St. Charles Project
Reflecting Our Community's Health Needs
Going beyond physical health and extending into multiple dimensions of wellness, Health and Wellness Villages create communities committed to holistic wellbeing. The concept establishes a health-conscious environment that helps close the gap in disparities of care with expanded community programming.
By creating a space that fosters healthy lifestyles, we can reduce the risk of some of the most preventable chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis and bone fractures, hypertension, respiratory disease, and stroke.
Main Line Health and its development partners are designing our campus plans centering on healthy living and sustainability. We are guided by principles that will be expressed in various facets of the project:
Health Care Spaces
New health care spaces on the St. Charles campus will allow us to better accommodate patient-centric care — seamless, coordinated personalized health and wellness services. We envision patients having the ability to utilize multiple services in one day, all in one place. Co-location will particularly benefit the elderly and those with disabilities.
The services and amenities offered will reflect the Lower Merion community's current and future health care needs. Today, the local population has above-average rates of the following compared to the national average*:
Physical inactivity
Hypertension
Heart Failure
Stroke
Main Line Health plans to construct new outpatient facilities on the site, close to Lancaster Avenue. These spaces would house a mix of services, many of which benefit older adults, all of which would be located together, making access more seamless. Potential services might include:
Advanced Cancer Care
Rehabilitation and Memory Care services
Surgery and Procedure Center
Testing and Imaging operations
*Sources: Centers for Disease Control, Claritas, Decision Resources Group, IQVIA, Truven Health Analytics, Siemens Healthineers
The Health and Wellness Village on the St. Charles property is also slated to include:
The adaptive reuse of the historic buildings that have defined the St. Charles campus to ensure their preservation for generations to come.
4.5 miles of walk/bike trails, for daily runs, the occasional stroll, family bike rides, and many other opportunities.
A mix of independent, assisted living, and memory care units, to provide Lower Merion’s growing 65+ population with an option to age in place.
A small boutique hotel, will be perfect for those visiting their loved ones living on campus, patients coming for procedures at Lankenau Medical Center or individuals visiting friends and family from out of town.
Ample green space will preserve the natural beauty of the campus. The majority of existing green space (approximately 70%) is slated to remain undeveloped.
Housing will include condominiums, townhomes and rental units.
Pedestrian connectivity is at the forefront of the design plans, including a pedestrian bridge to Lankenau Medical Center and bicycle parking, to minimize traffic.
