If the world of business was based on transactions in human caring rather than financial gain, Hattie Larlham would top the Fortune 500 list every year.
Since 1961, Hattie Larlham has provided care and services to a highly specialized group of medically fragile people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Such a task comes not just with the responsibility of caring for the disabled individual but also adapting to the needs of that person’s family.
Beyond that, CEO Dennis Allen must constantly evolve and improve facilities and programs to ensure that all of those who come to Hattie Larlham get the experience they deserve.
To do that, Allen firmly believes in what has been dubbed vision casting, a flexible planning process based on a comprehensive overview and understanding of each element of the Hattie Larlham organization. Planning and preparations for action are encompassed by well-defined documentation of missions, values, trends and a projection of how all of those factors relate to Hattie Larlham’s overall vision for how the future might best evolve. A big part of this process includes the ability to continuously update the way the company understands numerous societal, technological and medical trends that can influence its ability to serve individuals with MR/DD. Such trends include family demographics, labor market issues, economic changes, fund-raising techniques and results, tax legislation, and many other factors that keep Hattie Larlham adaptable.
As a result, new improvements pop up constantly. In May 2008, for example, two renovated wings, Cattail Crossings and Reflection Ponds, opened at the Hattie Larlham Center for Excellence in Mantua. With modernized rooms, bacteria-resistant flooring and state-of-the-art air filtration systems, they better accommodate the 126 children and young adults who live at the center. It’s that kind of concentrated effort that helps put caring first in every function at Hattie Larlham.
How to reach: Hattie Larlham, www.hattielarlham.org or (330) 274-2272
