A Cultural Experience at Redstone

Redstone residents are proof positive that you’re never too old to learn and grow.  Recently, Dr. Salah A. Almoukamal, M.D. presented a program of “Spiritual Conversations: Islam Explained” at our North Huntingdon community.  We had over 50 attendees for this wonderful presentation. Dr. Almoukamal, President of the Muslim Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh (Monroeville), shared information regarding Islamic practices and the Koran.  He also shared his journey to the United States from Syria, and his feelings regarding the conflict in Syria, where his parents still reside.  He talked about his children and their experience as Muslims in the public school system.  Many participants asked questions regarding Christian and Muslim relations in the United States, and the work Dr. Almoukamal does as President of his mosque in the Monroeville area.  The program was informative and spirited in its discussion.  These conversations are so important at any age as we build our communities and work together to build peace.  After the presentation the participants enjoyed a time of refreshments while the conversations continued.  Redstone offers many opportunities to stretch our minds and our hearts.  Come join the conversation!  

Employee Spotlight - Paula Hawthorne

Paula’s passion for racing began over 25 years ago when she became interested in motorcycles. Her venture with motorcycles brought her to the track where she flagged for AMA (American Motorcycle Association). Over the years she has met many racing enthusiasts that have ultimately become like her second family.

Paula was trained by Lake Erie Communications to be a flagger. Paula flagged for SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) and pro events with AMA. Paula’s devotion to racing has taken her to many different tracks. She has crewed at the following places: Sonoma California and New Hampshire with BMW,  Sebring Florida with SCCA, Virginia International Speedway, Summit Point Raceway, Watkins Glen, NY., Mid-Ohio Raceway, Pocono Raceway, Road America in Wisconsin and Road Atlanta to name just a few. When going to these tracks she also finds time to Grid the cars before going out for a race.

Paula is now crewing for Spec Miata Race Cars. She is highly involved politically with SCCA by traveling to the national conventions, mini cons and round table meetings. Paula will be Race Chair Director for an upcoming race at Pitt Raceway in Beaver County. SCCA has been encouraging Paula to apply for the Steward Program. A Steward’s job is knowing the different specialties like tech, timing and scoring, race control, emergency services and registration that make a race successful.

With her devotion and appreciation to the racing world it is no doubt Paula will move on to bigger and better adventures with SCCA .

Volunteer/Employee Spotlight - Karen and Joe Sprumont

Joe and Karen Sprumont

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." 

- Helen Keller

If one is searching for a volunteer opportunity, a retirement community may not be their initial thought. “What could that possibly offer me?”  But for those willing to take the chance, it can offer a wealth of opportunity.  Karen Sprumont experienced these opportunities first-hand.  Her journey with Redstone began when she accepted a position as a receptionist at our North Huntingdon community. Working every other weekend she began to feel a strong sense of community with the residents, staff, and resident family members at Redstone, leaving her with a desire to spend more time and contribute more.  So, Karen began to volunteer in the gift shop, offering her upbeat personality and contagious smile.  Shortly after she began volunteering in this capacity, the gift shop coordinator resigned leaving a vacancy in the position.  Karen knew that she was a perfect fit for the job, given her extensive retail experience and recent volunteerism there.  She applied and was offered the position, which she gladly accepted.

With her new title, Karen brought a breath of fresh air and enthusiasm into the gift shop.  Her caring and compassionate nature allows her to go above and beyond the call of duty, making each customer feel special.  Karen’s “Meal Deals” have become a well-known phenomenon throughout the North Huntingdon community.  Whenever it is “Hot Dog Day” she dons a hot dog hat and has an array of catchy jingles to sing to each and every customer. 

Although Karen does a spectacular job running the gift shop, sometimes it requires more than one pair of hands.  Due to her fantastic personality Karen easily recruited resident volunteers internally, as well as externally from the community.  One of those volunteers is her husband, Joe Sprumont.

Joe recently retired and found himself with extra time on his hands, and he thought “what better way to spend that time than with my wife?”  So he chose to volunteer in the gift shop weekly with Karen, and he loves it!  Joe enjoys interacting with the residents, staff, and families just as much as Karen does. He did say, however, that he had to adjust to having Karen as his boss at Redstone.   Since she has been his boss at home for the last 30 years though, it was not much of an adjustment.  Karen reports that Joe is an exceptional volunteer because he is trustworthy and personable.  She also admires that he is the only man to volunteer in the gift shop.

