Draft:Phoebe Ministries

• Comment: The vast majority of the is sources to their website or those affiliated with them which are useless for establishing notability and should only be used very sparingly. S0091 (talk) 17:36, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: External links should be removed or converted to inline citations where appropriate. Greenman (talk) 10:39, 27 February 2025 (UTC)

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Phoebe Ministries (or simply, "Phoebe") is a nonprofit organization that offers senior care with locations in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and Berks County, Pennsylvania. Services include independent living, personal care, nursing, spiritual support, pharmacy offerings, respite stays, and rehabilitation.

Phoebe gives millions of dollars in charitable care for eligible residents annually.

Phoebe was founded in 1903 as the Phoebe Deaconess Home. Rev. Dr. Abraham B. Koplin, who would eventually become Phoebe's first board of trustees president, had led a small group of laymen and clergy to establish the three-story building with the goal of training women in nursing and religion to tend to the needy. The mission expanded in the coming years to include caring for the elderly and the sick. Rooted in Christian tradition and established by members of the Reformed Church, the influence of the Phoebe Home grew over the coming decades as new communities were established and services diversified across Eastern and Central Pennsylvania.

Phoebe has eight affordable housing facilities. All located in Pennsylvania, they are listed as the Devitt House in Lewisburg, Franklin & Noble Manor in Shoemakersville, Furnace Creek Manor in Robesonia, the John F. Lutz Apartments in St. Lawrence, the Phoebe Apartments in Allentown, The Senior Apartments at the Wyomissing Club in Reading, Weidner Manor in Douglassville, and Wind Gap Manor in Wind Gap.

Phoebe's affordable housing communities range anywhere from 18 to 131 units, making up a total of 356 affordable housing apartments as of February 2025.

The Phoebe Apartments are a HUD property. Constructed in 1972, it was the first affordable housing community from the organization.

Phoebe's mission statement reads “A community of faith, called by God, to enrich the lives of our seniors, their families, and the communities we serve.”

History

An postcard with a picture of Phoebe's Allentown campus.

The name Phoebe was borrowed from the bible. Only named once, Phoebe was depicted as a symbol of aid through a letter to the Roman people.

For the first 50 years after its inception, Phoebe expanded upon their original living quarters and administrative buildings in Allentown, Pennsylvania to meet rapidly growing demand. It wasn't until 1956 when Phoebe expanded outside of the area, opening a new nursing-focused location at a former tuberculosis treatment center near Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1972, Phoebe began developing solutions for lower-income, independent living for seniors with the construction of Phoebe Apartments in Allentown. Another expansion came in 1984 with the opening of "The Terrace" retirement community.

In 1992, Phoebe acquired a medical center and nursing home in Bangor, Pennsylvania, ultimately becoming the Phoebe Slate Belt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. It was later obtained by Milwaukee-based Extendicare Health Services, Inc.

1995 saw the final touches put on Phoebe's first affordable housing community in Berks County, Pennsylvania, called Furnace Creek Manor. Through the help of the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and Fulton Bank, Phoebe invested $1.8 million USD in the project.

In 1999, Phoebe converted the former Wyomissing Club in downtown Reading into affordable independent living apartments, once again partnering with banks to gather $6.5 million USD to complete the project. Later that year, Phoebe added three more affordable housing communities in Douglasville, St. Lawrence, and Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania.

In 2000, Phoebe opened its eighth affordable apartment community called Wind Gap Manor and purchased what would soon be known as the Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, a nursing community and dementia unit.

In February 2024, Phoebe opened the doors to Chestnut Ridge at Rodale. The institution purchased the 38-acre property from the Rodale family in November of 2018. The project officially broke ground on May 2, 2022. Construction faced delays exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a longer than anticipated timeframe for completion.

Communities

Chestnut Ridge at Rodale

Chestnut Ridge is Phoebe's senior independent living community in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The campus features an on-site pub, gardening areas, fitness center, and a swimming pool among other amenities. Consisting of two large buildings connected via walkways and a center courtyard, this location contains 126 apartments of various sizes. Chestnut Ridge residents began moving in on February 14, 2024.

Phoebe Allentown

Phoebe's Allentown location is made up of multiple buildings arranged in close proximity to each other. The Terrace is Phoebe Allentown's independent living complex with 88 apartments of various sizes. Amenities include housekeeping, a salon, fitness and recreation rooms, multiple dining options, and a library. Directly across the street from the Terrace is Miller Personal Care at 19th and Chew. The building houses 49 furnished rooms with options for respite stays. Phoebe's Health Care Center offers health services including skilled nursing, memory support services, and rehabilitation. This was Phoebe's first location.

Phoebe Richland

Phoebe Richland is home to two independent living apartments on a nearly 40-acre campus. The site of this location was previously owned by the Zohlman Nursing Home, which had been open for 50 years prior to the acquisition by Phoebe in July of 2000. Phoebe opened Meadow Glen, the personal care facility at this location, in 2016. It's made up of 62 studios (38 specifically for memory support), 10 one-bedroom suites, and 4 companion suites. Phoebe Richland's amenities include personal washers and dryers, various dining services, a pet-friendly campus, and a beauty salon. Phoebe Richland is home to the company's award-winning specialized memory unit known as "The Cottage." It features an enclosed courtyard and walking paths. The Health Care Center at this location features pet therapy and massage therapy, as well as the full continuum of care that Phoebe's other locations offer.

Phoebe Berks

Construction on the Phoebe Berks location began in the late 1980s with the first residents being welcomed at the end of 1991. "The Village" at Phoebe Berks gives independent living residents the option of selecting one of 66 full-size cottages or one of 205 apartments. Amenities include a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool, multiple dining options, gardening plots, an auditorium, a boardwalk, a woodshop, a salon, putting green, movie theater, and a pub. Personal Care at Phoebe Berks encompasses 51 furnished studio units. "The Village Gardens" is Phoebe Berks' memory care unit with 31 private furnished rooms. Phoebe Berks offers a watercolor painting program designated by the Alzheimer's Association called "Memories in the Making." In addition to the full continuum of care, Berks is home to “The Chateau," an 18-resident unit specifically designed for those with early to mid-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia-related illnesses.

Phoebe Pharmacy

Phoebe Pharmacy consists of three long-term care pharmacies providing pharmaceutical services to various continuing care retirement communities and facilities. Phoebe Pharmacy operates 24/7/365 with Pennsylvania locations in Lehigh, Lancaster, and Montgomery Counties. The company has partnered with Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Leading Age PA, the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association (PALA), PointClickCare (PCC), and Wilkes University, among others.

Pathstones by Phoebe

Pathstones by Phoebe is a program established by the company to offer services from a typical continuing care retirement community to those who wish to remain in their own home. The goal of Pathstones is to cover expenses that aren't typically covered by long-term care insurances.

Recent Accolades

In 2016, Phoebe was awarded the Great Minds Award by LeadingAge, recognizing excellence in dementia care.

In 2020 and 2021, Phoebe Allentown was named one of the best nursing homes in the country by Newsweek. The publication also declared Phoebe as one of the best Continuing Care Retirement Communities in 2024.

In 2023, Phoebe Ministries received the Innovation of the Year award from LeadingAge PA. The award recognizes Phoebe's Spirit Alive program that combines spiritual practices with personalized dementia care.

Phoebe Allentown Health Care Center has received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In late 2024, in recognition of the best Nursing Homes for 2025, U.S. News and World Report gave Phoebe Richland's short-term rehabilitation and long-term care programs a perfect five out of five rating. Phoebe Allentown's short-term rehabilitation program also earned a perfect rating.