UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Siouxland PACE, a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, announces new expansion plans.
Siouxland PACE has purchased the former Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield building, allowing for future growth of the program which provides health care and support services to enable aging individuals to remain at home.
Located at the intersection of Hamilton Boulevard and Interstate 29 in Sioux City, the new location will provide Siouxland PACE with 30,000 square feet of space for program participants, services and staff, an increase of 20,000 square feet over the program’s current location in the Siouxland Center for Active Generations building. In addition, the extra room will allow Siouxland PACE to grow its census from 150 participants today to approximately 270 participants in the new location.
Renovations on the new building will begin this spring with an anticipated completion date of late 2015.
The expansion is a vital step in ensuring St. Luke’s can care for the increasing number of baby boomers in Siouxland says Randy Ehlers, Director of Siouxland PACE.
“While our current location meets the needs of participants today, we recognize the need to grow our program in order to care for the growing aging population,” says Ehlers. “We want to ensure the benefits of the PACE program are available for older and frailer Siouxlanders who desire to stay in their homes for as long as possible. In 2014, approximately 87% of our PACE participants resided in the community, living in their own homes or assisted living facilities.”
Iowa’s first PACE program, Siouxland PACE currently serves participants ages 55 and older in four Iowa counties including Woodbury, Plymouth, Monona and Cherokee. Although PACE participants must be certified for nursing home level of care to enroll in the program, only seven percent of PACE participants nationally reside in a nursing home.
Siouxland PACE provides a wide range of services including primary and specialty medical care, medications, PACE therapeutic and recreation center, medical transportation, rehabilitation and in-home support. In cases when an individual needs a higher level of care, Siouxland PACE supports the participant with the transition and continues to provide care.
“Siouxland PACE has become an important part of helping us reduce readmissions and promotes the benefits of continuum of care. As part of St. Luke’s, we are able to utilize the health system’s hospital and outreach services to support the program’s mission to enable the aging to remain living in the community,” adds Ehlers. “The program offers peace of mind to our participants and their loved ones. Siouxland PACE is pleased to make a positive impact in Siouxland.”