SAMARITAN CENTER TO ANNOUNCE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRST SKILLED NURSING FACILITY TO OPEN IN DETROIT IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES

The 120-bed Samaritan Manor will bring 100 new jobs to east side Detroit

DETROIT, MI August 11, 2006:

Samaritan Center will announce the start of construction on The Samaritan Manor, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility that will be located on the completely renovated fourth floor of Samaritan Center, 5555 Conner Avenue, Monday, August 14 at 10:30 a.m.

“The Samaritan Manor will provide a vital service in long-term care as the first new, skilled nursing facility to open in Detroit in nearly two decades,” said Br. Francis Boylan, csc, President of Samaritan Center. “The Manor will provide a multitude of resources and benefits to future residents, Samaritan clients and coworkers, and the east side community as a whole.”

The $4 million renovation will bring approximately 100 new jobs to the area. The Manor is planned for completion in early 2007.

The entire fourth floor of the 500,000-square-foot Samaritan Center will be completely renovated into four nursing units, called neighborhoods, to create a more personal environment for residents and their families. Each neighborhood will be fully air conditioned and feature private and semi-private rooms, common living areas with fireplaces and community dining rooms. One “neighborhood” will be dedicated to dementia friendly care. The other wings will provide other subspecialty care including:

	Short-term Rehabilitation
	Hospice
	Bariatric
	Skilled nursing

Trinity Design, a construction management firm noted for architectural and interior design of care facilities, was hired to execute Samaritan Center’s vision of the project to create a home-like environment. Upon completion of construction, The Samaritan Manor will be owned and managed by Advantage Management Group (AMG), a nationwide management and consulting firm specialized in management of long-term care facilities and assisted living centers. AMG owns and manages seven skilled nursing facilities in Michigan in Battle Creek, Farmington Hills, Northwest Detroit, Novi, Southgate and Wayne.

“The Samaritan Manor will be a state-of-the-art skilled nursing facility with unique programs for various levels of transitional phases where residents will receive quality care with respect and dignity,” said AMG President Reginald Hartsfield. “Some residents will need a period of recovery from a hospital stay. For others, the Manor will become their permanent home if independent living is no longer possible.”

Hartsfield said The Samaritan Manor will be unique among Detroit skilled nursing facilities in that it will have the most private rooms of all nursing homes in the city. The Samaritan Manor will have 38 private rooms, compared to an average of four at other centers.

The facility will deliver a range of specialized health care services including IV therapy, nutritional services, wound care management and hospice care, to more subacute services for residents who require complex rehabilitation following a stroke or debilitating illness. Staffing will include physical, occupational and speech therapists, dietitians, psychiatric, podiatry and dental specialists, a social services director, and a 24-hour nursing staff, bringing approximately 100 new jobs to the area. 

Boylan said there is a substantial need for this type of facility in Detroit. “The city of Detroit is underserved by 1,100 beds. The time has come to implement a long term-care solution, and The Samaritan Manor will address that need.”

For more information, interested persons can call 1-888-677-7055 or visit the website at www.themanors.net/samaritan.htm.

Located in the former Mercy Hospital complex, the Samaritan Center is a multi-faceted community resource center for neighborhoods in the Conner Avenue & I-94 area of Detroit's east side. Samaritan Center is operated as a collaborative community resource center sponsored by Boysville of Michigan and SER Metro-Detroit.

Situated on 27 acres Samaritan Center is the largest “one-stop” resource center in the United States serving 40,000 Detroiters per month for a wide range of services including health care, job training, career counseling, child services, family counseling, senior services, spiritual development, secondary education, mentoring and human and social services. The Center is a blend of carefully selected organizations with a history of service to the disadvantaged and who are committed to continuing the redevelopment of the Detroit’s eastside. The Center provides approximately $50 million of needed services annually, at no cost to recipients.

 About Advantage Management Group (AMG)

Since 1991, Advantage Management Group (AMG), a privately held corporation, has been the provider of choice for regulatory consulting, mock surveys, interim and operations management and education to Long Term Care and Assisted Living facilities throughout the United States.  AMG manages skilled nursing facilities in the state of Michigan. With a focus on quality care, unique resident programs, and positive clinical and financial outcomes, AMG is working to change the face of long term nursing care from the traditional medical model to person-centered care. For more information on AMG, visit our website at www.amgltc.com.

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