East Ridge Life Care center open
Life Care Center of East Ridge, a 108-bed rehabilitation and nursing facility near Interstate 75, is now open and it’s projected to employ about 175 people.
The new facility at 1502 McDonald Road was built on the site of one of Life Care’s first nursing homes, which closed in 2015 and has since been completely rebuilt, according to the company.
The original Life Care Center at the same location opened in 1975 as one of the six original nursing homes built by the Cleveland, Tenn.,-based Life Care Centers of America, which is now the nation’s biggest privately held nursing home chain.
When Life Care announced its decision to erect the new facility in East Ridge two years ago, the company estimated the new facility would cost $24.8 million to build.
Robert Hubbartt has been chosen to lead the new East Ridge facility as executive director. Hubbartt most recently served for more than six years as executive director of Life Care Center of Athens, Tenn. During his time in Athens, he received a President’s Award for Life Care’s Eastern Division.
“This has been, by far, the most exciting challenge I have ever taken on,” Hubbartt said in a statement. “I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to serve my community and to be part of a team of such talented professionals.”
Hubbartt is being succeeded at the Life Care Center in Athens by Jeffrey Ricks, who has been serving as administrator in training in Athens for the past year.
Life Care said the new 81,000-square-foot facility in East Ridge “will place its primary focus on providing quality care to residents and patients in a serene and homelike environment.” All of the rooms are private and the suites include private showers.
The new nursing home features a 4,000-square-foot rehab gym, stateof-the-art equipment and modalities and a balance park. A satellite rehab gym will also be located at
the opposite end of campus and the facility will have its own in-house team of physical, occupational and speech therapists.
While serving a wide variety of health care and therapy needs, Life Care Center of East Ridge will focus on neurological rehabilitation for patients with diagnoses including Parkinson’s disease, strokes, infections and traumatic brain injuries.
The new nursing home also includes a private dining room, a beauty shop, four private courtyards, two interior courtyards, three day rooms, three spa-like bathing rooms and an ice cream parlor.