Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Samaritan Center finds a way to expand facilities, services in economically troubled times
Samaritan Center finds a way to expand facilities, services in economically troubled times
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published July 17, 2009
Detroit - A place that could have become just another vacant Detroit building is now the nation's largest one-stop social services center, where nearly 500 people work every day.
And at a time many charitable institutions are struggling just to maintain services Samaritan Center, on the former Mercy Hospital of Detroit property on Conner near the Ford Freeway (I-94) on Detroit's lower east side, is expanding both its facilities and services.
Already this year, the center - which opened six years ago - had its ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of the $6.1 million Ford Wellness Center on its campus and turned a portion of its main building into a mental health hospital, called Samaritan Behavioral Health.
The 60-bed mental health hospital went through its certification trials this spring, and began accepting patients July 9.
"When this was Mercy Hospital, it had 220 beds, with these 60 and the 120 beds in Samaritan Manor, we're up to 180," says Holy Cross Bro. Francis Boylan, director of Samaritan Center, which is jointly sponsored by Holy Cross Children's Services, best known for its Boysville homes, and SER-Metro Detroit, an employment services organization.
Samaritan Manor is the nursing home that opened in a portion of the building in 2007. Opening in 2008 was St. John Urgent Care at Samaritan Center, situated in the center's Pavilion building, which can handle anything a hospital emergency room can, except if surgery is involved.
The urgent care clinic is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year, providing affordable health care to local residents.
Samaritan Center also houses Mercy Primary Care, a free clinic for people who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.
Actual construction is to begin about Sept. 1 for the Ford Wellness Center, partially funded by a $1 million grant from Ford Motor Co., plus $850,000 from the Kresge Foundation.
But Samaritan might have lost the Ford money had not Ray and Marie Weingartz and their eight children stepped forward with a $500,000 challenge grant to help get construction started by the deadline, Bro. Boylan explains.
"They've always lived their lives by Fr. Solanus Casey's dictum that you should thank God for future gifts," he says of the Weingartz family.
Many pledges of smaller donations have also been received, and the capital campaign continues to seek more. Because many pledges will only be fulfilled over several years, Comerica Bank is providing financing in the form of a $1.5 million bridge loan, as well as having made a $60,000 donation to the project.
Designed by THA Architectural engineers of Flint, the building is slated to open September 2010.
The Wellness Center, being built to the south of the main entrance drive off Conner Avenue, will feature a 10-chair dental clinic that will offer free dental care to the poor. "We're partnering with the University of Detroit Mercy's School of Dentistry on this. They've agreed to provide eight dentists, two hygienists and a professor," Bro. Boylan says.
He says he had envisioned just one chair, which would have cost $50,000 to equip, and UDM's proposal raised the cost to $500,000. "I didn't know where I was going to come up with that much money, but Richard DeVos came for a visit, and he offered to cover the whole cost," Bro. Boylan says of the Grand Rapids businessman.
The new building will also have space for physical rehabilitation services, a gymnasium and a new, larger chapel for the complex.
The gymnasium will be used by the BKB Academy, an alternative high school on the Samaritan campus, the senior citizens of the St. Rose Senior Center which meets at Samaritan Center, seniors who live in the McAuley Manor seniors residence, and by Police Athletic League youth sports programs in the evenings.
In addition, there will be multi-purpose classrooms that can accommodate various community activities, Bro. Boylan says.
Among other health-related services at the center are doctor's offices and a 24-hour dialysis center.
Also included among the more than 100 activities and agencies housed in the center's buildings are:
Education - besides the alternative high school, there is also an alternative college program and Epiphany Learning Center, at which semi-retired women religious tutor elementary school children.
Social work, such as Northeast Guidance Center, Holy Cross Children's Services, Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center (for substance abuse addictions), Black Family Development Center, Walk With Me (which gets local black clergy involved with released prisoners) and a number of individual counselors.
Employment services, such as a Michigan Works! office and the job-training and job-search programs of SER-Metro Detroit, a truck-driving school, the innovative Jackets for Jobs (providing women with appropriate attire for job interviews), a beauty school and a small business incubator.
Senior citizen services. In addition to the St. Rose Senior Center, Samaritan Manor and McAuley Manor, there is also the Adult Well-Being Center (providing a respite for seniors' caregivers).
For more information about Samaritan Center, call (313) 579-4100.
|
