Penfield Children’s Center is named in honor of Dr. Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), a world-renowned neurosurgeon who strongly advocated early intervention for children with developmental delays and disabilities. His knowledge and wisdom underlie Penfield Children’s Center’s philosophy of care for infants and young children even today.
Early intervention services for children, birth to three years of age, with developmental delays or disabilities
Special Care Nursery for medically fragile and at-risk infants and toddlers
Behavior Clinic for children under the age of 5 who have significant behavior and emotional problems
Outpatient therapy programming for children up to age 18
Education and support services for parents and caregivers
Fully accredited and integrated childcare program for all children through age 6
Located in Milwaukee’s central city, serving all of Milwaukee County
At Penfield Children’s Center, families are involved in their children’s learning. Each child’s family works with the Penfield staff to help their child achieve his or her full potential. Penfield Children’s Center, with the generous assistance of its donors, makes sure that each child has everything he or she needs to succeed.
Mission Statement:
Penfield Children’s Center is a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to help infants and young children with and without disabilities to reach their full potential through education, therapy services and family programs.
Penfield operates under a holistic approach to client care. Each child enrolled in the Birth to Three program is assigned a team of professionals. The family will have a Service Coordinator assigned to assist them in the B-3 process. Team members can include Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Nursing, and Child Care. The team members all work together to ensure that each child is reaching their fullest potential. Services are provided to the children in their natural environment, meaning where they would typically spend their day. PT's will work with clients in our center based classrooms, in our therapy treatment rooms, Penfield's Special Care Nursery, in the Child's home, in another Day Care Center the child may attend during the day.
Interview Process
Briefly Describe the Interview Process for PT Positions
The interview process starts with a candiate submitting a cover letter and resume to Human Resources. HR then does an initial screening of all applicants. Qualified applicants are then passed on to the Director of Therapy Services, who contacts applicants for an in-person interview. The initial interview will consist of the applicant meeting with the Director of Therapy Services and the VP of Programs to discuss the position and qualifications of the applicant. Potential candiates may be asked back for a second interview, which consists of observing a therapy session in the community. This step allows the candidate to experience what the home based aspect of the position would be like. The candidate also has the opportunity to talk with a current PT. After the second interviews, the agency will check references. Once the reference process is completed, an offer will be made to a candidate.
How many days do candidates typically spend in your interview process?
10 days
Realistic Job Preview (A sneak peak of what it would be like on your staff)
Please Describe the Orientation Program for New PTs.
A new PT will first undergo agency orienation with HR. During the first week of employment, the majority of time will be speant learning about the agency. The new PT will spend time observing the different classrooms, going on home visits, riding along on a van, etc. The Director of Therapy Services will also speand time during the first week going over the requirements of a Therapists, paperwork, billing, etc. The PT will spend time the first weeks observing other PT's conduct treatment sessions, or conducting evaluations. A caseload will slowly be built for the PT as they are learning.
Briefly Describe Your Organization's Philosophy Towards Patient Care
What is the level of interaction that PTs have with the CEO or President?
You might see the CEO at a meeting
Entry Method of Documentation?
Documentation is Hand Written, Documentation is Entered in a Computer
What is the Dress Code for Physical Therapists?
Whatever You'd Like
Primary Payer Source?
Medicaid
Productivity Standards
What is your percentage billable requirement?
71-75%
What is the average time allotment per patient treatment?
30-44 minutes
How often do Physical Therapists treat multiple patients at one time?
Never
Benefits Overview
Please Briefly Describe Your Benefits Package
PENFIELD CHILDREN’S CENTER
Full Time Employee Benefits Summary
Health Insurance
Employees are eligible for coverage on the 1st of the month following the completion of one month of employment.Employees are required to pay a portion of the health insurance premium.Employees must work 30 hours or more per week to be eligible for Health Insurance.
United Health Care’s Choice Plus has a $2,000 per person deductible for in network providers. There is a $4,000 per person deductible for out of network providers.Deductibles are per calendar year and must be met before benefits begin.After the deductible is met, the plan pays 100% of eligible charges for in-network providers. The plan includes, but is not limited to the following services:
·In-Office Physician and Specialist Services for preventative care, iIllness or Injury ($25 office co-pay)
·In-or-out of area emergency medical services ($125 co-pay)
·Urgent care services ($75 co-pay)
·Chiropractic care
·In-patient/Outpatient Hospital Services
·Outpatient diagnostic x-ray & lab
·Routine care covered after co-pay (in network only)
·4 tier drug card ($10/30/50/100)
·Vision coverage
(Please see your United Health Care Package for complete details and benefit Coverage.)
Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
Penfield Children’s offers an HRA for employees participating in the health insurance plan.The HRA, administered by a third party administrator, will pay the first $1000 of the deductible for employees on single coverage. The HRA will pay up to $3000, not to exceed $1000 per person for employees with family members covered.
Dental Insurance
Employees are eligible for coverage on the 1st of the month following the completion of one month of employment. There is no charge for employees electing the single coverage.Employees who elect dependent or family coverage pay a portion of the dental insurance premium. Employees must work 30 hours or more per week to be eligible for Dental Insurance.
There is a $25.00 deductible for single coverage and a $50.00 deductible for family coverage.Basic diagnostic and preventive services are covered at 100% after the deductible; basic restorative services which includes root canals, gum disease treatment, extractions, fillings, etc. are covered at 80% if the dentist is in network. For major restorative services, crowns, inlays, complete and partial dentures, services are covered at 50% after the deductible. Orthodontics is also covered for dependent children up to age 19.(Please see your umanHuH Humana Package for comHH Delta Dental Booklet for complete details and benefit coverage.)
Life Insurance
Coverage is a term insurance policy that is valued at twice your annual salary with a cap of $250,000.All full time regular and part-time regular working at least 20 hours or more are eligible for coverage on the 1st of the month following the completion of one month of employment.Penfield Children's Center pays the full cost of the premium for employees.
CARE 24 (Employee Assistance Plan)
This plan is available any time of the day or night 365 days a year by dialing a toll free number to ask for help with almost any type of problem or issue such as:
·Work related stress
·Substance abuse
·Chronic health ailments
·Minor medical emergencies
·Financial worries
·Questions about medications
·Legal problems*
·Relationship and family troubles
*Care 24 is unable to provide legal consultation for lawsuits against employers or health plans because of a conflict of interest.Coverage is available to Penfield employees who are enrolled in the health insurance program.
Voluntary Benefits
The following are additional benefits available for you to purchase on a Voluntary basis through payroll deduction.
Life Insurance – This benefit provides an option to buy additional life insurance protection for you, your spouse, and children with lower premiums and less underwriting that you can get on an individual policy, plus the convenience of payroll deduction.The premiums are based on your age.This benefit is available to employees who work 20 hours or more per week.
Short Term Disability – This benefit is available to all employees working 30 hours or more per week.Short Term Disability provides income protection if you become sick or disabled and cannot work. There is a 7 day elimination period. The policy pays for maternity leave as well.Benefit is equal to 60% of your salary and pays up to 26 weeks.Premiums are based on age and income.
Long Term Disability - This benefit is available to all employees working 30 hours or more per week.Long Term Disability provides income protection if you become sick or disabled for an extended period of time and cannot work.Benefit is equal to 60% of your salary and pays up to retirement if disability is prolonged.Premiums are based on age and income.
Vision Insurance - This benefit is available to all employees working 30 hours or more per week.Coverage is provided for vision exams, purchase of lenses, frames, contacts, etc.
Retirement Plan (Tax Sheltered Annuity (403B)
This plan was established for the sole purpose of assisting employees in building a retirement security plan through long term investment.Employees are eligible to participate immediately by making contributions to the plan.The dollars that are contributed are deducted on a pre-tax basis and the money is invested into a tax deferred annuity plan.
Penfield Children's Center matches $.50 on the $1.00 up to the first 6% of the money contributed by the employee to the plan.Agency participation is effective the next pay period after one year of employment.Employees must be saving their own money for retirement through Penfield Children's Center’s Tax Deferred Annuity Plan in order to take advantage of the employer contribution.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Penfield offers an FSA administered by a third party administrator.The FSA allows staff to contribute to an account on a pre-tax basis, up to the amount of $1500 annually.Employees can then be reimbursed from the account to cover medical expenses, including co-pays, deductibles, prescriptions, over the counter products, etc. Employees can also participate in the Dependent care plan, contributing up to $5000 per year.
