Anchor Health Properties Creates Leading-Edge Prototype For Outpatient Rehabilitative Medicine With Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Anchor Health Properties, national leaders in the development of innovative medical facilities, has created a leading-edge prototype for outpatient rehabilitative medicine, Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

A truly inspiring building, populated with hard-working medical specialists, researchers and technicians, and dedicated therapists, a visit to the Health & Technology Center on any day provides moving examples of how such a customer-focused rehabilitation facility can change lives.

Developed by Anchor Health Properties for Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital's Allentown campus, the new Health & Technology Center surpasses other rehabilitation hospitals in the country with a continuum of care in one central location. The $20.8 million state-of-the-art facility offers outpatient rehabilitation and wellness services for patients and the surrounding community, as well as on-site retail, food services and other amenities.

According to Paula Crowley, Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Health Properties, in recent years demand for outpatient care as well as Good Shepherd's own advances in technology and treatment had outgrown the capacity of the hospital's nearly 20-year-old outpatient facility.

"The new Health & Technology Center integrates research, treatment and services to give people who seek greater independence more opportunities than are available anywhere else," said Crowley. "This new facility has enabled Good Shepherd to consolidate outpatient services, previously scattered in a number of buildings throughout their south Allentown campus, into one convenient location. With the opening of the Health & Technology Center, Good Shepherd has set a new standard in customer-focused rehabilitation."

Set alongside specially-designed landscapes, the three-story, 64,000 square foot Health & Technology Center is fully wheelchair accessible, and houses a variety of outstanding services and programs, including:

* The Harry C. Trexler Center for Assistive Technology, which includes the RJ Foundation Mobility Center, is an assistive technology center with a wheelchair/mobility center and adaptive driving program;

* Orthopedic Rehabilitation;

* Hand Therapy;

* A day hospital for people who need multiple outpatient therapies in a single day;

* Pediatric Rehabilitation, including the KNBT Pediatric Assistive Technology Lab;

* MS Wellness Program;

* Optimal Fitness at Good Shepherd, a handicapped-accessible fitness center, open to the public, with free weights, cardio equipment and wheel-chair accessible Apex strengthening equipment;

* An aqua therapy center with a 1,200-square-foot warm-water therapy pool;

* The Imaging Center at Good Shepherd (MRI and CT); and

* The Spine Center at Good Shepherd.

One of the subtler aspects of development that Anchor Health Properties brought to the Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center is their concept of "retail healthcare," extending the continuum of rehabilitation care to offer convenient services and products that will help people live more independently. For example, the building features a cafe, The Shepherd's Table, serving sandwiches, salads and other food items. It also features a store that is the first of its kind in the nation, Rehability! The store offers a broad spectrum of products and services for people of all ages and ability levels. The more than 2,000 products include clothes, mobility products, communication products, recreation items, and special items for therapy dogs. The store is staffed by experienced clinicians who provide customers with informed recommendations.

Anchor Health Properties designed the building to minimize the potential for accidents and maximize accessibility in a therapeutic environment. For example, floor finishes are sturdy, not slick, while carpets are well-cushioned but lack the pile that could trip up those with walkers or canes. Doors and jambs are painted to contrast with the walls, to assist those with vision impairment.

The company's design principles are also evident in the building's exterior grounds. What was once a steep hillside has been replaced by a five percent grade that meets the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act It is now a completely wheelchair accessible therapeutic garden. The garden also features steps of varying heights to assist patients working on depth perception and balance, while walkways with different textures help patients new to wheelchairs learn how to navigate on a variety of surfaces. Ramps throughout the garden make it accessible to all patients and visitors.

In addition, Anchor Health Properties brought to the new Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center a wide variety of art created by local, disabled artists as well as lounge settings, furniture and lighting designed to create a relaxing environment for the community. The company also worked with a number of creative partners to design effective signage, maps, and interior graphics throughout the building, highlighted by the donor recognition wall and The Raker Legacy Wall, which pays homage to the history of Good Shepherd through photographs and film.

About Anchor Health Properties:

Founded in 1985 as a developer of innovative and exciting retail centers, Anchor Health Properties has evolved into a national firm devoted exclusively to the development of medical and healthcare facilities. The company's projects help providers redefine the way they deliver healthcare, offering a new level of service in a more convenient and coordinated manner. Anchor Health Properties creates positive healthcare experiences for the consumer and a competitive edge for the provider. Among the outstanding facilities developed by the company are the Health & Wellness Center by Doylestown (PA) Hospital, Capital Health System in Hamilton (NJ), and the Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center (Allentown, PA). Additional information about the company is available at http://www.AnchorHealthProperties.com.