Susan Whipple purchased Cedar Crest Nursing Centre in 1990 taking over a family business that she had literally grown up having worked in almost every department along the way. She understood first hand why Cedar Crest had a solid reputation for quality health care and innovation. Intended to bridge the gap between a hospital and a traditional nursing home, Cedar Crest's first opened its doors in 1970 as a state-of-the-art extended care facility. That mission wasn't fully realized, however, until many years later when Whipple took over the helm of Cedar Crest as CEO and owner.

"Cedar Crest was ahead of its time," says Whipple. "It was envisioned as a transitional care facility where a person would receive short-term care and then return home. The public wasn't ready for that concept in the 70s." In fact, when Whipple took on the facility in 1990, most residents made Cedar Crest their home. Today, the 156-bed Cedar Crest is the largest privately held and operated subacute and rehabilitation facility in the area. Each year, more than 1000 people are admitted, cared for and then discharged back into the community.

Whipple's pioneering spirit and expert vision is supported by the professional expertise of the Cedar Crest staff. This strength has ensured the company's continued growth over the years. In 1992, a special care unit named Generations was opened to provide specific services and care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease or memory-impairment. Then in 1995, Cedar Crest began to focus on rehabilitation services. With shortened hospital stays due to stringent managed care, Cedar Crest now had the opportunity to finally transform into the facility that it was originally intended to be.

Each year, Cedar Crest has continued to evolve. Adding an in-house team of rehabilitation therapists and on-staff Nurse Practitioners allows Cedar Crest to provide comprehensive skilled nursing and complex medical care. Cedar Crest has transformed into the area's leading provider of subacute care and rehabilitation services.

With so many satisfied patients returning to the community, the next phase of evolution was inevitable. Whipple felt that many people going "home" would benefit from an innovative alternative to the senior housing available to them. She soon developed strategic plans for The Cedars - a continuing care campus that would focus on wellness and preventative health. Today, The Cedars is a community offering superior healthcare, rehabilitation & wellness services, as well as a continuum of senior living lifestyles, including onsite assisted living, Cedar Point Assisted Living Centre, and a Continuing Care Retirement Community, Cedar Hill Retirement Resort. With thirty years of innovation and experience as a guide, The Cedars continues to develop new programs and services that respond to the changing needs of our 'customers'.