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Beth Atkinson Honored


Beth Atkinson, Director of Person Centered Living at Seven Hills Pediatric Center, was honored as the 2011 Developmental Disability Hero of the Year Award winner by the American Health Care Association. The award recognizes an individual who “has shown commitment and dedication in helping people with developmental disabilities” and Beth is certainly worthy of this national recognition. Her ability to recognize the gifts and abilities of all people and her commitment to creating opportunities to allow others to see those same gifts sets her apart from others in the field. Beth has built a career in showing others how to approach every opportunity with the assumption of finding a way to make a wonderful life experience happen for every individual, despite their disability.

Beth has been associated with Seven Hills Pediatric Center for over 20 years and her ongoing work has resulted in dynamic programming and models that have changed the way people are cared for at Seven Hills and in the field in general. Beth focuses on the social, emotional and mental well-being of each person, not just their medical needs. Her exceptional talent of interacting with people with significant developmental disabilities includes her ability to communicate with just a smile, a shrug of the shoulder or movement of a hand. She originated the “Into the Community Program”, where participants are brought on field trips designed to mirror their individual interests; such as concerts, and trips to museums. She has also spearheaded the “Active Treatment” model which allows a structured approach to supporting the best quality of life by educating and communicating across care shifts each day to provide consistent communication and social interactions.

Holly Jarek, Administrator and Vice President of Seven Hills Pediatric Center wrote about Beth in her nomination; “Beth seeks out the best in our residents and is capable of teaching others to see this as well. She is a role model for staff, a teacher to many, and a loving and compassionate person. She understands that medical care and person centered care are equally important and rather than promoting oppositional views, chooses to bring the best of both worlds together. In this case it makes her a very special and unique individual.”