RiverWoods Manchester! Same Community & Quality Care with a New Name

 

Many of our local New Hampshire institutions started as the result of some smart women getting together to address an issue. One such example has been around for nearly 150 years.

In 1875, a small grassroots group from the mill town of Manchester, New Hampshire formed The Women’s Aid and Relief Society. Their work had a strong impact, and positively changed hundreds of lives. As the community needs changed, so did the work, building the area’s first hospital, then a nursing home, Pearl Manor, then moving to a new location Hillcrest Terrace, in the 1990s.

In the year 2009, it became Manchester’s first Continuing Care Retirement Community, Birch Hill, and in 2016, joined the RiverWoods Group, New Hampshire’s largest family of non-profit CCRCs.

Now, Birch Hill is officially changing its name to RiverWoods Manchester, to signal its vision for the future.  In the five years since the affiliation, the two organizations have grown even more aligned in mission and values, and the original campus has been transformed with newly designed homes, and completely renovated common areas, as well as a new fitness center and large multi-purpose room.

“This past year of the pandemic brought us closer together than we could have imagined,” said Justine Vogel, CEO of the RiverWoods Group. “Our family of communities supported each other, tracking down PPE, administering tests, sharing strategies.  It just makes sense for us to share our name with our sister community.”

“Our name may be changing, but that’s all that’s changing – we are maintaining the warm, welcoming atmosphere that has been our hallmark,” said April Bourdon, Executive Director of RiverWoods Manchester. “Our new name signals that we are a full-fledged member of the RiverWoods Group, and that you can expect the same excellence of care and personal attention that is evident at RiverWoods, right here in Manchester.”

“We are more alike than we are different,” said Vogel.  “We are excited to build our future together.”

Welcome to the Family, RiverWoods Manchester! 

Take the First Step with an informational packet.