We can all take a note from Karen and Joe to keep our minds open to new experiences and opportunities.  You may find that a retirement community is the perfect place to offer your talents, either as a volunteer or an employee.  And who knows…you, too, may end up working side by side with your spouse!

2015 Chairman’s Appreciation Awardee: Private Wealth Advisors

Redstone Presbyterian SeniorCare is proud to present this year’s Chairman’s Appreciation Award to Private Wealth Advisors of Greensburg, PA.  Private Wealth Advisors (PWAUSA) is a financial advisement firm dedicated to making the management of assets as simple as possible for its clients.  Over the years, the firm has advised several Redstone residents, including sisters Marjorie and Mary Louise Lord.  Following their deaths, PWA was responsible for distributing assets from the residual of their trust fund.  Knowing the sisters’ appreciation for the care they had received at Redstone, the leadership at PWA directed these funds to Redstone Presbyterian SeniorCare.  Most recently, the remaining funds from the estate were used to construct the new Sisters Bistro on the Greensburg campus.  

Joseph Scarpo is the Chairman and Founder of Private WealthAdvisors.  Joe graduated with highest honors from St. Vincent College in Latrobe and maintains an active and ongoing relationship with McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government.  He serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Private Wealth Advisors, Inc.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and an Accredited Personal Financial Specialist.  His list of community service activities is long and significant.  Joe is an active member at St. Barbara's Catholic Church in Harrison City where he has chaired their Capital Campaign Committee, Finance Committee, and Summer Festival Committee.  Joe resides in the Irwin area with his wife, Marcy.  Their daughter Julie is a graduate student at Western Michigan University, and their son Anthony is a freshman at the University of Dayton.

Michael Passalinqua is Executive Vice President of Private Wealth Advisors and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Redstone.  He is the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee.  Mike is a graduate of Grove City College where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Financial Planning/Business Administration.  Mike has spent his entire career assisting clients with all aspects of wealth management including income tax, estate planning, and investment planning.  He, too, serves the community faithfully in a variety of ways.  Mike resides in Monroeville, PA with his wife Meghan and their five children Samuel, Jacob, Asher, Rachel, and Noah.  In his spare time, Mike enjoys spending time with his family, martial arts, physical fitness, and playing the guitar.

Today, we are grateful to both Joe and Mike for the financial support that they have driven toward Redstone, for their exemplary record of trusted wealth services for their clients including Redstone residents, and for their ongoing service and commitment to Redstone and the larger community.  With gratitude, we present the 2015 Chairman’s Appreciation Award to Michael and Joe from Private Wealth Advisors. 

Resident Jack Jamison's Wish Granted

Jack's son, John, and Redstone employees escorting Jack to the car.

Greensburg resident Jack Jamison and his wife Janice spent 25 summers together in their lake house at Treasure Lake in Dubois, PA before moving to Redstone Highlands in 2007.  Since then, Jack has taken the occasional day-trip to the summer home with his son, John, but it’s been quite some time since his last visit.  As the family prepares to sale the home, Jack wanted to return one more time.  Members of our
Redstone team worked with Jack and John to grant Jack’s
wish.  On June 2^nd, 2015 staff members gathered for a grand send-off as father, son, and Redstone CNA, Ginger Fontaine, departed for a special day-trip.  The day’s events included a breakfast stop at Punxy Phil’s Family Restaurant, a Jamison tradition, before continuing on to the Jamison home.  Once there, Jack enjoyed time on the huge screened-in back porch watching the animals and birds while recalling favorite memories.  He then carefully went through the home’s first floor noting the changes that have taken place since his last visit.  While it is difficult to let go of a much-loved summer home, Jack and John were thankful for the opportunity to visit together and reminisce about the great times spent with family.  

First stop on the trip

Jack Jamison on the porch at his lake house

The Jamison Lake House

Exciting Changes

On Friday, February 27th - We celebrated the newly renovated Lobby area inside our Greensburg Campus. The beautiful new additions include the Sisters Bistro, Brenzia Wellness Center, and an updated beauty salon. 

