St. Barnabas Health System Remains at Forefront of Patient Care

Facilities and Services Evolve to Meet Changing Needs of Seniors

By Vanessa Orr

When More than a century ago, St. Barnabas Home was founded to provide care for incurably ill men and boys. Now known as St. Barnabas Health System, the nonprofit organization continues to serve the healthcare needs of western Pennsylvanians through its medical center, nursing homes, assisted living facility, independent living residences and Free Care Fund programs.

Despite having such a long history in the community, however, St. Barnabas Health System has not remained mired in the past. In order to meet the needs of the state’s rapidly aging population as well as to respond to changes in the senior care industry, the Health System has continued to expand its facilities and programs while elevating its level of service. “We recognize that our customer has changed,” explained Karen Russell, executive director of Valencia Woods and The Arbors at St. Barnabas. “We are not serving the same types of customers as we were even 10 years ago. While they may be here for medical services, they expect more than just those services. They want to feel comforted and pampered, and we try to exceed their expectations.”

In any given month, roughly 600 staff members take care of more than 900 residents at St. Barnabas’ Gibsonia and Valencia campuses. The Gibsonia campus includes the St. Barnabas Nursing Home, a 172-bed skilled nursing facility; the St. Barnabas Medical Center, an outpatient medical center receiving more than 35,000 patient visits a year; the Village at St. Barnabas, an independent-living apartment complex featuring 252 units built around an indoor mall; and The Washington Place at St. Barnabas, a 23-unit, independent-living apartment building containing the 350-seat Kean Theatre.

The Valencia Campus includes The Arbors at St. Barnabas, a 182-bed licensed care facility, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas, a 47-bed nursing home, and The Woodlands at St. Barnabas, an independent living community consisting of 177 carriage homes.

“We’re currently in the process of building more carriage homes at The Woodlands at St. Barnabas, with the goal of expanding to 300 homes in the future,” explained Kathleen Brenneman, director of public and media relations. “We have also begun construction on Crystal Conservatories, a new recreational facility providing a broad range of aquatic activities on the Valencia campus. This will provide our residents and area seniors with the chance for year-round swimming opportunities, as well as aqua-therapy programs which are extremely beneficial for seniors suffering from arthritis.” The building is slated to open in November of 2008.

As one of the largest eldercare providers in western Pennsylvania, St. Barnabas has made it its mission to meet the needs of seniors at every stage of life. “We are extremely proud of the continuum of care that we provide,” said Brenneman. “Residents who move into our independent living units are guaranteed a spot in our assisted living facilities or nursing homes if they ever need it. But we don’t charge a large, up-front endowment fee; people who never need assisted living or skilled nursing care appreciate our pay-as-you-go system.”

Those who do choose to stay at a St. Barnabas clinical facility are treated with the same hospitality that they would find at a better hotel. “Every new admission receives a flower arrangement to welcome them to the facility, and we also have our food services staff take tea and a petit four tray to new residents’ rooms after they’ve settled in,” said Russell. “On weekends we provide gourmet coffee and tea tray visits to residents’ rooms, and we also have coffee and tea available in our lobby on a regular basis for guests.”

St. Barnabas’ nursing homes and its assisted living facility also offer full-service restaurant and dining room facilities for visitors and guests so that they can enjoy a sit-down meal with their loved ones. Residents can also have their meals delivered to their rooms if they so choose. On the day that new residents move in, boxed lunches are provided to family members and friends who are helping them in order to make the move-in process less hectic.

“We recently purchased a Wii system for entertainment, which we use for recreation as well as fitness purposes,” added Russell, “and we have a Netflix membership, so residents can rent the movies that they want to see.” Residents also enjoy back massages after therapy sessions and before bed, regular manicures and hand massages, and even the bathing facilities have been upscaled to be more spa-like, featuring whirlpool rooms instead of typical baths.

“These are nice little perks that result in a better experience,” said Russell. “While we always provide our residents with great care, we also like to provide them with customer service amenities that they can’t get anywhere else.”

As the eldercare industry continues to evolve, so will the services that St. Barnabas provides. The organization has provided home care services for 10 years and became licensed in July to provide hospice services at all of its facilities and in individuals’ homes in Butler and Allegheny counties.

Still, St. Barnabas has not lost sight of its original mission, which is to provide quality healthcare regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Through its Free Care Fund, which is funded through shows at the Kean Theatre and numerous other fundraisers, more than $5.6 million in free care was provided last year.

“Our goal is to provide high-quality, compassionate care,” said Brenneman. “We want our residents and our visitors to feel special when they are here.”

For more information, call St. Barnabas Health System at (724) 443-0700 or visit www.stbarnabashealthsystem.com.