As Baby Boomers continue to age, the need for geriatric doctors continues to grow. Ensuring that those doctors have the expertise and the experience to help an aging population live longer, happier and healthier lives is a commitment Moorings Park has made to its residents and members for over 40 years.
That’s why Moorings Park, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins’ Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, is participating in the Geriatric Fellowship in Clinical Leadership.
Partnering for Healthcare Innovation
In the summer of 2014, an unprecedented opportunity emerged that aligned Moorings Park with Johns Hopkins. The goal? To promote successful aging through the creation of a unique, shared fellowship training program. The innovative model was designed to expand the knowledge base for trainees and place them on a path to develop exceptional healthcare leadership skills.
The Moorings Park/Johns Hopkins fellowship program ensures that a second-year geriatric medicine fellow is based at Moorings Park for an additional year of specialized training after completing his/her first year of clinical geriatrics training at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. Each physician is monitored by a designated Johns Hopkins faculty member who serves in a guiding role over the course of the fellowship.
“We are very excited about partnering with Johns Hopkins to increase the number of geriatricians and are confident that the service to our residents will be even further enhanced with this program,” said Dan Lavender, CEO of Moorings Park Communities.
Dr. Davies Joins Fellowship Program
Moorings Park recently welcomed its second fellow, Dr. Andre Davies, to its fellowship program. A graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Davies obtained his MD and performed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine.
He will provide services in Moorings Park’s clinic while also working with the Chateau Skilled Nursing Center focusing on best practices for infection control and appropriate use of antibiotics.
Excellence in Geriatric Medicine
There are specific goals of the joint-fellowship program that include: perpetuating excellence in geriatric medicine, training future geriatricians for leadership in clinical care and management and developing a workforce of individuals with the ability to provide the highest quality healthcare for seniors in Southwest Florida and beyond. When the fellowship program is completed, participants will be on a path to become certified medical directors.
“Johns Hopkins and Moorings Park are acknowledged innovators in their respective fields and fully appreciate the growing need for leaders in gerontology, particularly in Florida,” Lavender said. “We fully expect this fellowship program will have a positive impact on the quality of care retirees receive throughout the state.”
Proactive Wellness Versus Reactive Healthcare
Moorings Park Communities has a long and notable history for extraordinary hospitality and healthcare serving a discerning clientele from around the country. The company’s tagline, “Simply the Best” is a brand promise that over 1,000 staff members bring to life each and every day.
Moorings Park’s on-site restaurants and executive chefs rival some of the finest restaurants in downtown Naples. But what really sets the organization apart from other retirement communities is its holistic approach to wellness. Residents of the community, guided by trained geriatric healthcare providers, practice proactive wellness rather than reactive healthcare.
The communities’ Centers for Healthy Living houses fitness centers, concierge physicians and medical clinics, and outpatient rehab to name a few, but more importantly, it is illustrative of Moorings Park’s overriding commitment to wellness. As evidence of this, consider the recent award from the International Council on Active Aging. The Beacon Award, designed to recognize retirement communities offering the best in wellness to their residents, bestowed the honor of the #1 wellness-based community in North America on Moorings Park in October of last year.
“Moorings Park is a leader in lifecare and wellness,” said Dr. John Little, a retired Naples neurosurgeon, board member of Moorings Park and resident of Moorings Park Grande Lake. “People come from all over the country to see what we are doing in health and wellness. From fitness to therapy to spiritual, we do it all here.”
Dr. Little and his wife Veora, who have lived in Naples for decades, are prototypical of the type of educated consumer that moves into a Moorings Park community. They understand the importance of having robust wellness and healthcare plans included in their contract, unlike what fee-for-service communities are offering.
Moorings Park Vice President Tom Mann notes, “There are some very important nuances to our business model like having a concierge physician included in your monthly service package that astute individuals immediately grasp the value of.”
Enhancing the 7 Dimensions of Wellness
Moorings Park is the Tesla of senior living, driving innovations that others cannot possibly compete with. “We are always looking ahead and never want to stand still. There’s some exciting stuff going on here as we develop new models and new technologies, all of which absolutely sets us apart,” Little said.
“We are constantly focused on finding ways to improve offerings to enhance the seven dimensions of wellness that foster successful aging … physical, social, spiritual, vocational, emotional, environmental and intellectual,” adds Dan Lavender, CEO and President of Moorings Park Communities. “I can’t wait to see what the next 40 years brings to our team and senior living.”
Complimentary Information Kit
For a complimentary information kit on any of Moorings Park’s three communities or to find out more about their healthcare options, visit MooringsPark.org or call 239-643-9111. 
