LANA MUTHLER/THE EXPRESS Ron and Jo Ann Bowes are joined by Jamie Aurand, left, in what will be named the Ron and Jo Ann Bowes Living and Dining area of the soon-to-be-created short-term rehab unit at Susque-View. A campaign is now underway to raise money for the project.

LANA MUTHLER / THE EXPRESS
Tentative blueprints for the short-term rehab unit are shown above. In the upper right corner, the circular room which will be named the Ron and Jo Ann Bowes Living and Dining area can be seen.

From staff reports

LOCK HAVEN — This year the Susque-View Home and Rehabilitation Center will celebrate six decades of meeting the needs of the community as its leading regional resource for comprehensive healthcare.

To celebrate this success and to increase the level of support to the Clinton County community, Susque-View has launched a capital campaign to create the county’s only short-term rehab unit this year. The total cost of the new facility will be $1.25 million dollars.

“For many years, we have heard about our friends and patients needing to leave the community in which they grew up in order to use short-term rehabilitation options. Under the leadership of our county commissioners, Susque-View created a campaign to create a new local space for short term rehabilitation right here in our community and managed by a team that has a track record of success,” said Jamie Aurand, administrator for Susque-View.

Susque-View is a county organization, but accepts no taxpayer support for its services. In addition, the center is a non-profit organization able to accept philanthropic investments that stay local.

The campaign actually began about a year ago with private donations and the facility is now kicking off its public campaign, Aurand said.

Ron and Jo Ann Bowes of Lock Haven, have made a significant contribution to the campaign to name the Living and Dining area within the new Short Term Rehab Center. It will be called the Ron and Jo Ann Bowes Living and Dining area.

Both Ron and Jo Ann know all too well the need for facilities like Susque-View.

“My mother, Pauline, a woman with limited resources, was a resident of Susque-View for two years,” Ron said. “I observed the value of the services and the programs Susque-View brings to the community and I want to ensure its continuation.”

“Facilities need to be near the family caregivers, friends, and relatives, which makes traveling for visits easier on all involved,” Jo Ann offered. “There is a gap in this type of care in our community. And, who knows, we may be in need of this sometime in the future ourselves.”

Jo Ann remembers driving to State College every day for months when her mother was in a nursing home there and then caring for her at home during her final days.

Another donor to the campaign, Steve Poorman, has been a friend of Susque-View for 45 years.

“I liked that Susque-View is right here in Clinton County,” Poorman said. “So, I decided to help.” When the Center needed instruments, Poorman provided them, and when they needed entertainment, he provided that as well by sharing his musical talent through various concerts for the residents.

Steven and Pamela Poorman were lead donors to the campaign, Aurand said.

Their donation not only helped to defray some of the early costs involved in construction, but they also made an estate commitment that will create the Stephen Poorman Legacy Society to inspire others to support Susque-View through their estate plans or planned giving vehicles.

“There is a belief that Clinton County is poor. And that is a myth,” Poorman said. “There are many people with wealth and the desire to do good here. I know this because some are my clients. I know these people love our community. Since our own giving has been publicized, I have worked with other people to commit well over $1 million in additional giving to the community.”

The Poormans will be hosting a campaign dinner this March at Susque-View to inspire others to support the campaign.

Beth Riccardo is one of the first to support Susque-View’s commitment to bring a short term rehabilitation unit to Clinton County. The owner of Beth Riccardo Real Estate and Gearhart Herr & Co., Inc., Personal and Commercial Insurance, she has deep connections to Clinton County. Her father, Paul Houck, joined Jack Furst Real Estate in the mid 60s, and went with him to show houses when she was only 10 years old. When Paul retired, Beth renamed the company.

“Our team is very active in the community,” Beth said. “All our agents are involved in community service including agencies like Lock Haven University, The Clinton County Community Foundation, The Clinton County History Society, The Elks, United Way, The Small Business Development Center, and the Lock Haven Kiwanis Club. We made this commitment to Susque-View because we believe in the power of community and the need for quality healthcare locally.”

The campaign includes the opportunity to name spaces within the renovated area including the physical therapy gym, the 12 treatment rooms, and the unit itself. Additional recognition opportunities include an individual plaque in the entrance lobby and listing on a major donor plaque.

“By providing excellent quality care in a vibrant, health environment, we seek to help our citizens to live to their highest potential. The Short Term Rehabilitation Unit is needed here where we live, and we are excited to provide this opportunity to the community. I hope you will plan to make a philanthropic investment here in Clinton County for this important project,” Aurand said.

For more information about the Short Term Rehabilitation Unit, or to support Susque-View, contact them at 570-748-9377 or visit them online at www.susqueviewhome.com.