Wheelchair Diffusion Blog

There’s something about healthcare that many of us find dehumanizing. Maybe it’s knowing that you are about to be swallowed up by that old cliche about "being treated like a number". Or, maybe it’s knowing that very little of the process is under your control and that there will be someone around every turn waiting to punch YOUR ticket for you. But likely as not, you will never get a shot at punching your own care ticket.

Okay, I’ll come clean. Aside from having a number of old friends who work at ICS and another bunch of old friends who are members, this member driven non-profit organization has put together one hell of a cutting edge model for providing health care services.

Here are a few of the ICS philosophies that make this model a stand out:

"People with disabilities often can take the lead role in planning and managing their own health care and social supports. They typically know a great deal about their bodies and their needs. They need knowledgeable people to work with them in making the system work for them."

"An individualized plan of care is developed with each member upon enrollment, based on his/her priorities and choices about providers."

"Each individual with disabilities has unique needs and preferences, which must be recognized and addressed. What is most valuable to one person will probably not be the same for another."

There is no magic here. This is good common sense with a big dose of client perspecitve blended in. It makes for good medicine, and we can all use more of that.

Many of us have been watching the development and progress of ICS in hopes that the model will catch fire and spread. For now ICS is a New York City based program but the model is hot and the need for change is certainly there.

More information on ICS and their care model.