ABILITY KC

SINCE 1947, ABILITY KC HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY THE UNWAVERING BELIEF THAT PEOPLE WITH THE MOST COMPLEX DISABILITIES SHOULD HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN 2023 WE CELEBRATED 76 YEARS OF UNMATCHED EXPERTISE, AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH TO REHABILITATION, AND THE CONNECTED CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT MAKES ABILITY KC A DESTINATION FOR CARE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BUILD BRIGHTER FUTURES. OUR MISSION HAS BEEN STRONG IN KANSAS CITY AT EVERY JUNCTURE OF LIFE: FROM A CHILD'S KINDERGARTEN READINESS TO AN INDIVIDUAL RETURNING TO HIGH SCHOOL OR WORK, OR TO BUILDING AND ACHIEVING A PLAN OF LIVING INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR HOME AND COMMUNITY. ABILITY KC IS THE LONGEST-STANDING COMPREHENSIVE OUTPATIENT MEDICAL REHABILITATION FACILITY IN KANSAS CITY AND HAS BEEN INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED THROUGH THE COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION OF REHABILITATION FACILITIES (CARF) FOR OVER 50 YEARS. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CARF INTERNATIONAL, WE ARE RECOGNIZED AS A VALUE-BASED CARE LEADER. OVER THE PAST SEVEN DECADES, ABILITY KC HAS RISEN TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE RAPIDLY CHANGING REHABILITATION LANDSCAPE, PROVIDING A MODEL OF CARE, CULTURE AND SERVICES THAT IS A CRITICAL BRIDGE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO INTEGRATE INTO HOMES, SCHOOLS, WORKPLACES, AND OUR COMMUNITIES. THE DEMAND FOR OUTPATIENT MEDICAL REHABILITATION CONTINUES TO RISE WITH THE GROWING ACUITY AND COMPLEXITY OF INJURIES, ILLNESSES, AND DISABILITIES. IN OUR GREATER KC COMMUNITY AND BEYOND, THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCE LIFE-CHANGING INJURIES, ILLNESSES, AND DISABILITIES EACH YEAR. THESE INDIVIDUALS REPRESENT THE RICH DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITYACROSS ALL AGES, GENDERS, RACES, ETHNICITIES, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES. IF ABILITY KC DID NOT EXIST, INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES WOULD HAVE TO TRAVEL TO MULTIPLE PLACES AND OFTEN A DIFFERENT CITY TO GET THE THERAPIES AND SUPPORT THEY NEED, RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, INEFFICIENCIES, AND DISPARATE CARE. OUR INTENSIVE AND COMPLEX OUTPATIENT MEDICAL REHABILITATION IS INDIVIDUAL-CENTERED, WITH THERAPY DESIGNED TO MEET EACH PATIENT'S UNIQUE NEEDS AND TO MAXIMIZE CARE WITHIN ONE CENTER. OUR MODEL BRIDGES HEALTHCARE TO QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH NON-TRADITIONAL MEDICAL THERAPIES IN EDUCATION, DRIVING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNITY INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, SERVING ALL AGES. IN 2023, 35% OF OUR OUTPATIENT MEDICAL REHABILITATION PATIENTS SERVED (ACROSS ALL AGES PEDIATRIC, ADOLESCENT AND ADULT) WERE RECOVERING FROM A STROKE; 17% WERE RECOVERING FROM A BRAIN INJURY, 16% HAD A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY; 13% HAD A SPINAL CORD INJURY; 3% WERE LIVING WITH AN AMPUTATION, AND 16% HAD "OTHER" COMPLEX MEDICAL CONDITIONS. IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, ABILITY KC HAS SEEN A RISE IN PATIENT COMPLEXITY AND ACUITY (A MEASURE OF A PATIENT'S SEVERITY OF ILLNESS OR CONDITIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE STABILITY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND THE DEPENDENCY NEEDS OF THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILY). IN 2023, 26.5% OF PATIENTS NEEDED ASSISTANCE WITH TOILETING, 7.8% WERE DEPENDENT ON/REQUIRED TUBE FEEDING, 5.3% HAD SWALLOWING PRECAUTIONS, AND 2.3% REQUIRED CONSTANT OBSERVATION. FOR THIS REASON, ABILITY KC CONTINUES TO INVEST IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS ACROSS ROLES LIKE NURSING AND SOCIAL WORK IN ADDITION TO OUR THERAPISTS, TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE COMPLEX NEEDS. IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL OUTPATIENT MEDICAL REHABILITATION SERVICES, ABILITY KC OFFERS AN INTENSIVE DAY PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED MORE COMPREHENSIVE THERAPY SERVICES AFTER BEING DISCHARGED FROM AN INPATIENT HOSPITAL OR WHILE RECOVERING FROM A COMPLEX INJURY OR ILLNESS. WITH THE DAY PROGRAM, INDIVIDUALS GET TO GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT THEY RECEIVE THE BENEFIT OF AN INPATIENT PROGRAM BY BEING WITH A TEAM OF THERAPISTS FOR AROUND FIVE HOURS A DAY. ABILITY KC'S DAY PROGRAM UTILIZES THE PRINCIPLES OF NEUROPLASTICITY OF PRACTICE, REPETITION, AND INTENSITY TO DESIGN AN EXPERT-DRIVEN, COMPREHENSIVE, INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM FOR EACH PERSON SERVED. THE INTEGRATED TEAM CAN INCLUDE THE PATIENT, FAMILY, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, SPEECH THERAPIST, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, CASE MANAGER, SOCIAL WORKER, REGISTERED NURSE, CERTIFIED NURSE AID, EDUCATOR (FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN), REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGIST AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST. ABILITY KC TEAM MEMBERS ARE EXPERTS IN CARE FOR NEUROLOGICAL DIAGNOSES, AND OUR PROGRAMS ARE ACCREDITED IN OUTPATIENT MEDICAL REHABILITATION, PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY, BRAIN INJURY, SPINAL CORD INJURY, STROKE, AND AMPUTATIONS. WE VALUE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERTISE, WITH MANY OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS BEING ASKED TO PRESENT LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, AND NATIONALLY AS EXPERTS IN CARE. THROUGH OUR MODEL, WE STRIVE TO KEEP INDIVIDUALS FROM HAVING TO GO BACK TO THE HOSPITAL AND HAVE SEEN LOW REHOSPITALIZATION RATES AVERAGING AROUND 5% OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS, WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 15%. WE'RE TRULY DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO OF HEALTHCARE, FOR THE BETTER. IN 2023, WE AGAIN SERVED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, AND THE PACE OF NEED HAS NOT SLOWED DOWN ACROSS ALL AGES AND CONDITIONS SERVED. ABILITY KC SUPPORTS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF UNDER RESOURCED AND UNDERSERVED FAMILIES. IN 2023, WE PROVIDED ALMOST $6 MILLION IN UNCOMPENSATED CARE AND SERVICES TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO PAY OR BILL INSURANCE, AND TO DELIVER SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE OUTCOMES, YET UNFORTUNATELY ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE.

