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BY BARBARA COWARD
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT

Reeders Memorial Home, a United Methodist affiliated nursing home facility in Boonsboro, is undergoing a time of transition as it prepares to be sold to Tandem Health Care.

Those associated with the sale say the philosophy of the 147-bed facility, which is dedicated to providing compassionate care gbwc_superusered by faith-based values, will not be significantly altered.

Reeders Memorial Home was established in 1971 when Roy. G. Reeder bequeathed his estate to the Baltimore-Washington Conference with the request that the land be used for a care center open to all faiths.

'Mr. Reeder's support of The United Methodist Church led to the creation of a community where the aging have been able to receive excellent care and service for three decades,' said Melissa Hadley, former executive director of Reeders.

In fulfilling the founder's original vision, the home has provided a comprehensive range of services for the aged including nursing care, rehabilitation and specialized dementia care, as well as respite and hospice services in a Christian environment that cares for the whole person, body, mind and soul.

While its mission has remained unchanged over the years, its sale to Tandem Health Care means a Florida-based, for-profit corporation that manages more than 80 nursing homes and long-term health care centers throughout six states, will be in charge. The sale, announced last May, is being conducted in an effort to provide Reeders with increased resources and operating efficiencies gained from a large system specializing in skilled nursing care.

It is not the first time that Reeders has undergone a period of change. In 2000, the Baltimore-Washington Conference entered a covenant relationship with Asbury Communities, a non-profit senior living provider whose organizational values and principles were founded upon John Wesley's code of conduct. The Gaithersburg-based firm took over the management of Reeders, which at the time of the agreement, faced a debt of nearly $6 million and an uncertain financial future.

Under Asbury's management, Reeders reduced its debt by more than 25 percent, increased private pay admissions, realized continual improvement in annual inspections, increased occupancy levels, and was honored with a 2005 Maryland Performance Excellence Silver Award for achievements in quality care.

With another change in management ahead, parties on both sides of the transaction expect Reeders to continue to provide a high level of quality care for its residents, consistent with the spiritual values of the organization.

'From both a resident and associate perspective, Asbury Communities feels strongly that this will be a smooth and transparent transition,' said Doug Leidig, chief operating officer at Asbury Communities. 'In entering into the sales agreement with Tandem, we are confident that we are working with an organization whose core values complement and reflect our own.'

'Our mission is strongly gbwc_superusered by our core values of compassion, honesty, integrity, respect and passion,' said Joseph Conte, president and CEO of Tandem.

'Although we anticipate a seamless transition for the residents, we will and have always honored those values in all our decision-making. We very much look forward to working with Asbury Communities, Inc. to make this a smooth and positive experience for all involved.'

The facility includes a 24-bed specialized memory support unit called Lincoln Terrace, which specializes in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive challenges, and has been recognized as the leading provider of skilled nursing memory support services in Washington County.