When Summit Vista opened a few weeks ago in Taylorsville, it became Utah’s first entrance-fee life plan senior living facility. The entrance-fee model assures seniors a place to live and actually lowers monthly living expenses. Entrance fees, paid before admission at continuing care retirement communities such as Summit Vista, cover the entire continuum of care, so healthy and active seniors can enter the community as part of residential living and, if necessary, move through more advanced levels of care without having to relocate to another community.
Summit Vista also models the growing trend of collaboration between senior living providers and healthcare systems. In Summit Vista’s planning stages, it established a relationship with Intermountain Healthcare, the Utah-based health system that has 22 hospitals, more than 180 clinics and its own health insurance plan.
“Intermountain is one of most progressive and innovative health systems in the U.S.,” Mark Erickson, Summit Vista’s CEO and executive director, told Senior Housing News. “It was natural to go talk to them.”
Summit Vista first approached Intermountain to talk about its vision of linking up with the health care system in 2016. The senior living company saw Intermountain as a health system focused on reducing costs by increasing quality, keeping people healthy, managing patients with chronic diseases and streamlining care — all shared goals, Erickson said.
“When we came and said, 'Here’s our vision; would you like to work with us to provide care services and use this as a little laboratory?' And they said it was exciting,” he recalled.
Under the relationship, Summit Vista’s residents will be able to see Intermountain’s primary care physicians at a primary care clinic in the same community where they live. The idea is that residents will be able to see a physician as soon as problems arise, and not have to wait and risk developing a more serious and often more costly condition.
“One of the things Intermountain has been focused on is population health, wellness, preventative care, and getting out in front of disease and disability,” Erickson said. “If someone has a cough, they don’t have to wait until they have bronchitis.”
The $400 million Summit Vista community occupies 100 acres and is licensed for up to 1,600 independent living units and 300 beds for assisted living, memory care, nursing care and short-term rehab. Amenities include a 62,000-square-foot clubhouse, three restaurants, a marketplace and cafe, lap pool, fitness center, classroom and arts studio, beauty salon and spa, billiards and games room and outdoor recreational options.