Beginning Feb. 1, Embassy Healthcare took over operations of the Jewish Federation-owned nursing home building at 4911 Covenant House Drive in Trotwood.

Embassy, which operates more than 20 nursing, rehabilitation and senior living facilities across Ohio, has signed a seven-year lease with the Federation.

“They are currently evaluating operations there to make sure they are top grade, and they will be working with us to update the facility, which is 42 years old,” said Federation CEO Cathy Gardner.

Darla and Aaron Handler, owners of Embassy Healthcare, took over operations of the facility in Trotwood from Four Seasons LLP, which operated the facility since 2011.

“We were notified a year and a half ago that Four Seasons was not interested in renewing its lease,” Gardner said. “The transition to Embassy was done with the incredible professional services of attorney David Pierce and associates at Coolidge Wall.”

Pierce is president-elect of the Federation board.

The Federation built the nursing care facility in 1973 on its campus in Trotwood to serve the Jewish community. Under the Federation’s operation, it was named Covenant House and provided kosher meals, and Jewish programs and services until 2010, when the Federation announced it would no longer operate the facility in the face of the declining local need for a Jewish nursing home.

Gardner said revenue from the lease of the nursing property in Trotwood accounts for nearly 10 percent of the Federation’s $3.48 million annual budget.

“Leasing the property has become integral to the Federation’s ongoing financial health,” she said. — Marshall Weiss

To read the complete March 2015 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.