Providing services and operating multiple residences for the developmentally disabled requires a great deal of ongoing communication among the medical and administrative staff of Hamaspik, Inc., a non-profit organization based in New York. With four main offices across Rockland, Orange and Kings Counties, the costs and time of collaborating in person was starting to add up.
Hamaspik, Inc. provides a broad range of programs to assist people in a variety of settings and challenging times—from assisting a senior citizen with difficulty walking to finding placement for a newborn with Down syndrome.
Executive Directors hold monthly meetings and require the attendance of all employees in supervisory positions. They also conduct ongoing lectures and training sessions, as well as meetings to discuss urgent issues and problems that need immediate attention.
Employees wasted hundreds of hours traveling between the four offices each month, hours that could have been devoted to Hamaspik’s mission. A change was needed and the installation of Panasonic’s HD Visual Communications System would facilitate that change by providing Hamaspik the ability to meet via videoconference The use of videoconference now allows Hamaspik’s employees to get back to what matters most – providing care and services to its patients.
“Communication is so much easier now and issues are handled quickly,” stated Zalmen Stein, Hamaspik’s director of development. “Basically, we’re saving a whole day of work each time a meeting is called together.”
The organization has systems set up in its four locations and uses them for all conferences and meetings. The set up was also easier than expected. “We had a support contact at Panasonic but ended up not needing him since it was easy enough to figure out ourselves,” added Stein.
Hamaspik staff members go through vigorous testing and training before starting their job and training continues after they have been hired. “We recently had a guest lecturer come in,” continued Stein. “During the presentation, we zoomed the camera in on the speaker and when staff began to ask questions, we zoomed back out. It was so clear. People were engaged and really felt like they were in the same room. The clarity of the video and audio makes the experience just as real as a face-to-face meeting.”
Panasonic’s HD Visual Communications System has opened the door to a new way of doing business for Hamaspik Inc. The entire staff is thrilled with the successful conferences and training sessions they have conducted, and their dedicated team, separated by miles, can now operate cohesively to improve the way they serve children and families in need.
