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Wartburg’s new Rehabilitation and Adult Day Services Center of Excellence building has become the first health care facility in Mount Vernon to gain Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The designation was announced at a recent ceremony attended by Mt. Vernon Mayor Ernest D. Davis, the city’s Human Resources Commissioner and Wartburg board member, Judy Williams and Wartburg president and CEO, David Gentner.

LEED certification signifies that a building is exemplary in conserving energy, lowering operating costs and being healthy for occupants.

“It is very fitting that our rehabilitation and adult day services, known throughout the region for their excellence in care, are now recognized as being housed in a building that is prized for its healthy design and energy conservation,” said Gentner.

In February, 2014, Wartburg’s multi-family affordable housing building, The Friedrichs Residence, became the first new construction building in Mount Vernon to become LEED certified.

“The project scored particularly well on water treatment. Indoor water use will be reduced by utilizing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, while outdoors, the project excelled in surface water management using drought tolerant plants and a vegetative landscape,” according to Wartburg’s Ryan Herchenroether.

“As an architect, I am very pleased with Wartburg’s construction of two LEED certified buildings in less than a year. Their new construction design has become a model for others in the region to model as the structures reduce energy costs and will help occupants improve their health,” said Mayor Davis.

The new $31-million, 75,000 square foot rehabilitation and adult day services building opened in October, 2013. Its rehabilitation facility is broken down into small neighborhoods, or wings, each with 12 or 13 private bedrooms. Each neighborhood includes a common lounge, dining space and country kitchen. The Adult Day Services program offers both social and medical models depending on a registrant’s individual needs.

Wartburg

Wartburg is an award-winning provider of comprehensive senior services, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s/dementia care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, adult day services and hospice care. www.wartburg.org Its 34-acre campus in Mount Vernon serves seniors and their families in southern Westchester and the northern Bronx, and now the tri-state area. Wartburg’s nursing home has been recognized by “U. S. News & World Report” as among the best nursing homes in New York State for the third straight consecutive year, in 2013. Over the past few years, Wartburg has launched an ambitious building expansion program, including the Friedrichs Residence, providing affordable housing for seniors with 61 independent living apartments, and a rehabilitation and adult day services center of excellence both opened in 2013.