David Ormsby, chairman of the Friends of Nathaniel Witherell in Greenwich. Credit: Leslie Yager
A check for $1 million from the Friends of Nathaniel Witherell will be presented to the Town of Greenwich on Monday afternoon to offset in part the construction costs of Project Renew, the project which has modernized and refurbished The Nathaniel Witherell.
The Witherell is the highly regarded, short-term rehabilitation and long-term nursing care center owned by the Town of Greenwich.
To date, $9,078,291 has been raised through the fundraising efforts of the Friends towards Project Renew including a State historic income tax credit of $4,490,918.
This funding represents approximately one third of the project costs. Attending the presentation at the office of First Selectman Peter Tesei, will be Project Renew co-chairs Debby Lash and Karen Sadik-Khan, Friends Board member Louise Puschel, and Allen Brown, executive director of The Nathaniel Witherell.
“We are deeply grateful to all of those in the community who continue to support Project Renew,” Ms. Lash says. “Project Renew is making it possible to sustain the Witherell’s 112-year tradition of serving our community’s needs and assisting our Town’s most vulnerable elderly residents.”
What Project Renew Has Accomplished
Project Renew has dramatically improved the infrastructure and environment at Nathaniel Witherell by increasing the number of private rooms from 26 to 64, eliminating 10 four-bedded rooms, and remodeling and redecorating 86 resident rooms. Public space has been similarly enhanced. The renovations have doubled the size of the state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Center, increased the number of family reception areas,
modernized three existing elevators and added a fourth elevator and new emergency generator, along with other upgrades to the facility. The architectural and engineering design for Project Renew also reflects sensitivity to the Witherell’s historic significance — Nathaniel Witherell’s campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
About The Nathaniel Witherell The Nathaniel Witherell is a short-term rehab and skilled nursing center located on 24 beautiful acres just two miles from downtown Greenwich. Witherell is committed to person-centered care provided by a compassionate and experienced staff. Rehab is available seven days a week. The nonprofit is owned and operated by the Town of Greenwich and has been serving the community for 112 years.
Witherell reflects the community’s collective commitment to provide for the town’s elderly when home care is no longer an option. The vast majority of residents have lived their entire lives in Greenwich and supported the community in which we live. Witherell was recently recognized as “one of the best nursing homes in Connecticut” by U.S. News & World Report.
For each year since the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services adopted its rating system in 2008, Witherell has enjoyed the Center’s coveted 5-star rating, a distinction granted to only 19% of the nursing homes in the United States.
To learn more about Witherell, the public may call Allen Brown, Executive Director, at (203) 618-4323, Scott Neff, Development Director, at (203) 618-4227, or visit Witherell online at www.nathanielwitherell.org.