The GreenFields Continuing Care Community in Lancaster is readying for a $4 million expansion at its skilled nursing facility.
The campus, operated by Niagara Lutheran Health System, will renovate and expand four separate wings at GreenField Health & Rehabilitation Center, shifting from semi private to all private rooms.
Christopher Koenig, who joined the system a year ago as CEO, said the project takes the place of a previous plan to build a new 24 unit wing. Earlier plans had evolved over 15 years from a new wing to a separate building, with costs more in the $10 million range.
Instead, all four of the existing wings will each be extended, giving the whole building a fresh, new look, he said. The project also makes the facility more competitive in attracting residents.
“There’s no one leaving the hospital who doesn’t want a private room,” Koenig said. “The concept is still the same, but we’re expanding every single wing to add six new private rooms.”
Staff and physicians also like the idea of private rooms, reducing the opportunity for infection, while families like the opportunity to have private time with their loved ones. Some rooms will also be equipped with additional seating for families and pull-out couches to better accommodate overnight visitors, especially for residents nearing end of life.
The 52 acre senior living campus includes six affiliated nonprofit organizations providing independent apartments, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
Operating on a combined budget of about $30 million with a workforce of 500, the campus is home to about 400 residents.
The new expansion will require a certificate of need application and full approval from the state Department of Health. Koenig said he expects the organization to file those plans by early summer.
