February 5, 2021
Collington CEO Ann Gillespie announced that the Continuing Care Retirement Community has joined forces with MedStar Health to form the MedStar Center for Successful Aging, a non-profit organization committed to health and wellness for people in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The partnership was initially developed in Spring 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 healthcare 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 MedStar Center for Successful Aging’s goal to pilot an onsite geriatric primary care clinic with a high quality CCRC provider. Collington residents are proactive and open minded, and played a huge part in establishing the partnership,” says Dr. George Hennawi, director of the geriatrics department at Medstar. 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 very unique experience and we know this effort will serve as a promising model for other CCRC’s nationwide,” stated Dr. Hennawi.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the MedStar 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 healthcare 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.”
For more information, please contact:
Megan Barbour, COO
Email: mbarbour@collington.kendal.org
Phone: 301-541-5020
10450 Lottsford Road
Mitchellville, MD 20721
Collington.kendal.org