United Methodist Homes and Masonicare Merge

Historic Milestone as Two Legacy Organizations Join Forces

[Wallingford, Shelton, CT] – On May 13, 2024, two of Connecticut’s legacy senior living providers announced their intent to join forces in a historic strategic alliance. Masonicare Corporation, Connecticut’s largest not-for-profit senior care organization and United Methodist Homes, Inc. (“UMH”), a 150-year-old organization with five locations in Connecticut as well as an active third-party management business, entered into an agreement to join forces through a carefully planned alliance designed to strengthen the delivery of care and services for the approximately 6,500 residents and patients in their care. Once concluded, this strategic union will mark a significant milestone in the history of both organizations and will set the stage for a new era of growth, innovation, and sustainability.

With a shared commitment to excellence and a rich heritage steeped in values, Masonicare and UMH will bring together a wealth of strengths, resources and expertise that will propel the unified organization to new heights. “By combining our complementary capabilities and talent, we will be poised to create a stronger, more resilient organization that is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of our residents, patients and stakeholders,” states Jon-Paul Venoit, President and CEO of Masonicare. “From our dedicated teams, to our cutting-edge technologies and extensive partner networks, we are confident that the alliance will enable us to deliver even greater value to those in our care.”

As part of the agreement, UMH will become part of the Masonicare family. Jon-Paul Venoit will remain as President and CEO of Masonicare and David Lawlor, the current President and CEO of the United Methodist Homes, will hold an executive role serving as Masonicare’s CFO and also President of its management/consulting services division. The alliance remains subject to, among other things, regulatory approvals and approval from the organizations’ governing bodies. The parties anticipate that the affiliation will be completed in early 2025.

“Our goal is clear: to harness the collective strengths, talent, and know-how of both companies to form one stronger, enduring, mission-based organization that redefines the standards of excellence in the field of senior living. We are excited to embark on this transformative journey and thrive into the future,” states Lawlor.

Upon consummation, the newly combined organization will work to integrate their teams, systems and processes in a seamless transition.

Both Masonicare and UMH credit their dedicated staff and visionary Board members with making this alliance a reality.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Ann Collette
Chief, Strategy
Masonicare
203-695-2799
acollette@masonicare.org

Masonicare

Masonicare is Connecticut’s largest not-for-profit integrated senior care continuum. With residential living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, senior behavioral health hospital, home health care, homemaker companion, and hospice & palliative care, Masonicare cares for nearly 4.500 patients and residents a day. For more information, visit them on the web at www.masonicare.org

United Methodist Homes

UMH is a 150-year-old organization which owns and operates five communities in Connecticut and also owns The Long Hill Company, a for-profit management and consulting firm with current operations in Texas, Oklahoma and Oregon. Together, UMH and Long Hill care for approximately 2,000 residents each day.

Learn more about the historic merger between Masonicare and United Methodist Homes to bring better care to Connecticut seniors.

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MCSA is proud to be affiliated with The Overlook in Charlton/Masonic Health System of MA, Inc. to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our member spotlight of February.

Masonic Health System of MA, Inc./The Overlook in Charlton

About MHS

For over 100 years, Masonic Health System of MA, Inc., or The Overlook in Charlton, has provided a continuum of care and health services for Massachusetts residents and their families. Today, The Overlook tailors to individuals with a wide variety of needs. They offer independent living, enhanced assisted living, memory careskilled nursingshort-term rehabilitation, home health, and  hospice.

Persevering Through the Pandemic

Back in 2020, Masonic Health System of MA, Inc. suffered some substantial blows at the hands of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Extreme staffing shortages, an increase in outside agency wages, and an increase in the costs in delivery of care hit us hard. To add insult to injury, the MA Department of Public Health forced multiple shutdowns to new admissions.

However, perseverance was key at The Overlook, as it still is today. We are still serving our senior community, despite having to absorb decreases in reimbursement and reductions in payments outside of our control, such as:

  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  • Commercial insurance companies
  • Price inflation for supplies and services
  • The growing need for capital improvements to our aging Campus and buildings

These obstacles make us prouder than ever of our 110+ year history at Masonic Health System! We remain extremely optimistic about The Overlook’s future. Our methods of proactively addressing these concerns with grit and innovative solutions are a testament to our resiliency. We refuse to be crippled and derailed like so many other companies. In fact, The Overlook experienced 31 sales in 2022, 28 sales in 2023, and an occupancy rate exceeding 93%. We are poised and positioned for an exciting future!

