Everything is bigger in Texas, right? Apparently, this holds true for NANT Group Memberships.
Neonatal therapists from Methodist Children’s Hospital NICU in San Antonio recently joined as a 21-Member group, our largest group to date! Their robust team includes 8 SLPs, 5 PTs, and 8 OTs. We were so excited about this milestone that we asked for their permission to share it with you.
Why is it vital to share this news?
- The MOST meaningful result of this Group Membership is the ripple effect that occurs for babies and families when they are cared for by a well-informed collaborative team that has positioned themselves to engage in the latest NICU-specific education and resources in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Babies win.
- Some of you could benefit from NANT’s Group Membership option, but weren’t aware of it until now. Group Memberships are available for groups of 3 or more from the same institution. Twenty percent of NANT Members are part of a Group Membership.
- For the shrinking number of therapists that do their best to exclude other therapy professions from the NICU, let this team be an example of not only the present, but the future. NANT’s mission has never been to ‘melt’ all 3 professions into one. Instead, we support a Core Scope of Knowledge, celebrate, provide, and highlight discipline-specific knowledge and skills, and pursue a collective mission to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes for premature and sick infants. We are more powerful together. Babies and families do not benefit from us being so tied up in our own fears that we forget they are the reason we go to work.
- It’s a sign of continued growth for the specialty of neonatal therapy. And not simply growth in numbers, but growth in the commitment to improved knowledge and skills. Depth matters.
- When a team makes a collective decision like this, it often feeds other collaborative efforts for CQI, research, and committee work. They feel more purposeful, driven, and supported.
If you who are the ONLY therapist in your NICU, your city, or maybe your country, know that I feel your pain. Despite being initially well-mentored, I was the only therapist in a level III NICU for years and had no one to bounce things off of or learn from other than a couple of amazing books that existed at the time.
NANT was born from the realization that isolation and a lack of resources are obstacles to providing excellent care. You are no longer alone and now have the same access to online education and resources as this large team.
On behalf of current NANT Members, welcome to the neonatal therapists from Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, and to all of our new Members. You have joined a community of driven, dedicated, and collaborative colleagues who are on a mission to improve care and neurodevelopmental outcomes for babies and families.
Thanks to all NANT Members for showing up, throwing your proverbial hat in the ring, and saying, “I’m in” for the mission. You are NANT. You are powerful. We are grateful.
P.S. I have to give a shout out to Laura Dempsey, Operations Specialist on the NANT Team. She manages the ins and outs and complexities of Group Membership with passion and precision. Laura- I hope you don’t see this until it’s published for fear you’ll want to avoid the spotlight, but THANK YOU for all you do!
