What’s new at Glacier Hills

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! In the early days of Glacier Hills, fifty years ago, when newspapers were the primary method of delivering the news when something big happened, the publisher would not only publish the normal daily paper, but would also publish an Extra!

Times have changed, but what has not changed is that Glacier Hills has News & Events that call attention to the fact that something big has happened or is about to happen. Glacier Hills is more than a senior living community, it is a unique neighborhood in Ann Arbor that offers the best of all possible worlds, read and experience this for yourself!

LeeAnn Pennington to Join Glacier Hills as Administrator of the Care & Rehabilitation Center

ANN ARBOR, MI – August 13, 2024-- Effective August 27, 2024, LeeAnn Pennington will be joining the Glacier Hills family as administrator of the Care and Rehabilitation Center.  

Today, LeeAnn is the executive director at Bellbrook:  THSC’s Life Plan Community in Rochester Hills.  Before joining Bellbrook in September 2022, LeeAnn was THSC’s Regional Operations Manager in Michigan.  She has also gained leadership experience from Ciena Healthcare, WellBridge Group, and Olympia Group. 

A Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and certified dementia practitioner, LeeAnn studied at Eastern Michigan University.  She is proficient in directing and managing healthcare organization operations, particularly in terms of census and expense management.  Her expertise in community relations, risk management, financial reporting and regulatory compliance will serve her well in her new role.  She is a team builder and is looking forward to providing leadership to our colleagues in the CRC. 

According to Ben McKinnon, Glacier Hills’ executive director:  “LeeAnn demonstrates both an understanding of and commitment to the Glacier Hills and Trinity Health Senior Communities Mission and Core Values.  She is ready to join our colleagues in giving our residents and patients the high-quality, attentive, compassionate care associated with the Glacier Hills experience.”

Glacier Hills’ Ben McKinnon Appointed Executive Director

Ann Arbor, MI - July, 2024 - Ben McKinnon has been selected as Glacier Hills’ executive director effective July 21, 2024. 

Since August 2020, Ben has served as an administrator within Trinity Health Senior Communities (THSC,) having served at Marycrest prior to his September 2021 appointment to the administrator role in the Care and Rehabilitation Center at Glacier Hills.  He has experience in managing operations, professional teams, regulatory compliance, and budget at skilled nursing, independent living, and assisted living communities.  Prior to his arrival at THSC, Ben gained years of management experience at Regency at Bluffs Park and Advantage Living Center, both in Michigan.

According to Becky Lund, Regional Vice President of Operations for THSC in Michigan, “We are delighted to have a leader of Ben’s caliber at the helm of our Life Plan Community in Ann Arbor.  Ben’s relationships with our residents, families, and colleagues as well as his understanding of Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing communities will deftly guide Glacier Hills through the next chapter in its history.”

Ben is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator.  He is an honors graduate of the University of Phoenix, holding a bachelor of science degree in Business Communication. 

Care and Rehabilitation Center at Glacier Hills Gets Nod from U.S. News & World Report

Ann Arbor, MI - February, 2024 - Glacier Hills, a Trinity Health Senior Community, has received recognition for its Care and Rehabilitation Center as a Best Nursing Home for 2024 by U.S. News & World Report.

Since 2009, U.S. News’ annual Best Nursing Homes ratings have assisted consumers in need of either short-term rehabilitation or long-term care for themselves or a family member.

Glacier Hills earned its U.S. News Best Nursing Home status by achieving a rating of “High Performing,” the highest possible rating, for Short-Term Rehabilitation.  U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those that satisfy U.S. News’ assessment of consistent performance in quality measures.

“We are thrilled to receive this endorsement of our Care and Rehabilitation Center,” said Administrator Ben McKinnon.  “Our team at Glacier Hills strives to make our residents feel at home as they work to get stronger and healthier, and we’re proud to be recognized for the quality of care we provide.”

For the 2024 edition, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on resident outcomes, such as infection rates; staffing levels; potentially inappropriate reliance on antipsychotic drugs; health inspection results and other indicators of quality.

“U.S. News’ Best Nursing Homes ratings give patients, senior residents, their families and caregivers an objective assessment of quality, to help them choose the facility that best fits their individual needs,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Nursing homes that have earned the recognition of U.S. News have a track record of achieving better outcomes for patients and residents, and maximizing the amount of care they receive from nurses and other staff.”

To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of quality measures obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The U.S. News methodology factors data such as resident care, safety and outcomes. Both short- and long-term ratings include data on nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends.

For more information, visit Best Nursing Homes and use #BestNursingHomes on Facebook and X (formally Twitter).

Glacier Hills recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2022-23 Best in Short-Term Rehabilitation

Ann Arbor, MI – March 13, 2023 – The Care and Rehabilitation Center (CRC) at Glacier Hills has been recognized as a Best Nursing Home for short-term rehabilitation for 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report.

The annual Best Nursing Homes ratings, now in their 13th year, assist prospective residents and their families in making informed decisions in consultation with their medical professionals about where to receive short-term or long-term nursing home care. Only 16% of U.S skilled-nursing facilities earned the “Best Nursing Home” designation this year.

“We are so proud of this recognition by U.S. News & World Report,” said Ben McKinnon, administrator at Glacier Hills.  “Our Mission calls us to high standards for quality, safety, and compassionate care.  The team at the CRC works very hard to provide excellence every single day to those entrusted to our care.”

