCP’s)! The role of an RCP is to restore and improve lung health to patient’s lives. Our RCP’s are our go-to experts when it comes to respiratory care and services at home for our patients with complex medical and respiratory needs. Our RCP’s visit our ventilator-dependent patients a minimum of one time per month, delivering equipment and supplies, performing equipment checks and trach changes, checking vital signs, listening to lung sounds, measuring oxygen levels, and much more.
October 14th marked the first anniversary of me working as a Registered Nurse. Time has surely flown by and I can definitely say that I made the right career choice. When asked “do you like it?” I instantly smile, nod my head, and then I tell them, “I love it!” My first year as an RN has been eventful, emotional, and satisfying. I provided care for patients that passed away—expected and unexpected—and each death affected me in different ways. After one patient’s death, I was so devastated that I considered shifting paths in nursing. No longer wanting to build close relationships with patients, I solely wanted to provide care from a distance—health fairs, forums, and increased participation in health care reform. However, being personable and relationship-building is the reason why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place.
The arrival of ABC’s new sitcom “Speechless” has opened the door for conversations with families like ours who have a special needs child.