National Healthcare Corporation (NHC) is nearing completion of its newest assisted living and skilled nursing center in Middle Tennessee. The Bellevue facility is anticipated to open this spring, according to Gerald Coggin, senior vice president of Corporate Relations for the publicly traded long-term care giant, which is headquartered in Murfreesboro.
The new center, called NHC Place at the Trace, represents a $38 million investment by NHC that is expected to create more than 200 jobs. True to its name, the 135,000-square-foot facility is located at the foot of the Natchez Trace Parkway at the intersection of Highway 100 and Pasquo (Sneed) Road. Construction is expected to be complete at the end of this month with the center officially accepting assisted living residents later in May.
NHC Place at the Trace includes 170 beds, 90 of which are rehabilitation and continuing care beds, with the remaining 80 designated for assisted living. Of the assisted living beds, 20 will be for memory care patients, which Coggin said reflects the growing need in the community for residential services that focus on patients with memory issues.
In making the announcement about this newest NHC facility, Coggin pointed to the continuing growth of the southwest area of Davidson County and the expanding need for quality senior care services.
“This area of the county has been reflective of Nashville’s overall growth,” he stated. “With that growth comes the need for broader healthcare services for our senior population, including rehabilitation services and assisted living. We designed NHC Place at the Trace to provide those services and to do so with the high level of quality care and innovative services for which NHC is well known.”
Assisted living residents have six basic floor plans with variations available on many of them. Quarters feature one bedroom and one bedroom with a study options, full baths and most include kitchenettes for simple meal prep. Residents and those undergoing rehab also have access to restaurant-type service in a large dining area with meal options available to accommodate special dietary needs.
Following national trends, the facility also features amenities and activities requested by seniors. A theater, garden area, Wi-Fi throughout, and multiple gathering places, which includes cocktail and hors d’oeuvres socials, are all available. The facility also employs an activities director for onsite group functions and has a van available to allow residents to take advantage of area attractions and amenities such as the nearby Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, Cheekwood, and soon-to-be-open One Bellevue Place.
Additionally, the new center features a number of distinctive design elements to enhance the level of care and the experience of patients and visitors, including:
- Shorter hallways to provide closer proximity to patients for NHC partners (the name given NHC staff) and more comfortable space for the patients;
- Special carpets and furnishings in the memory care space that provide a soothing environment and help patients with dementia recognize space and distance;
- A more home-like design with higher ceilings, upgraded carpeting and more decorative touches;
- A large and centrally located gym for both rehabilitation care and residential use; and
- A centralized, professional kitchen to serve the entire facility to ensure consistency and quality of food service to all residents and guests.
Coggin said these design elements are critical parts to a center’s success. In addition, NHC Place at the Trace incorporates a variable refrigerant flow mechanical system to enhance air quality while reducing energy consumption. Coggin said extensive meetings and planning between the facility designer Johnson + Bailey Architects and NHC’s varied healthcare departments helped shape the project and led to the incorporation of key design elements that improve comfort, quality and satisfaction. American Constructors is the contractor for the project.
In addition to the new Bellevue facility, NHC operates nine affiliated centers in the greater Nashville area. The company opened NHC Place, Sumner, in Gallatin last year. A new center, in partnership with Maury Regional Medical Center, is slated to open this fall in nearby Columbia. NHC is also expanding several centers in South Carolina.
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