EPOCH's biggest strength lies in its team members. We continue to be proud of the fact that our employees often stay with us for many years, and that we also have several team members who left only to return upon seeing how EPOCH is different from other organizations. One person in particular, though, EPOCH of Harwich admissions director Pam Van Dyk, recently exhibited an act of true character, and her local paper did a great job capturing it. She donated a kidney to her husband, who has polycystic kidney disease. 

“I knew I would do whatever it took to give my best friend the gift of life,” said an emotional Pam, who waved at a photographer and said, “I'll start to cry here. No pictures.”

There have been lots of tears shed between the two, who have been married 30 years. Lots of hand holding and gentle hugging since the surgery.

“We cry a lot here,” Pam said. “A lot of happy tears to see how happy he is today. He was very ill at the end. He doesn't know how sick he was.”

Why do we need to know about Accountable Care Organizations?

They’re rapidly growing:

2012 saw rapid ACO development, and growth is expected to accelerate in 2013.

As of November 1, 2012, there are 328 ACOs. This is a significant increase from the 221 ACOs counted at the end of May 2012, and the 164 ACOs counted at the end of September 2011. Somewhere between 25 and 31 million patients are affected by ACOs, and 2.4 million Medicare patients receive care through ACOs. (Stats from American Medical News.)

Additionally, there is expected to be increasing demand for physician practices to lead or participate in ACOs. With the health care trend moving toward ACOs, and with an increasing push for health care providers to participate in them, it’s important we understand them as they relate to EPOCH.

They’re part of health care reform:

In 2009, ACOs were included in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Congress included ACOs in the Affordable Care Act as a way to save Medicare money.

Join us at EPOCH this week for some great learning opportunities. We will offer ConnectedLiving discussion groups to help you feel more comfortable using the computer and navigating the Internet. We’ll hold these groups throughout the month and cover a variety of topics. This week’s topic will be baseball. Those interested in local history should stop by for the presentation “The History of Attleboro,” led by the executive director of Attleboro Area Industrial Museum. Dr. Steven Kane will return to EPOCH to discuss the lives of Big Band-era performers Dinah Shore and Artie Shaw Dorsey. This discussion is a must for Big Band fans. Finally, Boston University students will entertain us with a French horn recital. Keep reading to learn more!

ConnectedLiving Discussion Groups at EPOCH on Blackstone Boulevard (April 1)

To quote one of our residents, family night at EPOCH Assisted Living at Brewster Place is “unbelievable!”

I may be the newest member of the team, but I thought I knew what to expect.  After all, I have worked in assisted living and specialty care communities in four different states, and with national and very large regional companies.   This would be a night for residents and families to gather together at their loved one’s home.  It would be a good night, but it would be a “rubber chicken” sort of event.  I could not have been more wrong.   This night was fun, memorable, and the food was GREAT. In fact, it was first class, all the way.

We’re wrapping up March with some great events. Because we’re history buffs at EPOCH, we’re hosting two historical presentations this week. First, renowned history professor and popular speaker Gary Hylander will look back on the life of Abraham Lincoln. Hylander’s discussion will focus on a little-known plot to kidnap Lincoln before he was elected president. Historical re-enactor Abigail Whitney will also return to EPOCH to continue her series on colonial life. In addition these educational events, we’ll also be exercising our creativity and funny bones this week. Instructor Arthur Sullivan will stop by to inspire your creativity with his program, Movement to Music and Imagination. Keep reading for more details.

Gary Hylander to give presentation ‘Saving Mr. Lincoln’ (March 25)