Skilled nursing facility partners with Samaritan Palliative Care for new initiative

Laurel Brook introduces comprehensive chronic illness support care model

Laurel Brook Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Mount Laurel on Thursday introduced a new, comprehensive Chronic Illness Support model, partnering with Samaritan Palliative Care to integrate palliative care, pastoral support and other services with its specialized clinical programming.

Located at 3718 Church Road, the 220-bed skilled nursing facility provides post-hospital care, short-term rehab and long-term residential care.

Brick-based Laurel Brook developed its patient-centric Chronic Illness Support program based on a platform introduced by Marquis Health Consulting Services, its administrative and consulting services provider.

“Laurel Brook’s new program for chronically ill patients is truly a next-level model of care, and it is being supported by an excellent partner in Samaritan,” Marquis’ Kate Bauer, regional director of market development, said. “There is great value in providing a holistic focus on both physical and spiritual wellness for patients.”

The palliative care component of Laurel Brook’s Chronic Illness Support program is administered by a trained team of doctors, nurses and specialists, and focuses on providing emotional and spiritual support to help relieve symptoms and stress. The goal is to enhance quality of life for patients and their loved ones.

The overall initiative is specifically supporting Laurel Brook’s Cardiac Care, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Neuro Recovery and Chronic Kidney Disease Management programs. It also weaves in disease-specific education and health coaching, multispecialist-led and -coordinated care, full-time respiratory therapy, social services support and connections to community resources and life enrichment activities.

“We are proud to partner with Laurel Brook and their Chronic Illness Support program,” Samaritan Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen Goldfine said. “For more than 40 years, Samaritan has been committed to improving quality of life for those we serve. Our palliative care offerings have allowed us to provide an extra layer of expert, compassionate care for patients and their families, and our collaboration with Laurel Brook introduces a patient-centric partnership aimed to reduce hospitalizations and improve health outcomes.”