Draft:Phoebe Ministries

Phoebe Ministries (or simply, "Phoebe") is a nonprofit organization specializing in senior care with locations in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and Wyncote, Pennsylvania. The institution offers a full continuum of aging services including independent living, personal care, nursing, spiritual support, pharmacy offerings, respite stays, and rehabilitation.

Phoebe was founded in 1903 with what started as the Phoebe Deaconess Home. Rev. Dr. Abraham B. Koplin, who would eventually become Phoebe's first board of trustees president, had led a small group of laymen and clergy to establish the three-story building with the goal of tending to the needy. Rooted in Christian tradition and established by members of the Reformed Church, the home called upon women to offer aid to the homeless, sick and elderly. The influence of the Phoebe Home grew over the coming decades as new communities were established and services diversified across Eastern Pennsylvania.

Phoebe's mission statement reads “A community of faith, called by God, to enrich the lives of our seniors, their families, and the communities we serve.” Phoebe highlights compassionate and affordable care in their goals.

History

An old postcard with a picture of Phoebe's Allentown campus.

The name Phoebe was borrowed from the bible. Only named once, Phoebe was depicted as a symbol of aid through a letter to the Roman people.

For the first 50 years after its inception, Phoebe expanded upon their previously established living quarters and administrative buildings in Allentown, Pennsylvania to meet rapidly growing demand. It wasn't until 1956 when Phoebe expanded outside of the area, opening a new nursing-focused location at a former tuberculosis treatment center near Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1972, Phoebe took its first major steps in developing solutions for independent living with the construction of Phoebe Apartments in Allentown. Another expansion came in 1984 with the opening of "The Terrace" retirement community.

In 1992, Phoebe acquired a medical center and nursing home in Bangor, Pennsylvania, ultimately becoming the Phoebe Slate Belt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. It was later obtained by Milwaukee-based Extendicare Health Services, Inc.

1995 saw the final touches put on Phoebe's first affordable housing community in Reading, Pennsylvania called Furnace Creek Manor. Through the help of the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and Fulton Bank, Phoebe invested $1.8 million USD in the project.

In 1999, Phoebe converted the former Wyomissing Club in downtown Reading into independent living apartments, once again partnering with banks to gather $6.5 million USD to complete the project. Phoebe scooped up three more affordable housing communities later that year in Douglasville, St. Lawrence, and Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania.

In 2000, Phoebe opened its eighth residential apartment community called Wind Gap Manor and purchased what would soon be known as the Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, a nursing community and dementia unit.

In 2024, Phoebe opened its doors to Chestnut Ridge at Rodale, the company's most intentionally modern and premium independent living campus to date. The institution purchased the 38-acre property from the Rodale family in November of 2018. The project officially broke ground on May 2, 2022. Construction faced delays exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a longer than anticipated timeframe for completion.

Communities

Chestnut Ridge at Rodale

Chestnut Ridge is Phoebe's senior living community in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The campus features an on-site pub, gardening areas, fitness center, and a swimming pool among other amenities. Made up of two large buildings, this location contains 126 apartments of various sizes. Chestnut Ridge Members began moving in for the first time on February 14, 2024. The facility aims for a holistic approach to senior care at this location, offering wellness coordinators and activity lifestyle programs.

Phoebe Allentown

Phoebe's Allentown location is made up of multiple buildings arranged in close proximity to each other. The Terrace is Phoebe Allentown's independent living complex with 88 apartments of various sizes. Amenities include housekeeping, a salon, fitness and recreation rooms, multiple dining options, and a library. On Allentown's West End is Miller Personal Care, offering personal care similar to assisted living. There are licensed nurses and physician services on site. The building houses 49 furnished rooms with options for respite stays. Phoebe's Health Care Center offers a variety of health services including skilled nursing, memory support services, and rehabilitation. This was Phoebe's first location.

Phoebe Wyncote

Phoebe's Wyncote is located in the Philadelphia region, having the unique benefit of being surrounded by a vibrant Philadelphian culture and a lively city life. Phoebe Wyncote contains 25 studio apartments with amenities such as dining services, a barbershop, a gift shop, a library, and game rooms. The Health Care Center at Wyncote offers the same continuum of care at Phoebe's other locations including rehabilitation and memory services. This location has been in operation since 1930.

Phoebe Richland

Phoebe Richland is home to two independent living apartments on a nearly 40-acre campus. The site of this location was previously owned by the Zohlman Nursing Home, which had been open for 50 years prior to the acquisition in July of 2000. Phoebe opened Meadow Glen, the personal care facility at this location in 2016. It's made up of 62 studios (38 specifically for memory support), 10 one-bedroom suites, and 4 companion suites. Phoebe Richland's amenities include personal washers and dryers, various dining services, a pet-friendly campus, and a beauty salon. Phoebe Richland is home to the institution's award-winning specialized memory unit known as "The Cottage." It features an enclosed courtyard and walking paths. The Health Center at this location features pet therapy and massage therapy, as well as the full continuum of care that Phoebe's other locations offer.

Phoebe Berks

Construction on the Phoebe Berks location began in the late '80s with its first residents being welcomed at the end of 1991. "The Village" at Phoebe Berks gives residents the option of selecting one of 66 full-size cottages or one of 205 apartments. Amenities include a fitness center, a swimming pool, multiple dining options, gardening plots, an auditorium, an award-winning boardwalk, a woodshop, a salon, putting green, movie theater, and more. Personal Care at Phoebe Berks encompasses 51 furnished studios with 24-hour licensed nurses. "The Village Gardens" is Phoebe Berks' memory care unit with 25 private furnished rooms. Phoebe Berks offers a watercolor painting program designated by the Alzheimer's Association called "Memories in the Making." In addition to the full continuum of care, Berks is home to “The Chateau," an 18-resident unit specifically designed for those with early to mid-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia-related illnesses.

Phoebe Pharmacy

Phoebe Pharmacy encompasses three long term care pharmacies (providing pharmaceutical services to various institutions and facilities) and one retail pharmacy. Phoebe Pharmacy operates 24/7 with locations in Lehigh, Lancaster, and Montgomery Pennsylvania. The company has partnered with Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Leading Age PA, the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association, PointClickCare, Wilkes University, and more.

Phoebe Pharmacy specializes in overseeing transitions in care when patients are admitted or discharged while identifying discrepancies in medications and health records.

For retirement communities, Phoebe Pharmacy streamlines instructions and packaging seals in service of residents.

Accolades

In 2016, Phoebe was awarded the Great Minds Award by LeadingAge, recognizing excellence in dementia care.

In 2020 and 2021, Phoebe Allentown was named one of the best nursing homes in the country by Newsweek. The publication also declared Phoebe as one of the best Continuing Care Retirement Communities in 2024.

In 2023, Phoebe Ministries received the Innovation of the Year award from LeadingAge PA. The award recognizes Phoebe's Spirit Alive program that combines spiritual practices with personalized dementia care.

Phoebe Allentown Health Care Center has received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Phoebe Wyncote is the first community in Montgomery County to be recognized for Excellence in Care Program of Distinction by the Alzheimer's Association. Phoebe was the first institution to reach seven support communities with this distinction in the state of Pennsylvania.