The Masonic Health System of MA, Inc./The Overlook in Charlton’s Master Plan

In July 2022, The Overlook completed a Request for Proposal for a large Master Planning process, targeting ten highly reputable national agencies. After narrowing the respondents from 10 to 4 finalists, MHS is proud to be working with RLPS & Witz Company, The Overlook’s Master Planning architects and development partners as of October 2022.

From restaurants to hiking trails to meaningful and enriching experiences, The Overlook is determined to enhance the way we age and engage. Excitingly, partnerships and developments have already begun! We now have a full-service veterinary clinic on Overlook’s Campus in Charlton and an affiliation with the National Innovation Center for Aging in Newcastle, England. The Overlook is now the first senior living hub/community of longevity in the United States!

The Overlook’s Master Planning process will also reinvigorate its Fund Development and Philanthropy Program. With the launch of a Capital Campaign to help raise funds for the project, we are already on the road to completion.

A successful Master Plan will ensure The Overlook’s long-term viability and ability to serve its Mission for years to come. The implementation of this plan will progress in two phases:

Phase 1

Phase 1 focuses on relocating and renovating, and will take 2+ years to complete. During Phase 1, we will be:

  1. Relocating Overlook’s Short Term Rehabilitation Unit to a more favorable location on the Charlton Campus.
  2. Renovating and increasing the units from 27 to 40 Private Rooms.
  3. Reducing The Overlook’s Long-Term Care Units from 112 Private Rooms to 78.
  4. Relocating and doubling the size of the Assisted Living Fieldstone Memory Care.
  5. Updating Stonebrook Enhanced Living.
  6. Updating the 1st & 3rd floors of Long-Term Care.

Phase 2

In conjunction with Phase 1, Master Planning Phase 2 will transform The Overlook beyond its singular Mission of serving older adults. Instead, we will be shifting to a multi-generational, mixed-use Campus! This involves creating a “Village Center” with numerous outlets for individuals of all ages. Here, they will be able to build and enjoy life through exciting amenities, services, and programs designed to positively impact lifestyle, health and wellness. We expect Phase 2 to take 5+ years to complete.

We encourage you to read more on our blog and reach out to us for a tour and more information at 866-753-5429!

MCSA is proud to have members like The Overlook in Charlton/Masonic Health System of MA, Inc. to benefit our seniors in any way we can.

See our other Business Member Spotlights on our News Page!

MCSA is proud to partner with Value First to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our business partner spotlight of February.

Value First: A LeadingAge Member Benefit

Value First is a group purchasing organization (GPO) that provides free, no obligation services for senior living communities. We help to reduce their operational costs through discounted pricing and rebates on food, medical, environmental and office supplies, as well as capital equipment. We are honored to be the exclusive GPO for Masonic Communities and Services.

Value First is owned by LeadingAge and 25 state affiliates. Value First was created by LeadingAge and is the only GPO that’s truly focused on serving the purchasing needs of LeadingAge members based on our extensive experience and knowledge of senior living communities.

As a free benefit for senior living providers, we will conduct a thorough supply chain cost analysis comparing their current monthly spend with Value First’s negotiated pricing.  We have contracted vendors in many categories including Food, IT, Maintenance, Medical Supplies, Landscaping, and Environmental Services to name a few. Click on the image below for a summary list of our current suppliers and distributers.

List of Value First Suppliers and Distributors

MCSA is proud to have partners like Groove Tech Solutions to benefit our members in any way we can.

See our other Business Member Spotlights on our News Page!

MCSA is proud to partner with Groove Technology Solutions to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our business partner spotlight of January.

Meet Groove Technology Solutions

Who is Groove Technology Solutions?

At Groove, we’re way more than the highest Google-rated Direct TV provider in Senior Living! We are a low voltage technology integration company. Making our customers more efficient by streamlining and strategizing on all thing’s low voltage for their communities, such as:

  • Resident TV
  • Resident and Corporate WiFi
  • Nurse Call
  • Access Control
  • Video Surveillance
  • Telephony

Low-Voltage Technology Assessments

When it comes to the new year, we always recommend that our clients start off the new year right with a low voltage technology assessment. We’ll come on-site, review and evaluate your low voltage technology, then provide you with a 5-year strategic roadmap. If any of your structures are 10+ years old, chances are that you or someone in your organization is constantly chasing low voltage technology issues. More than likely, you are also dealing with multiple vendors and a fair degree of finger pointing. Our assessment will identify critical areas, prioritize resolutions, and move towards a path of integration and standardization.

