Genesis Healthcare System held a ribbon-cutting ceremony late last month to celebrate the opening of its new Outpatient Rehabilitation Center along Maple Avenue in the previous Big Lots building, adjacent to Krogers on the north end of the city.

The million-dollar, nearly 6,000 square foot facility, will consolidate resources and services that were previously held in multiple different locations and provide patients with one centralized location for rehabilitation care.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Pat Nash, Division President of Park National Bank and Chair of the Genesis Board of Trustees, spoke about the parallel growth of both the local community and Genesis.

Nash cited numerous recent economic developments in the region from businesses that are currently expanding to new industries that are choosing to open up operations in Muskingum County.

The banking leader also highlighted the work of Genesis to expand alongside the community, making note of numerous projects by the healthcare system including a recent groundbreaking of a new Orthopedic Center projected to open sometime next year.

“There is no reason to go out of town for anything because those services are all provided here,” said Nash who went on to give personal examples of care his family had received.

Nash spoke of the doctors, nurses and staff who helped fix his mother’s broken hip, insert a pacemaker in his father’s heart and save his son from a near-fatal allergic reaction.

In each instance, Nash spoke of his and his family’s choice to stay local for care, citing the qualifications and experience doctors at Genesis have which place them on equal footing with their large city counterparts.

Also in attendance and a speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony was Lisa Lynn, Manager of Outpatient Rehabilitation, who will help oversee the day to day operations of the new center.

Lynn is originally from the area and has worked at Genesis for over 30 years in Rehabilitation Services.

The new facility, as Lynn explained, offers additional equipment and services that had previously been located at other sites due to limited spacing at the center’s previous spot along Adair Avenue.

The floor, for example, as Lynn described, has an imprinted layout for a multitude of activities designed to help patients regain their agility and balance.

The center also offers on-site services, such as counseling and speech therapy, that can assist patients in conjunction with the physical and occupational rehabilitation they receive.

The new location includes an expanded 4,000 square foot gym in the rear of the building, which offers additional pieces of equipment for a greater range of injury coverage, Lynn added.

While the site has over a dozen specialized rooms for patient care, one has been specifically designed to assist individuals and their families with daily household activities.

That room offers numerous pieces of household appliances and fixtures to simulate real-world conditions, such as a full-sized bathtub, washer, dryer and kitchen, a feature the new location is able to offer in-part due to the extra available space.

Thanks to that extra space, group activities and educational events, which had previously been held at the Muskingum Recreation Center and the IBEW Hall, will also be hosted in the new Outpatient Rehabilitation Center.

Lynn spoke of her excitement watching the center come together, of the many ways the new location will not just help patients, but allow staff a better environment to conduct their care.

“Being in therapy, one of the best things that we get to do is see our patients get back to doing what they love,” said Lynn. “This new facility helps us accomplish that.”

Matthew Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Genesis Heathcare System, said the new site was chosen for its central location along Maple Avenue and its ability to offer ample room for patients as demand continues to grow.

As Perry explained, the previous site, which was over 30 years old, didn’t have adequate space for specialty services like the new location is able to provide.

The new site was also constructed with a patient-centered approach that Perry said provides additional privacy and resources for individuals as they receive care.

A part of that design was an implementation of a practice called On Stage – Off Stage, in which staff has their own separate access to the building where employee space is split and secluded from the patient’s view.

The term and idea originate from the Disney Theme Parks where visitors only see cast members in character where separate passageways and locations exist to facilitate the transport of employees.

Perry explained that the new layout will also help decrease the unintentional interactions of staff members and patients during a time when proper social distancing is very important.

The healthcare system, as Perry elaborated, has enacted stringent cleaning and safety protocols that utilized every possible resource to ensure patients have safe facilities to receive care at.

Perry emphasized that the Outpatient Rehabilitation Center along with the soon to be completed Orthopedic Center are just continuations of Genesis providing a broad set of services to contribute a meaningful impact to the community.

By offering additional services, with highly trained and skilled staff, Perry explained that it creates an overall better patient experience as all the services they might need are offered locally.

“We truly strive for excellence,” said Perry. “Our goal has always been exceptional quality, easy access and a lower relative cost than what a patient in say Columbus would pay.”

The facility houses between 20 and 30 employees and cost just north of $1 million dollars to be completed, according to Perry.

Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation, located at 3297 Maple Avenue is open Mondays through Thursdays from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Fridays from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.