Vice President of Mission Support, Lisa Dormire spoke about the completed renovations and the plans for the future of Redstone Highlands, including an elevator tower in the Harbor Section of our Greensburg Campus. The elevator tower will allow for residents to arrive and depart our Greensburg Campus with dignity.

President and CEO: John Dickson spoke about the changes and the positive forward progress that Redstone continues to make.

The brand new lobby is bright and inviting. The Sisters Bistro will serve residents and their families with a selection of delicious hot foods and a welcoming coffee house feel. The Brenzia Wellness Center will serve as a rehabilitation center for residents and outside clients. The updated beauty salon is spacious and will offer residents a comfortable environment to have their hair styled. 

The renovated spaces will be open for business soon so please stop by and visit with us.

We want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to make our vision a reality!

Employee Happenings

Jacque Bell recently changed into the position of 

Director of Health Navigation

Jacque's duties include acting as the supervisor of the Health Navigation Team. She is also working to develop strategic marketing plans, in order to assure census goals are met in the ASN clinical areas: SNF, Home Health/Home Care. Bell is working to educate referral sources regarding clinical capabilities and departmental census goals. She develops and nurtures strategic relationships and assures that the Best Practices for Transitions of Care are implemented and maintained.

A Christmas Kindness

Our Purly Girls group knitted hats for the less fortunate during the holiday season. A kind stranger, Angela, witnessed an act of Christmas goodness and sent us this sweet letter. We love that our Redstone Highlands family was able to inspire more heartfelt giving during Christmastime.

Dear Purly Girls,

            This little thank you gift is a personal thank you for the joy and love you shared with the less fortunate this Christmas season. I was standing in the checkout line at the St. Vincent De Paul store yesterday when a young Mother was given one of the little hats that you girls so lovingly made. She was so appreciative and delighted that her daughter (three months) had a new hat. There were lots of higs had and many joyful tears shed, too. A heartwarming experience for all who saw. Giving is what Christmas is all about, so I am following your lead and giving to you so that together we can bring more tears of joy to our friends in need. Your donation to the St. Vincent De Paul Store was a source of joy to so many. All your time and effort is truly appreciated. Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Sincerely,

Angela

                                                                                        

Redstone Highlands Welcomes A Beautiful New Baby!

The Redstone family has a new baby! Congratulations to our Communications and Events Coordinator, Shawna Miller and her husband Dave, on the birth of a beautiful baby girl! Shawna usually takes care of all of the Social Media postings for Redstone so she will be missed during her time off being a mommy! We will do our best to carry on while she is away.  Please send us your ideas for posts and stories to cover here at Redstone. Welcome Baby Miller!!

Welcome to Highlanders!

As Redstone Highlands continues to explore ways to enhance the lifestyle options available to our seniors, a new idea was developed. Creating a pub and lounge area would offer a new gathering space for residents, create an atmosphere for socialization, and provide a marketable lifestyle option.

Our Murrysville community was the first to undergo this transformation in December of 2012 and the first Highlanders was open for business. North Huntingdon followed in 2013, and in June of 2014 our Greensburg community hosted its Grand Opening event. 

Each Highlanders features a bar, lounge seating, large TV’s and a warm and welcoming ambiance. The pub setting is perfect for the traditional Happy Hour and Social Hour events that our residents have historically enjoyed, but many other activities and events are hosted in these new spaces as well. The versatility of the spaces allows for a pub-like setting in which we can serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as presenting a coffee house feel. Wine tasting, Murder Mystery Events, Steeler Parties, Men’s Grill, Cooking Demonstrations, Coffee Chat, Poetry Readings and Card Clubs are just a few of the diverse events enjoyed in the Highlanders.

Not only are our residents enjoying the new enhancements, but the Highlanders has proven to be a popular location for our marketing clubs to meet, providing a wonderful opportunity to showcase our Redstone Highlands communities. And since Highlanders never closes, residents and their guests are free to utilize the amenities to enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation any time.

Most recently, our Murrysville campus obtained a limited use liquor license which allows the sale of beer and wine in the dining room as well as at select Highlanders Happy Hour events. We look forward to being able to offer this service at our North Huntingdon and Greensburg communities in the future.