Several years ago, Scottish Rite Masons recognized that the RiteCare Clinics were in danger of developing a “silo mentality,” where each clinic operated independently of one another and not utilizing the expertise of the entire RiteCare system.

Rather than fall into a habit of thinking of four seperate RiteCare Clinics, Charles V. Sederstrom, Jr., 33°, SGIG in Nebraska worked with Amy Nordness, Ph.D., Nebraska’s RiteCare Director at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, to ensure that we think of one RiteCare Clinic, with four locations in Kearney, Hastings, Lincoln and Omaha. As part of that goal, Chuck scheduled a RiteCare Retreat each year so that the Clinicians can meet one another, tap into their different expertises, including Autusim, Apraxia, pediatric swallowing, group therapy for preschoolers, parent training, young adult therapy, among others.

At the retreat, held on Friday, September 22 in Omaha, Clinicians have an opportunity to meet the Scottish Rite Masons who donate over $680,000 each year to support services while the Masons can meet the Clinicians we support.

Eleven RiteCare clinicians (including Denise Wolfe participating online from Kearney) and about 20 Scottish Rite Masons from around Nebraska met to hear reports on fundraising initiatives around the state, goals for 2018, and the state of the Clinic. Each clinician gave reports on their activities and their work, followed by questions and answers from members. In the afternoon, the clinicians participated in a continuing education seminar for the clinicians in the afternoon.

Among the issues discussed include how we can maximize the impact of services by taking insurance and how that might work, how many children the clinicians are seeing through telepractice, how services can be expanded into areas not currently served in rural and western Nebraska, how we can promote these services across the state, as well as an update on the endowed Nebraska Scottish Rite Professorship in Speech-Language Therapy.