Jacksonville University is teaming up with alumnus Greg Nelson and Clear Choice Health Care to bring a skilled nursing facility adjacent to campus, benefiting students of the university’s Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences and providing a multigenerational environment for seniors.
Dolphin Pointe, a 120-bed, $22-million project overlooking the St. Johns River, is set to open in late 2018 and will be managed by Clear Choice Health Care of Melbourne, Florida.
Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences Dean Dr. Christine Sapienza, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, believes the university’s partnership with Nelson and Clear Choice Health Care will produce a steady flow of skilled, job-ready, graduates.
“As demand for healthcare services has skyrocketed,” stated Sapienza, “higher education has been challenged to provide the deepest, most robust training possible. This project is a key component of our answer to that challenge.”
Geoff Fraser, Clear Choice senior vice president and one of the project’s visionaries, believes the project will link students and older individuals through continuing education for seniors and work opportunities for students.
“We are confident the multigenerational environment this project creates will benefit both the seniors and students in many meaningful ways,” said Fraser.
Features of the Dolphin Pointe project include a 5,000 square-foot therapy gym, two HydroWorx aquatic systems and 120 private suites.
Nelson, a long-time senior living developer and former board member for Jacksonville University, purchased 64 acres next to JU in 2014 but has been developing the Dolphin Pointe concept for many years. He is confident the project will serve as a catalyst to revitalize the Arlington community, home to JU, bringing ancillary medical services for students and seniors alike.
“This is a fresh, new approach to senior living,” added Nelson. “No other school of healthcare sciences in Florida has such a relationship with and proximity to a senior living facility. This project produces a powerful academic and multigenerational healthcare experience for both students and residents. It’s quite unique.”
Dolphin Pointe is the first of a three-phase project that will eventually include independent living, assisted living, medical office building, urgent care and a student health center.