What’s New in 2024?

For Groove, what’s new for 2024 is our launch into the Multi – Family market. In addition to our senior living expertise, we are now providing smart building technology for independent living communities. If you are looking to give your residents the very best in smart room technology, we would love to talk to you about Della, our multi-family solution!

If you would like to learn more, check out the links to our site and please feel free to contact your MCSA partner rep, Lou Lindsey at lou@getgrooven.com or at his cellphone, 502-963-6726.

MCSA is proud to have partners like Groove Tech Solutions to benefit our members in any way we can.

See our other Business Member Spotlights on our News Page!

MCSA is proud to be affiliated with the Ohio Masonic Communities of Browning Masonic Community, Springfield Masonic Community, and Western Reserve Masonic Community to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our member spotlight of January.

The Ohio Masonic Communities

MCSA is proud to be affiliated with the Eastern Star Masonic Senior Living Community in Colorado to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our member spotlight of December.

The Story of Eastern Masonic Retirement Community

MCSA is proud to partner with Eklego Workforce Solutions to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our business partner spotlight of December.

Eklego Workforce Solutions: Where Talent Moves Mission

Meet Eklego, our Business Partner Spotlight for December.

As a workforce solutions company, Eklego has a distinctive characteristic that ties them to MCSA – they’re exclusively a senior care solutions company. They leverage their extensive experience to achieve workforce goals and deliver the best possible care for seniors, and and operate on performance-based, results-driven data for optimal, quantifiable success.

Eklego offers services such as:

  • Workforce Consulting
  • Recruitment Process Outsourcing
  • Professional & Clinical Search
  • Contract Nurse Staffing

Find more information on their brand-new website and in the informational flyer below!

MCSA is proud to partner with Eklego Workforce Solutions to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our business partner spotlight of December.

MCSA is proud to have partners like Eklego to benefit our members in any way we can.

See our other Business Member Spotlights on our News Page!

MCSA is proud to partner with CCL Hospitality Group to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our business partner spotlight of November.

Business Partner Spotlight: CCL Hospitality Group

Who is CCL Hospitality Group?

CCL Hospitality Group was created with the sole vision of enhancing the lives of those we serve through great food, professional service and an unwavering commitment to quality. We are transparent and intentional about driving results for our clients. We’re not a vendor, we are a partner and form relationships built on dedication, loyalty, hard work and honesty. Our people are our greatest competitive edge, and our diverse people-driven culture of experts drives our growth making us an industry leader. And, even though we form a large organization, we are nimble, proactive and forward-thinking in our approach – so we can assess, recommend and implement innovative operations and programming quickly for maximum results.

CCL Hospitality Group’s Companies: Serving the Senior Community

At the present, CCL Hospitality has four functioning companies that provide important and beneficial services to the senior living community.

Morrison Living

Whether it’s providing extraordinary culinary experiences, implementing intelligent design concepts, or developing innovative wellness programs, our goal is to empower you and your community through the power of togetherness. Together, we can create an environment where residents thrive and enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle.

Unidine

Unidine presents an unparalleled suite of premier hospitality and dining management solutions that will empower your personnel and revolutionize your organization. Our strategic, forward-thinking services are meticulously designed to optimize the performance of your esteemed food service department, regardless of your organization’s scale.

Coreworks

At Coreworks, we are dedicated to delivering exceptional support services that prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of residents and patients, ultimately helping communities thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. From meticulously tidying guests’ rooms to maintaining spotless restrooms and corridors, we understand that housekeeping plays a vital role in creating a welcoming and hospitable environment. Our laundry services are tailored to meet your specific requirements, providing efficient linen collection, folding, storage, and distribution. The maintenance of your facility is of utmost importance to us!

The Hub

Our specialization lies in delivering exceptional space designs that stand the test of time. With extensive experience and expertise in design, we seamlessly blend creative innovations with smart optimization strategies. Our approach to hospitality design focuses on creating highly functional and immensely livable spaces for both senior living community residents and staff.

Learn more about CCL Hospitality Group on their website!

 

MCSA is proud to have members like CCL Hospitality Group to benefit our members in any way we can.

See our other Business Member Spotlights on our News Page!