Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist today announced a $1 million gift to Senior Services, Inc., of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County’s Creative Connections Capitol Campaign toward construction of the new Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness.
Wake Forest Baptist, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Senior Services have a long history of collaboration through the J. Paul Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention and the Elizabeth & Tab Williams Adult Day Center.
The J. Paul Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention is one of the first geriatrics-focused health care centers in the country. The Sticht Center provides a wide variety of clinical, rehabilitation, wellness and research programs to help seniors and their families understand and manage the challenges that often come with aging.
For more than two decades, the two organizations have worked together to develop new and innovative approaches to improve health and well-being in older populations, particularly around dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This collaboration will continue and be enhanced in the new Intergenerational Center.
“We are pleased and excited to continue to support Senior Services, Inc., in our similar mission to enhance healthy aging,” said Julie Ann Freischlag, MD, CEO of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Dean of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer, Atrium Health Enterprise. “This leading-edge, state-of-the-art facility is so important to the health and welfare of our senior citizens throughout the communities we serve. This is truly a worthy investment in the lives of our older family members and neighbors across our region. Additionally, our partnership will ensure the opportunity to grow participation in clinical trials which are vital to our geroscience research. This research will ultimately improve health of senior citizens across the country and the world.”
“We are so thankful for this generous investment in the future of aging in Forsyth County,” said T. Lee Covington, President and CEO of Senior Services. “We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with the J. Paul Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention to ensure that people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have access to the best possible care.”