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Penfield Children's Center provides PTO for all employees.PTO is based upon the calendar year of January 1 through December 31. Employees are eligible to make use of their PTO time after completion of a 90-day orientation period. PTO is earned on a weekly basis based on the number of completed weeks of service according to the schedule listed below. Employees are able to carryover up to 48 hours per year of unused PTO.A PTO bank may not exceed 280 hours, or 320 hours for employees over 15 years.
Full Time Regular –Exempt Staff
PTO BenefitHours Earned Per Week
Months 1 – 3 years2.46 (128 hours based on full year)
Months 37 – 4 years3.23 (168 hours based on full year)
Months 49 – 15 years4.00 (208 hours based on full year)
After 15 years 4.77 (248 hours based on full year)
PTO may be taken before it is earned, but if you leave your employment at Penfield, the time taken but not earned, will be deducted from your final paycheck. Any earned, but unused current year PTO will be paid out in your final paycheck.
Holiday Closings
Friday before Easter
Memorial Day Independence Day
Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas Day Holiday
New Years Day
Two additional Floating Holidays are granted at the discretion of the President. Full time employees receive holiday pay based on the days and hours they are scheduled to work.Full time employees will only be paid for holidays they are scheduled to work and will be paid for their regularly scheduled hours.
Do you offer Continuing Education Benefits?
Yes, Full Reimbursement
Do you offer Student Loan Repayment?
No
Are Professional Association Dues Reimbursed?
No
How does your organization support the career growth of your Physical Therapists?
Penfield encourages PT's to attend continuing education that is of interest to them and applicable to their caseload. After attending a seminar, PT's will provide an inservice on the topic to the rest of the department so that all can benefit from the learning.
Company In-Depth
Company History
In 1967 a group of community, business, and professional leaders from the Milwaukee Area formed a not-for-profit organization to serve the needs of “mentally handicapped and disadvantaged children”. The organization was named the Via Marsi Montessori School for Exceptional Children and was located in a rented building at 2433 W. Cherry Street Milwaukee WI.
The founders were interested in developing a program utilizing the educational techniques and principles of the Italian Physician, Maria Montessori, and applying those methods to children, age two through age five, who were “mentally and physically handicapped”. The Via Marsi Montessori School for Exceptional Children was the first program in the United States to take the techniques of Maria Montessori for “normal and exceptionally bright children” and apply them to this new group of children.
In 1974 the Via Marsi Montessori School moved to its present location at 833 N. 26th Street and changed its name to Penfield Children’s Center. The organization was named after Dr. Wilder Penfield, a Wisconsin native, who was a world renowned Neurologist and Neurosurgeon who believed in early and continued stimulation for helping and treating disabled children.
The new location on N. 26th Street was a combination of a former Victorian rooming house, the old Central Lanes bowling alley, and some smaller stores along N. 27th Street. The rooming house was razed and the bowling alley remodeled to accommodate the needs of the ever growing program.
Other major remodeling and grounds expansion projects were undertaken in 1980 and 1991, with the acquisition of several additional contiguous properties.
In 1994 and 1995, a major $3 million expansion and remodeling project was accomplished involving the demolition of the old bowling alley building and storefronts along N. 27th Street, and the construction of the new 20,000 square feet Norman Soref Children’s Clinic. The new Soref Clinic was added to the existing N. 26th Street building creating a 42,000 square feet, state-of-the-art, facility which allows Penfield Children’s Center to better serve the needs of children in our community for many years to come.
Today, Penfield Children’s Center annually serves more than 1000 children and families through its various programs and services. Birth to Three, our primary focus, continues to serve children with developmental delays both home and center based. The outpatient clinic is a therapy program that serves children as long as they are a part of school system. Childcare offers accredited quality childcare to children from 4 weeks of age to 8 years. Family support and programming is an integral part of all services provided. Our newest program is the Behavior Clinic in collaboration with Marquette University. The Behavior Clinic is designed to work with young children with emotional and behavioral problems. We have a staff of 100 professionals and paraprofessionals and many volunteers dedicating their time.
Funds to operate Penfield are received from the Milwaukee County, Medicaid and private insurance companies, United Way, and other grants and donations.
When was the organization founded?
1967
Number of Office Locations
1
Total Number of Employees
95
Do you anticipate a growth in your Physical Therapist Staff in the next two years?
No, We don't plan to grow our PT Staff
Number of Physical Therapists on Staff
6
Contact Details (Who should candidates contact to learn more about your organization?)
penfieldchildren.org