So what is Cornerstone? What is its mission?
Well, basically Cornerstone encompasses home and community based services. This includes home health, which is typically paid for by an insurance company or medicare, and provides a nurse or a physical/occupational therapist to come in to the home to get a person back on their feet. Helpings hands, or non-skilled care, is private pay, but that can mean that it is paid for by VA or Passport; which is a Ohio program for elderly and Medicaid qualified residents. Hospice is paid for by medicare and some insurance companies. We come in and partner with the patient so they can die with dignity, and that means we keep them as comfortable and pain free as possible, while being surrounded by the people who matter most to them. An additional service of hospice is that once the patient passes, we still provide care for the family for the next 13 months to help cope with bereavement. Our mission is to provide the right care at the right time in the right place.
How long has Cornerstone been a part of the Ohio Masonic Home family?
Cornerstone started as Masonic Helping Hands in 2000, and in 2008 acquired and started its home health and hospice in Urbana. In 2009 we acquired a second home health to provide services in Northeast Ohio.
Tell me, why was Cornerstone created, what need was present to cause it to come into being?
Part of the reason the Ohio Masonic Home created Cornerstone was they saw the future of healthcare was to serve masons not only on campuses, but in the community as well. In this way, the Ohio Masonic Home could provide another service branch for people who aren’t ready to move in to a Masonic community or who want to stay independent in their home.
How does it help Masons in Ohio?
Cornerstone goes into the community to help Masons stay in their home, and that’s the main goal is to help people remain in their home if they want. But the connection to the Ohio Masonic Home helps these Masons to have an avenue to the Ohio Masonic Home Resource Center and the Masonic Financial Assistance Corporation, as well as gets them in to communities when needed for short term rehab or illnesses that require a short healthcare stay. At its heart, Cornerstone helps connect Masons to Masonic-based communities and services.
Where in Ohio is Cornerstone located?
The counties our Home Health and Helping Hands cover in the Northeast part of the state are Mahoning, Columbiana, Portage, Trumbull, Summit, Stark, