Catch up on the latest.

As seen in the Hudson Star Observer, February 25, 2015:

The groundbreaking ceremony was held at Hudson Hospital & Clinic on Friday, February 20, 2015.  Pictured here includes (from left) David Hirsch, DaVita Dialysis; Doug Johnson, Hudson Hospital & Clinic; Cari Dock, DaVita Dialysis; Marian Furlong, Hudson Hospital & Clinic; Dan Lindh, Presbyterian Homes & Services; Steve Muellerleile, Hudson Hospital & Clinic; Stuart Bestful, CBS Construction; Mary Yacoub-Raad, City of Hudson; John Mehrkens, Senior Housing Partners; Pamela Belz, Senior Housing Partners; Dan Saiko, CBS Construction.

With golden shovels in hand, Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS) celebrated the official groundbreaking on Friday, February 20 for Woodland Hill senior living community. PHS was joined by leaders and staff from Hudson Hospital & Clinic and DaVita Dialysis, which are collaborating with PHS on the project. The celebration was also attended by Wisconsin State Senator Sheila Harsdorf; Hudson Alderperson Mary Yacoub-Raad, representing District 2; local business leaders, future residents and the project development team.

Construction for Woodland Hill is in progress on a 14.6-acre site located immediately east of and adjacent to Hudson Hospital & Clinic.  Dan Lindh, President and CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services said that collaboration with Hudson Hospital & Clinic and DaVita was key to the decision to build in Hudson. “We expect to offer high-quality services at Woodland Hill, including the DaVita Dialysis Center, and to connect with all the services offered by Hudson Hospital in a way that will add tremendous value to the people who live here and in the area,” Lindh said.

PHS’s research shows that within 20 years, the number of older adults living in the St. Croix Valley will double, and the number of those over 85 will likely triple. Lindh said that Woodland Hill is designed to meet needs for older adults now and into the future and add comprehensive services that connect to the community health system. He added, “Consistent with our mission, the goal is not to replicate services that are already available in the community, but to work closely with area providers to augment what they are already doing and collaborate with them to offer the very best for older adults and the greater community.”

Marian Furlong, President and CEO of Hudson Hospital & Clinic noted that she and Lindh began the conversation several years ago that generated a shared vision. “The two organizations have a long, rich history working together and this is one more step forward towards the future,” said Furlong. While construction progresses, PHS, Hudson Hospital & Clinic and DaVita Dialysis are developing consistent and complementary care services, including transportation between the campuses, special nutrition and dietary support for dialysis patients and others, wellness education and more.  Furlong noted that the community is asking every day about when Woodland Hill is going to open and how to contact PHS.

Mary Yacoub-Raad, Alderperson for the City of Hudson, expressed her appreciation for how Woodland Hill will bring, not only needed senior housing and health services, but jobs and economic growth to the city. “Whenever there’s a new building, there’s always buzz,” she said, “but Presbyterian Homes and DaVita have gone beyond the buzz.” Yacoub-Raad shared with the audience about her son’s 3rd grade class project at E.P. Rock Elementary School in Hudson on how changes impact the community. The students presented their ideas about what might go into the site where Woodland Hill is being built. “My son wanted to build a hotel for seniors where every room would have a pool,” Yacoub-Raad said with a smile.  The students’ work is currently displayed in the school hallway and generating further conversation. “It’s a way for children to understand about the growth of our city and to expand their minds as to what can become of government, business and other organizations working together,” said Yacoub-Raad.

Wisconsin State Senator Sheila Harsdorf commented after the ceremony, “I applaud the efforts of Presbyterian Homes and Hudson Hospital & Clinic to collaborate in expanding the housing options for seniors in western Wisconsin.  Woodland Hill is an integrative approach to provide quality senior living opportunities along with health care services.  This development holds great potential in serving the care needs of our seniors and in providing an inviting and comfortable living space.”

Plans for the first phase of this $47 million project include a medical suite for DaVita Dialysis clinic that will offer 12 chronic dialysis stations and two home training rooms. The state-of-the-art-suite is expected to open in June 2015, bringing comprehensive kidney care close to home for those living in the Hudson area.  The project is being developed by Senior Housing Partners, the development arm of PHS. Woodland Hill was designed by Pope Architects, based in St. Paul, MN. CBS Construction, located in Champlin, MN, is the general contractor, and the project is financed by Piper Jaffray, Minneapolis, MN.  Andersen Corporate Foundation, based in Bayport, MN, has contributed support to sustain affordable senior housing for future residents of Woodland Hill.

Woodland Hill, wholly owned and managed by PHS, will feature a continuum of care offering older adults the opportunity to seek the housing, services and amenities that suit their particular needs. When complete in early 2016, the campus will include 95 senior apartments, 46 assisted living apartments and 19 memory care apartments. The attached 30,000 square foot Town Center will offer a full range of amenities including a market, bistro, chapel, auditorium, library, movie theater, salon and wellness center.

For information about Woodland Hill, or to be placed on an interest list, contact Dianna Weum, Housing Advisor at 715-381-0173 or dweum@preshomes.org. The Woodland Hill Information Office is located within Citizens State Bank, 375 Stageline Road, Hudson WI 54016.

About Presbyterian Homes & Services
Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS) has been actively serving older adults in the St. Croix Valley since 1999 when it opened The Deerfield, followed by Boutwells Landing, which opened in 2002 and Croixdale in Bayport, MN, which opened in 2004. Established in 1955 and based in St. Paul, Minnesota, PHS is a non-profit, faith-based organization providing a broad array of high quality housing choices, care and service options for older adults. 5,900 employees serve over 25,000 older adults through 42 PHS-affiliated senior living communities in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, and through Optage® home and community services. PHS has earned the reputation as an innovative leader concerned with promoting independence, vitality and well-being for those they serve. For more information, visit www.preshomes.org.

About Hudson Hospital & Clinic
Hudson Hospital & Clinic, part of the HealthPartners family of care, is located off of I-94 in Hudson, WI and serves western Wisconsin communities with an emergency center, birth center, rehabilitation center, imaging center, specialty clinics, cancer care, heart care, and orthopedics. Hudson Hospital & Clinic has served the community for 60 years and is recognized for a healing environment, nationally acclaimed healing arts program, sustainability efforts and key quality measures. For more information, contact Patricia Cooksey, Director of Business Development & Marketing, 715-531-6044, patricia.a.cooksey@hudsonhospital.org, or visit www.hudsonhospital.org.

About DaVita Dialysis
DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc., a Fortune 500 company that, through its operating division, provides a variety of healthcare services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of kidney care in the United States and 11 countries around the globe, DaVita delivers dialysis services to more than 160,000 patients with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease. Building on 13 straight years of improved clinical outcomes, DaVita strives to improve patients’ quality of life by innovating clinical care and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health management services. For more information, contact Cari Dock, Regional Operations Director, DaVita Healthcare Partners 612-852-7130, Cari.Dock@davita.com, or visit www.davita.com.