May 6, 2021 (MITCHELLVILLE, Md.) — Collington CEO Ann Gillespie announced in February that the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) has partnered with Maryland-based MedStar Health to bring the Center for Successful Aging to Collington. The partnership was initially developed in early 2019, and both parties have settled into a long-term agreement to provide state of the art medical services to Collington’s residents across its 125-acre campus.
The Center for Successful Aging was established in 2014 at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, part of MedStar Health, the largest health care provider in the Maryland-D.C. region. MedStar Health’s 10 hospitals, MedStar Health Research Institute and a comprehensive scope of health-related entities, are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care.
The Center is known for its holistic, person-centered care for older adults. The individual is an important part of the team and together they navigate the decisions about their own care, which is something Collington residents greatly value. MedStar Health physicians take the time to learn about each patient’s values and preferences for care, and as treatments move forward, the individual is involved in every decision.
The Collington-MedStar Health partnership emerged from Collington’s intention to establish a navigation model of care and services, and the Center for Successful Aging’s goal to pilot an onsite geriatric primary care clinic with a high-quality Life Plan Community.
“Collington residents are proactive and open-minded, and played a huge part in establishing the partnership,” said Dr. George Hennawi, Chair of Geriatric Services and Medical Director of the Center for Successful Aging at Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital. The partnership includes ongoing collaboration with the Resident Health Services Committee to ensure the residents are getting as much out of the partnership as possible. Five days a week, MedStar Health clinicians provide Collington’s independent living residents primary care in a primary care clinic.
“It has been a really supportive win-win experience. We were warmly welcomed by Collington’s team and residents. It was beyond our expectations. It’s a unique experience and we know this effort will serve as a promising model for other CCRC’s nationwide,” Dr. Hennawi said.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Center for Successful Aging team and Dr. Hennawi,” said Collington COO Megan Barbour. “Dr. Hennawi’s compassion, expertise and understanding of unique care concerns that older adults may have, have been a great asset to Collington and to the health of the residents that we serve. Having access to such high-quality health care just a short walk from your home makes putting your health first an easily achievable goal for Collington residents and we are proud to be able to offer this service to them.”
“The Collington leadership team’s strong commitment to our collaboration is a key driver of our early success,” Dr. Hennawi said. “We quickly formed an integrated team, which engendered confidence across the campus. It’s not MedStar Health and Collington anymore, we are one team doing our best to take care of our people. People trust us to keep them safe and they are willing to listen to us. We are thrilled to work with Collington and are excited to see the program continue to grow.”
About Collington
Collington is a not-for-profit, full-service Life Plan Community (also known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community) affiliated with Kendal. The community, which opened in 1988, is situated on 125 acres of gently rolling countryside, featuring a six-acre lake, native trees, walking trails and gardens, in suburban Prince George’s County, Maryland. Natural parkland owned by the state of Maryland borders the eastern edge of the campus. The campus is roughly 12 miles east of downtown Washington, D.C., and 22 miles west of Annapolis, Maryland. Collington consists of 330 independent living residences, including cluster-cottages, villas and a three-story apartment building.
About Kendal
Founded on Quaker principles and guided by its Values and Practices, Kendal provides independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing and rehabilitation care in eight states. Kendal-affiliated retirement communities are in Hanover, New Hampshire; Ithaca and Sleepy Hollow, New York; Northampton and Easthampton, Massachusetts; Lexington, Virginia; metro Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Kennett Square, West Chester and Newtown, Pennsylvania; and Oberlin, Ohio. Enso Village, a Zen-inspired Life Plan Community, currently is under development in Healdsburg, California. Kendal at Home, based in suburban Cleveland, combines the security of a continuing care retirement community with the freedom and independence of living at home.