Saint Elizabeth Community and Cornerstone Adult Services, Inc.
Announce New Partnership

(pictured l to r) Roberta B. Merkle, President & CEO Cornerstone,
Steven J. Horowitz, President & CEO Saint Elizabeth Community,
Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts,
William Rizzini, President Emeritus of Roger Williams College

January 8, 2009, Warwick, Rhode Island… Saint Elizabeth Community and Cornerstone Adult Services, Inc. announced at a press conference today the formation of a newly created partnership whose goal is to provide Rhode Islanders with an innovative and seamless system of services that span independent living, adult day health, assisted living and nursing home options. The partnership will enable Saint Elizabeth and Cornerstone to expand upon the collaborative relationship the two organizations have shared over the last several years and bring together the complementary elderly services each provides to better serve the community. Both non-profit groups are Carelink partners.

“In forging a partnership, we have created a shared strategic vision that will enable Saint Elizabeth and Cornerstone to even better meet the long term adult and elder health care needs of the communities we serve, today and tomorrow,” said Roberta B. Merkle, President & CEO, Cornerstone.

The partnership between Saint Elizabeth and Cornerstone will not affect the day to day operations of the two organizations. It will, however, strengthen the organizations to withstand the challenging economic conditions facing non profit organizations that rely on government, foundation, and donor support. Together, Saint Elizabeth and Cornerstone will be better positioned to continue to offer the high quality elder and adult health services that these two organizations have provided to Rhode Islanders for a combined 162 years.

“Saint Elizabeth is pleased to welcome Cornerstone into our family. Together, our goal is to create within the communities we serve a seamless access to a comprehensive continuum of adult and elderly health services”, expressed Steve Horowitz, President & CEO, Saint Elizabeth Community.

The Saint Elizabeth Community is a non-sectarian charitable organization founded in 1882 on Melrose Street in Providence by the ladies of the Grace Episcopal Church. Saint Elizabeth currently services 470 residents in four Rhode Island locations: Saint Elizabeth Home, East Greenwich (nursing/transitional and Alzheimer’s care); Saint Elizabeth Place, Providence (housing for low income elderly and mobility impaired); Saint Elizabeth Manor, East Bay (transitional, Alzheimer’s and nursing care); Saint Elizabeth Court, Providence (moderate and low income assisted living). Saint Elizabeth Community employs 425 people and has an annual operating budget of $25 million.

Cornerstone Adult Services has been serving the frail elderly and adults with disabilities of Rhode Island for over 35 years. Formerly known as Warwick Central Geriatric Day Care Center, Cornerstone opened the first day care center in Rhode Island in the Central Baptist Church in 1973. Today, Cornerstone operates four adult day centers in Rhode Island: The Alzheimer’s Center on Warwick Neck Avenue, The Apponaug Center on Post Road, The Bristol Center in Bristol and Coventry Center in Coventry. Cornerstone currently serves over 250 participants and 300 family members with approximately 50 employees.