HELEN PORTER HEALTHCARE AND REHABILITATION CENTER
(From our most recent 2007 Annual Report to the Community)

Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

It is a tribute to both the individual and the organization for which he or she works when a statewide group honors a professional as "the best" at what they do in the entire State of Vermont. Therefore, it is truly remarkable to note that during the twelve months covered by this annual report, two staff members of Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (HPHRC) were recognized by the Vermont Healthcare Association as representing the highest standard of performance in their chosen profession.

At the beginning of the year, longtime employee Becky Huestis was named "Business Office Employee of the Year" by the VHA in honor of her 30-year career and her "incredible work ethic". Less than a year later, we were notified that our HPHRC chaplain, Lucy Pellegrini was to receive the "Chaplain of the Year" award honoring her compassion and commitment to the residents and staff of Helen Porter.

Long-term care facilities provide essential services to our most vulnerable citizens under the most challenging circumstances. To have staff members like Becky and Lucy (and many others like them) who go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis, is the very foundation of what makes Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center a remarkable place.

There are three distinct areas of service within the walls of HPHRC- traditional long-term care, short-term rehabilitation and a Dementia Special Care Unit-each providing a unique component of the total continuum of care available here in Addison County.

Working in close collaboration with the Discharge Planning staff of Porter Hospital and representatives of other area health and human service agencies, the short-term rehabilitation staff strives to make smooth and productive transitions for patients either from the hospital and eventually home...or perhaps from their home for a short stay and then back again..through a variety of physical, speech and occupational therapy services. It is a busy and important component of HPHRC and our overall mission.

The Dementia Special Care Unit offers specialized care, programs and staff with specific skills for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or other memory impairments. With unique elements including full-size wall murals depicting street scenes from years gone by...secure access to the landscaped courtyard.and programming designed to maximize quality of life...the staff on this Unit have earned a reputation throughout the State of Vermont as offering the highest level of compassionate care. During the past year, leaders from this Unit have reached out into the community to offer free educational programs on Alzheimer's Disease and how to support a loved one suffering from memory loss. These programs have been well-received and have further positioned HPHRC as a community leader in programs for the elderly in the region.

Eastview Retirement Community

The proposed "Eastview Retirement Community" is a separate organization outside of the corporate structure of Porter Medical Center-but the positive implications to our organization are so significant that we have chosen to include this project within the context of this report.

A marketing survey conducted by the Eastview project developers very early in the process of investigation indicated a strong interest among Addison County residents for a high quality retirement community with connections to Porter Medical Center.  More important, early marketing activity during the summer and fall of 2005 resulted in well over 100 "priority list" deposits of $1,000 each-80% coming from current Addison County residents-demonstrating that there is in fact a need and desire among local people to remain in our community as they age.

The still evolving relationship between Eastview (which is now governed by a local and separate not-for-profit board of directors) and PMC will be both "tangible" in terms of annual lease payments for the property adjacent to our campus that will be the home of this new community.and "symbiotic" as it relates to the addition of a new form of retirement housing and elder care services that expand the existing long-term care continuum.

Through the generosity of Middlebury College, the land adjacent to our Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center was added to the existing land lease between the College and Porter Medical Center at no cost to Porter.  This has facilitated the creation of a sublease between PMC and Eastview that will produce significant revenue in support of the community mission, services and programs offered by our organization to the people of Addison County via Porter Hospital and Helen Porter. Given the chronic and very real financial challenges facing HPHRC as outlined earlier in this report, it is not difficult to understand the potential importance of these funds in supporting the operations of Helen Porter and providing a more dependable source of funds.

In addition to the potential financial benefit in support of our mission, aging members of our community will have an option to remain in Addison County, among their friends, family and neighbors-and continue to be active members of our community while enjoying the benefits of a community designed to meet their needs.

The PMC and HPHRC boards recognized the many benefits to our local community and to our mission; and have been supportive of developing this relationship and ensuring that this is a project that will enhance the quality of life for our citizens.