Hospice Of The Western Reserve Announces Plans For New Site In Westlake

After years of planning, Hospice of the Western Reserve released plans for a new site in Westlake on Wednesday. The Ames Family Hospice House will be the organization’s second inpatient care facility, serving the hospice’s growing patient base on the west side.

“There is a challenge for people in Lorain County or the west side, particularly if they’re not right on Lake Avenue,” said David Simpson, CEO Emeritus. “We take care of children and babies, but the greater majority of our patients are elderly, so you want people to have less distance to travel.”

Since the organization opened its first house on East 185^th Street in 1995, it has grown from serving 380 to 1,200 patients every day. According to Simpson, Hospice of the Western Reserve once had only one team on the west side, but now has six. Each team cares for about 40-80 patients.

To alleviate the growing need, the hospice will build a $19 million facility off of Crocker Road, right next to the existing Bonne Belle manufacturing site. The Ames Family Hospice House will offer all of the same services as its existing site in Cleveland, according to Finn.

“I think a number of people who have followed the hospice know the great service that they provide, especially for clients in their time of need and we’re very appreciative of the fact that they chose Westlake to locate their newest facility,” said Mayor Dennis Clough. “They’re moving full steam ahead and we’re very excited. We’re looking forward to seeing the steel come out of the ground.”

The Ames Family Hospice House will have 32 private suites on a 30 acre wooded site. Finn said the existing running trails will be maintained and reopened to the public after construction is completed. The suites even feature large screened-in porches in a home-like atmosphere and amenities like gardens, a family dining room and kitchen.

“We’re trying to create a home when people can’t be in their own home,” said William Finn, CEO. “It should feel like a place you’re comfortable spending time but at the same time it’s a state-of-the-art medical facility.”

The 40,000 square foot building is scheduled to open summer of 2012. Construction will begin within the next few days. Plans have been in the works for 6 to 7 years, according to Simpson. Administrators were able to get the property off of Crocker Road rezoned from industrial to health in 2008, but Simpson said the recession led to delays in the project.

“We had a delay of about 2 years or so in this economic downturn so we’re doing fundraising through campaign which has been very successful and it has brought in more than $18 million,” he said. Large donations include $10 million from B. Charles and Jay Ames, $2 million from the Elisabeth Severance Pretniss Foundation and $1 million from Susan and Jack Turben.

The new hospice house will create about 105 new jobs in Westlake and administrators are already getting ready to put people to work.

“We’re staffing up with the idea that in summer of 2012 the building will be operational and we really had the option to bring in the finest and most talented people in the region to be on staff,” Finn said. “What we’re actually building here is a world-class facility for the entire community.”

To help alleviate traffic congestion, Hospice of the Western Reserve will partner with the city to build a new road off of Crocker Road to the new site named Hospice Way, Simpson said.