THE CENTER SHOWCASES ITS WORK TO NYS OPWDD COMMISSIONER
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New York State’s Commissioner of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities, Kerri Neifeld, visited the TCFD campus in early March for an extensive tour.
In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and its theme of #WorldsImagined, Commissioner Neifeld is highlighting statewide innovations for complex individuals like the residents and students at The Center. Together with TCFD CEO Patrick H. Dollard and TCFD President Dr. Theresa Hamlin, the Commissioner toured The Center’s various campuses and visited with residents, nurses, and staff.
The Catskill Mountain early spring weather held out, and she was able to see the incredible progress being made in constructing the state’s first Children’s Specialty Hospital in Rock Hill, New York. She expressed particular interest in the Assistive Technology Department at the hospital, and marveled at the equipment spearheaded and developed by TCFD staff like the FlexTable™, Shirt Folder, Wrist Talker, Universal Hand Tool, indieGo®, and more.
With a long history in the disability field, it was easy to see that connecting with the TCFD community was what the Commissioner loved the most during her stay. She walked Main Street in Hurleyville, saw the development of the revitalized hamlet, and visited residents in Fiber on Main and The Sentinel as they worked on various projects.
“It was wonderful to tour Kerri Neifeld, our OPWDD Commissioner, and show her in-person our work here at The Center,” said TCFD CEO Patrick H. Dollard, “It is significant that a short time after her confirmation she was here showcasing our programs and inventions that have been proven to further enrich the lives of individuals with complex conditions. We appreciate her time and dedication, and we look forward to working with her office closely in the immediate future.”