For 2022-2023, U. S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections. For the first time, the Best Nursing Homes ratings feature a new measure on weekend staffing and another new measure on infection rates that led to hospitalizations.

“Choosing the right nursing home based on care needs and comfort is a critical decision for prospective residents and their families,” said Zach Adams, health data engineer at U.S. News. “The Best Nursing Homes ratings highlight nursing homes that excel in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care needs.”

The Best Nursing Homes methodology factors data such as resident care, safety, and outcomes. To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Both short- and long-term ratings include data on consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs, and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections, and making sure residents are able to return home. 

For more information about the rankings, visit Best Nursing Homes and use #BestNursingHomes on Facebook and Twitter.  To learn more about Glacier Hills, please visit www.GlacierHills.org .

Glacier Hills recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2022-23 Best in Senior Living

Ann Arbor, MI, May 25, 2022 – Glacier Hills, a Trinity Health Senior Community, has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2022-23 Best Independent Senior Living Community.

Glacier Hills earned “Best” status by achieving the highest possible rating for Independent Living. U.S. News awards the designation of Best Senior Living only to those communities that satisfy U.S. News’s objective statistical assessment of each senior living community’s performance from consumer satisfaction surveys administered between March 2021 and February 2022, reflecting the viewpoints of more than 200,000 current residents and family members of residents living in thousands of senior living communities nationwide. 

“This acknowledgment by U.S. News & World Report means so much to our community,” said General Manager Nancy Peel.  “It is consistent with the promise of excellence in lifestyle, amenities, and care we make to our residents and families, and it speaks volumes about the resident-centered service our professional team delivers each and every day,” Peel added.

The inaugural U.S. News Best Senior Living ratings and profiles offer comprehensive information and exclusive analysis of consumer satisfaction data evaluating such factors as community & activity, food & dining, caregiving, and management & staff for nearly 2,500 communities in the continental U.S. and Hawaii. For more than 30 years, U.S. News has served the American public as an unbiased arbiter of quality across a variety of important choices. Whether picking a college, selecting a hospital or moving to a nursing home, consumers go to U.S. News to research and make consequential life decisions.

“Until now, families have had limited information when comparing providers of independent living, assisted living, memory care or continuing care,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News. “The Best Senior Living ratings fill this informational gap with comprehensive and transparent data to help older consumers and their families identify high-quality senior living communities that meet their needs and preferences.”  

For more information behind the data analyzed in the U.S. News ratings for Senior Living, please refer to the methodology.

About Glacier Hills
Glacier Hills has served southeast Michigan as a non-profit Life Plan Community for more than 47 years. Its mission is to serve older adults with a continuum of lifestyle, care and support alternatives embracing enrichment of the whole person. Glacier Hills’ beautiful 34-acre campus is located in the cultural and cosmopolitan heart of southeast Michigan. For more information on the programs and services offered by Glacier Hills, please contact the Marketing Department at 734.913.0730 or info@glacierhills.org .

About Trinity Health Senior Communities
Trinity Health Senior Communities serves nearly 4000 seniors at more than 40 independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and subsidized senior housing communities across the United States. 

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about critical issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

GLACIER HILLS FOUNDATION RECEIVES $1M GIFT FROM ESTATE OF FORMER RESIDENT HERMAN MILLER

(February 23, 2022) The Glacier Hills Foundation is delighted to share with our residents, colleagues, family members, and closest friends that we have received a gift from the Estate of Herman Miller in the amount of $1,000,000. 

In 2003, Herman and Dorothy Miller moved into Glacier Hills, Trinity Health Senior Communities’ Life Plan Community in Ann Arbor.  Dorothy passed away in August of 2018, and Herman in the summer of 2021.  They were lovers of art (Dorothy was an artist, and several of her paintings are on display at Glacier Hills), music (they enjoyed the concerts that were offered at Glacier Hills), and books (Herman wrote three books himself).  Herman loved the preservation of history and lumbering/sawmills in Northern Michigan.  His book Lumbering in the Early Twentieth Century was a tribute to his grandfather, Herman Lunden, and is available in the Glacier Hills Library. 

Educated at University of Michigan in engineering physics, Herman was a registered professional engineer.  Among his accomplishments, he worked with Bendix in Ann Arbor on experimental equipment to be left on the surface of the moon with the Apollo project, the Project Research Staff at Princeton, and several energy projects for the military.  Dorothy was educated in liberal arts at Kalamazoo College and University of Michigan and spent most of her career in education.

"We couldn't be more grateful for their generosity," said Becky Pazkowski, Executive Director of the Glacier Hills Foundation.  "I had several visits and conversations with Herman.  Once he  informed me that he had named us in his estate, I visited with him to thank him and talk about the future gift.  I did not know the details of the amount, but he shared that we were free to use the gift as we saw best.  He was happy to be able to do it and was grateful that he and Dorothy had spent the last chapters of their life here." 

“We look forward to exploring projects at Glacier Hills that would fit well with the Millers’ passions for travel and the arts and determining how best to honor their intent and their legacy,“ said Mary Ann McDonald, chair of the Glacier Hills Foundation Board.  “Their gift will do so much good for our residents and community.”

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