New Borgess Nursing Home receives $5.5 million gift

Kalamazoo, MI — A decade long dream came true last month at the groundbreaking of a new Borgess Nursing Home. The facility will mark the first nursing home built in Kalamazoo in more than 20 years and is made possible through the generosity of the Congregation of   St. Joseph which has donated 9.65 acres of land and a $5.5 Million gift from Bill and Julia Van Domelen, life-long area residents.
      “Because we have witnessed first-hand the humane missions of both Borgess and the SSJ Community, we wanted to offer our help,” said Bill Van Domelen. “We hope others will consider supporting this important community project.”
      Total cost of the project is estimated at around $17 million. In addition to the $5.5 million from the Van Domelen’s, additional community philanthropy will be needed and Borgess states it will use some of its cash reserves for the facility. “Bill and Julia Van Domelen’s gift is the largest in the 118-year history of Borgess Health,” said Paul Spaude, President and CEO, Borgess Health. “It helps us replace our existing nursing home on Chicago Street with a larger structure offering more private living space for residents, spacious grounds and new skilled rehabilitation services.”
       The Sisters of St. Joseph first came to the area in 1889 when they were invited by Father Francis to start a hospital. In her groundbreaking remarks, Sister Patricia Mullen, representing the Congregation of St. Joseph said “this is holy ground known as Nazareth.”
       Also on hand at the groundbreaking was Bishop James Murray who gave a blessing citing the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
       The New Borgess Nursing Home will continue to provide compassionate, quality, innovative and cost effective long-term care services to area residents. These services will include: rehabilitation, skilled nursing, assistance with activities of daily living, mental health services, and end of life care.

“The design concept will help area residents live in a facility that reflects the environment, routines and life activities,” said Jill Eldred, Vice President Regional and Extended Healthcare Services. “To the extent possible, residents should have privacy, dignity, respect and personal control in a supportive setting. “Our goal is to change the way Borgess Nursing Home delivers services to people who are frail, disabled and/or elderly. The New Borgess Nursing Home places greater emphasis on an environment that is: intimate as opposed to large, personal as opposed to institutional and resident-centered as opposed to provider/regulation centered.
“Like the current Borgess Nursing Home, the new home will be an ‘Eden Alternative’ certified facility,” said Eldred. “Eden principles call for homes to be a natural, vibrant living and working environment for residents and staff, and a habitat where people continue to live and learn. Eden accredited facilities offer environments that are often filled with plants, animals and a variety of social activities.” Plans for the Borgess Nursing Home campus include an 81-bed skilled nursing and long-term rehabilitation facility, and two freestanding, self-contained, 10-private room residences. These smaller residences will utilize the “Greenhouse” concept, a model of care with small communities of residents living with a group of dedicated staff.