Catholic Health East: Latest News

Saint Joseph's Manor Announces New Partnership

September 23, 2008

Portland, Maine, September 23, 2008 Saint Joseph’s Manor and the Diocese of Portland today jointly announced the decision to partner with a management company, Catholic Health East Senior Services Management (CHESSM), to provide comprehensive management services for the 33-year old nursing home. The management agreement became effective yesterday, September 22, 2008.

CHESSM is a division of Catholic Health East, one of the nation’s largest Catholic health care systems. CHESSM’s experience and expertise in successfully managing long term care and assisted living facilities were key factors in its selection by the Saint Joseph’s Manor board and the Diocese.

The announcement was made by the Mercy Hospital Board of Trustees and the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, Florida, with the support of Catholic Health East. “These are challenging times in the health care industry, particularly in long term care,” said the Most Reverend Richard J. Malone, Bishop of Portland. “I have been concerned about the ability of the Diocese to provide the expertise needed to assure the future of Saint Joseph’s Manor as a viable Catholic health care facility. I see the arrangement with Catholic Health East as a means of securing this facility as a strong, viable Catholic health care institution in the greater Portland area.”

“We are excited about this new partnership and the many benefits that the shared experience of CHESSM and Catholic Health East’s network of senior living facilities will offer to Saint Joseph’s Manor colleagues, patients and residents,” said Colleen Hilton, chairperson of Saint Joseph’s Manor board of directors. “We’re also eager to take advantage of some of the benefits of being affiliated with a larger system – such as group purchasing discounts – that will be made possible thanks to this new relationship with Catholic Health East.”

“Dramatic changes in the long term care industry have impacted upon senior services around the nation,” said Ron Tardif, the long-time executive director of Saint Joseph’s Manor. “Our partnering with Catholic Health East will help ensure that our employees will have access to enhanced educational, training and operational resources, allowing us to continue to provide the quality care that our residents and their families expect and deserve.”

“We thank the Diocese and Saint Joseph’s Manor board of directors for the opportunity we have been given to help ensure that Saint Joseph’s Manor remains a vibrant, essential health care resource for the greater Portland community,” said John Capasso, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health East Senior Services Management.

Saint Joseph’s Manor, opened in 1974, is licensed by the Maine Department of Human Services as a multi-level care facility. Sponsored by the Diocese of Portland, Saint Joseph’s Manor operates 121 nursing home beds and 44 residential care beds.

Catholic Health East is a multi-institutional Catholic health system, which is co-sponsored by 10 religious congregations, and Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within Catholic Health East. Based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the System provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the sponsors’ health ministries, which are located within 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. The System includes 33 acute care hospitals (including Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine), four long term acute care hospitals, 36 freestanding and hospital-based long term care facilities, 12 assisted living facilities, five continuing care retirement communities, eight behavioral health and rehabilitation facilities, 25 home health/hospice agencies, and numerous ambulatory and community-based health agencies. Catholic Health East facilities employ more than 54,000 full-time employees as partners in ministry.

Diocese of Portland covers the state of Maine and along with its parishes, cemeteries, elementary schools and a high schools, there are also five homes for the aged, and three day care and extended day care centers. There are also three Catholic hospitals operating independently of the Diocese as well as Catholic Charities, Maine, which operates as its own corporation. There are approximately 200,000 Catholics in Maine.

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