Post-acute care got much more than a new address in Saginaw Township as the Covenant HealthCare Transitional Care Unit made its move from Michigan Avenue across town to the Wellspring Senior Living Campus. The Transitional Care Community is a partnership between Covenant HealthCare and Wellspring Lutheran Services to help patients transition from the hospital to home. With the move, the service will take on the new name of Transitional Care Community (TCC) to reflect the care model and intentionality of the service both organizations envision. The newly renovated building started accommodating patients the week of June 20.
The new facility is part of a $5 million investment by Covenant and Wellspring that will provide the most advanced post-hospital care and services available in the Great Lakes Bay Region—all designed to help patients transition from hospital to home after a significant medical event.
A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON EXPERIENCE
The partnership between Covenant and Wellspring represents the best of two organizations—both leaders in their respective fields. With more than 135 years of acute care and community medicine expertise, Covenant is partnering with Wellspring Lutheran Services and its nearly 130 years of experience focused on community-based care and services for the elderly. While it’s not unusual for these types of organizations to work together, it is unique for them to commit to a full partnership and the long-term commitment that entails. This partnership is particularly timely as the area’s residents age—which comes with an increasing need for transitional care, especially over the next decade.
“The Transitional Care Community isn’t just a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility. It also represents the commitment of two leading health care, nonprofit organizations with deep roots in the Great Lakes Bay Region,” says Dave Gehm, president and CEO of Wellspring. “Through the TCC we bring together the best of both partners with extensive experience in serving the community with high quality services. As our nation ages, Covenant and Wellspring are demonstrating the kind of partnership that will make a difference in the lives of seniors and their families.”
A COMMITMENT TO THE GREAT LAKES BAY REGION
“The new environment is meant to help patients progress through their healthcare journey as they transition to home,” says Kevin Birchmeier, executive vice president and COO of Covenant HealthCare. “We are excited to build upon the partnership with Wellspring Lutheran Services and continue providing high-quality post-hospital care for the Great Lakes Bay Region.”
As the organizations looked at the regional landscape, the campus in Saginaw Township was the obvious choice for the new facility. Not only is the campus easily accessible to the entire Great Lakes Bay Region, but also Wellspring had previously repositioned its memory care services from a dedicated building to become part of a dedicated floor at the assisted living community. Having assisted and independent living, as well as memory care activities already on campus means more amenities, services, and life enrichment activities will be seamlessly available to TCC patients.
The TCC will provide physical, occupational and speech therapies performed by Mary Free bed therapists in a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility, working closely with the nursing department to assure the highest quality in post-acute programming. Patients who choose TCC will experience a seamless transition from their hospital care to the short-term residential therapy needed to get them on the road to recovery and home.
The renovations on the building were made by Detroit-based Basic Design and Frankenmuth-based Wm. Bronner & Son Contractors.
Photos courtesy of Wellspring and Covenant
