KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It is not uncommon to see Tim Fields walking the hallways of the Ignite Medical Resort, located at 2100 NW Barry Road.
The CEO and co-founder of the company was in town last week at the second location for the business. The first, called Avanti, is in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Ill.
An official grand opening for the newest location was held late last year and the location is a little more than one-third full after three months of business.
Ignite is a rehabilitation center with mainly ‘short-term’ patients that are still recovering from surgery, injuries or illness. What makes this location unique is the approach, as you walk into the door as it doesn’t have the same look or feel of a typical rehabilitation center.
Submitted photo
Ignite Medical Resort, located at 2100 NW Barry Road in Kansas City, is a luxury-styled rehabilition center. After opening in November, the skilled-nursing facility has more than 30 patients there currently.
“It is built more like a hotel than an institutional setting,” said Fields, who wanted that look.
The location features amenities you would find in a higher-end hotel. There is the Fireside Grille with an executive chef, a cafe serving Starbucks coffee, a Glow Spa that features hair, waxing and nail services, appointments can be made with massage therapists and there is dedicated concierge service, which can be accessed from the in-room iPad.
Construction started nearly a year ago and the doors were opened in November. Starting from scratch, the medical resort staff started to make connections with local hospitals like North Kansas City Hospital and St. Luke’s North to make them aware of the business.
Fields noted the location has physical, occupational, speech therapists on staff, not through a contract with another business, which is the norm in this industry.
“Most skilled nursing facilities in the area use contract therapy,” Fields said. “It is outscoring one of the core occupancies, I never really understood it. It allows us to offer a different model. We do seven-days-a week therapy; people are getting more therapy here with us and they are going home faster.”
One of the first things you notice is the therapy gym, located behind the receptionist desk. Glass surrounds the various areas of the room, were patients work with various therapists at different stations.
“This is really the core of what we do,” Fields said. “This is why it is at the front of the building. It is the life of the building. It is what we do.”
That area also features a door for outdoor therapy — which hasn’t been an option lately — and a ‘house’ area that features a sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, stove, washer/dryer combo, shower and toilet. The occupational therapy is to work with patients to make sure they are ready to be home.
Ignite uses a number of technological advances to help patients. There is a full-time pharmacy tech and a machine that gives single-dose medication from a machine that requires a digital thumb print to access the service. Fields noted that gets rid of delays that can occur at pharmacies.
Another feature in the rooms is a top-of-the-line mattress and under it is a contact-free vital monitoring system. That system tracks heart and respiratory rates, as well as movement. Fields said that is valuable when someone is a fall risk. A sensor alerts nurses and CNAs of movements from the bed 24 hours a day.
Other notable features include:
Fireside Grill is a full-service restaurant that allows patients or visiting family and friends to order from a menu that include pasta, breakfast items, burnt ends, pulled pork and housemade barbecue sauce.
There is a ‘healing’ chapel that offers services each week from local churches and parishes.
There are 90 private suites in the Kansas City location and the average stay has been between seven and 21 days. Sixty of those beds are for ‘short-term’ stays.
There is about 100 staff members currently, though that number could double once the occupancy rate reaches full capacity. There are currently nearly 30 therapists on staff.
The concierge service starts with an app made for Ignite. It allows patients to have in-room dining or coffee delivery, ability change a pillow from the ‘pillow bar,’ get food delivery from nearby locations along Barry Road, book a spa or massage appointment, get laundry picked up or transportation to doctor appointments. Fields got the idea from a hotel stay in Las Vegas.
Using a ‘hotel’ model, multiple employees welcome patients at check in and a discharge celebration occurs when the patient leaves, which comes with a to-go-meal from the chef, a t-shirt and certificate.
Ignite is currently constructing locations in McHenry, Ill., Milwaukee, Wis., and Independence, Mo. The Barry Road location recently won the Platte County Economic Development Council achievement of excellence award.
“Our goal is to change the expectation of rehab and skilled nursing,” said Ryan Leiker, the general manager/partner of the Kansas City location. “We want to raise the bar but you can’t do that without delivering on your promises. Our goal is to get you back where you want to be.
“Hearing the name Ignite and associate what we do … there is a mystery there if you don’t know what we do. We are starting to get name recognition and our goal is to be the preferred provider in the area.”