ABILITY KC IS BUILT ON A STRONG FOUNDING LEGACY THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE THE WORK DONE EACH DAY FOR THE CHILDREN WE SERVE. IN 1947, MARY SHAW BRANTON, JEANETTE LUHNOW AND JANE DICK FOUNDED THE THERAPEUTIC PRESCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. NOW, 76 YEARS LATER, WE CONTINUE TO HELP CHILDREN ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND REACH KEY MILESTONES THROUGH THE GREAT WORK OF OUR TEACHERS AND THERAPISTS AT ABILITY KC'S MARY SHAW BRANTON THERAPEUTIC PRESCHOOL. NATIONALLY ACCREDITED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN (NAEYC), AND STATE LICENSED, OUR EARLY EDUCATION THERAPEUTIC PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS OFFER A CARING, INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDE CHILDREN AGES 1 TO 5 YEARS OLD WITH A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL, AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES. BY DELIVERING THERAPEUTIC SERVICES WITHIN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE AND NATURAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, OUR HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TEAM CAN HELP YOUNG CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES MAXIMIZE THEIR POTENTIAL. ABILITY KC'S INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS PAIR CHILDREN LIVING WITH DISABILITIES TOGETHER WITH TYPICALLY DEVELOPING PEERS, WITH A RATIO OF 1:4 TEACHERS TO STUDENTS TO SUPPORT EVERY LEVEL OF NEED. ADDITIONALLY, THERAPISTS JOIN THE CLASSROOM TEAMS TO PROVIDE A HOLISTIC EXPERIENCE SPECIFIC TO EACH CHILD'S GOALS. THE GOAL OF EVERY TEAM MEMBER AT THE PRESCHOOL IS HELPING EACH CHILD TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT AND SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND WITH LIFE'S IMPORTANT TRANSITIONS. TO DO THIS, SPECIALIZED CARE TEAMS, INCLUDING THE CHILD'S FAMILY MEMBERS, DEVELOP A CUSTOMIZED PLAN OF CARE THAT EMPHASIZES BUILDING THE CHILD'S STRENGTHS AND COPING WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES. OUR PROGRAM OFFERS CHILDREN ONE-ON-ONE OR GROUP THERAPY, AQUATIC THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, AND SPEECH THERAPY ALONG WITH THE USE OF ADAPTIVE COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND SENSORY EQUIPMENT. OUR TEACHERS AND THERAPISTS ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED TO ADDRESS A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL, AND THERAPEUTIC DIAGNOSES. FAMILIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET INVOLVED EARLY AND TO PARTNER WITH US IN PREPARING THEIR CHILD FOR THE JOURNEY AHEAD AS WE ADDRESS EACH CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS, WHILE CELEBRATING WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE. OUR TEACHERS UTILIZE A VARIETY OF RESEARCH-BASED APPROACHES WHEN WORKING WITH EACH CHILD. OUR CLASSROOM STRUCTURE FOLLOWS THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM. THIS CURRICULUM IS CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE MISSOURI EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WHO TRANSITION FROM OUR PROGRAM TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ARE READY TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF SCHOOL AGED CURRICULUM. FROM A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL-BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE, WE IMPLEMENT THE CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE APPROACH, A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL CURRICULUM THAT PROMOTES DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES FOR CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES. ALL OUR PRACTICES ARE TRAUMA INFORMED AND THE CHILDREN BENEFIT GREATLY FROM THESE VARIED APPROACHES, ENSURING A RICH LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERY CHILD. DURING THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR, WE SERVED 252 STUDENTS WITHIN OUR ONSITE PRESCHOOL AND OUTPATIENT SERVICES, 75% OF WHICH ARE LIVING WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY. WE ALSO CELEBRATED OUR 41ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANNUAL GROUNDHOG RUN 5K/10K EVENT, WHICH RAISES MONEY FOR THE CHILDREN SERVED AT ABILITY KC.