Carondelet Place becomes an Ignite Medical Resort, gets $1 million upgrade

Newly acquired Carondelet Place to receive $1 million upgrade 

By Jill Draper

Carondelet Place has been purchased by Ignite Medical Resorts, a young company which brands itself as a provider of luxe rehab services. The 162-bed senior care facility across from St. Joseph Medical Center is partnering with St. Joseph doctors who specialize in wound care, cardiology, nephrology and other acute areas, said Aubrey Marez, director of business development.

“At one point, this location was a regular referral source for St. Joseph Medical Center. Our goal is to revive that,” she said.

The majority of Carondelet staff and 96 residents who have been receiving skilled nursing and long-term care have remained at the facility, but the leadership has changed. “Moving forward,” Ignite’s focus will be on short-term rehab patients who stay an average of two to four weeks,” Marez said. Such patients typically are recovering from strokes, heart attacks, auto accidents, hip replacements, generalized weakness or complex situations involving several challenges.

According to Marez, medical centers are seeking better post-hospital transitions with rehab services that can handle higher-need acute care patients. At Ignite Medical Resort Carondelet, “we’re looking to elevate the level of what’s been here in the past.”

One thing that sets Ignite apart from its competitors, Marez said, is that all therapists—physical, occupational and speech—are inhouse employees and not contracted through a third party. This arrangement encourages less employee turnover and more rapid recovery through customized, seven-day-a-week rehab care.

Another difference Ignite touts its high-end, hotel-like atmosphere. The company plans to spend more than $1 million to renovate the Carondelet facility. A therapy gym with updated equipment will be moved to the front of the building, and an inhouse dialysis room will reopen in January after a $100,000 upgrade. The lobby, courtyard, dining area and bedrooms all will be improved, and a full-service restaurant along with an in-house coffee shop serving Starbucks coffee will be available.

Ignite employs a concierge and activities director at all medical resorts, and guests are asked to name their favorite beverage and daily rituals upon admittance. “If they’re used to reading the morning paper or doing puzzles, we provide that,” Marez said. “It’s an extra boost of communication.”

Ignite Medical Resorts was co-founded in 2017 in Illinois by CEO Tim Fields. There are five Ignite facilities in the KC metro area, including the two newest ones, Carondelet Place and St. Mary’s Village in Blue Springs. Others are located in Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Both Carondelet and St. Mary’s Village will retain their faith-based missions, including their chapels and services, to stay true to organizational origins, the company said.

Ignite Medical Resort Carondelet is at 621 Carondelet Drive. Marez said the facility is actively hiring both clinical and hospitality employees. For information see ignitemedicalresorts.com or call 816-941-1300.