(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents HealthyVerify Certification.)
By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
Mark Jacoby, president and CEO of Gompers, said every time his nonprofit group came up with some answers on when and how to reopen its services to those with development disabilities more COVID-19 questions would arise.
“What happened was for every answer we came up with there were another 10 questions,” said Jacoby whose group has campuses in Phoenix, Peoria, and Glendale and serves 500 members.
Jacoby said Gompers has had its campus programs and services for those with developmental disabilities closed since March and is looking at how and when to reopen those including employment services.
Gompers has turned to HealthyVerify Certification to help it navigate COVID-19 and develop and implement best practices for operating in this new environment.
HealthyVerify is the country’s only medically based, scientific, and professional certification company helping reduce the risk of COVID-19. HealthyVerify has helped and certified a range of clients’ health safety efforts.
“I saw the Phoenix Business Journal story on Goodwill working with HealthyVerify,” Jacoby said. He said then talked to other organizations HealthyVerify has helped develop and implement best practices related to curbing COVID-19. “I was able to chat with Goodwill, Windom Security, and Offerpad,” Jacoby said.
HealthyVerify (HVC) partners with infectious disease experts from the Barrow Neurological Institute and researchers at Arizona State University to reduce the workplace risk of spreading infectious diseases.
Gompers has been helping individuals with disabilities and their families for 75 years. It has 300 staff members and has kept in-home services and visits going during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacoby is tentatively hoping to start opening employment services programs next month
To help with those efforts, Gompers is working HealthyVerify Certification to ensure safer environments for its employees and members. Jacoby said Gompers members, who include those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, present special challenges to social distancing and wearing masks.
HealthyVerify has helped Gompers develop health screening protocols for employees and community members, modify the facilities’ layouts and transportation services to help with social distancing, and implement new policies for when staff should wear additional protective gear. Jacoby said a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation helped Gompers work with HealthyVerify on its reopening and COVID-related efforts.
Jacoby said HealthyVerify has been especially helpful in developing protocols for when a staff member or someone receiving services might test positive for COVID and having the same staff work with the same Gompers members to keep them in the same cohort group.
“HealthyVerify has been invaluable,” Jacoby said.
HealthyVerify’s clients also include Avondale Elementary School District, Offerpad, Rawhide Special Events Center, City of Goodyear, Phoenix Rising FC, Hawaii Community Foundation, and many others.
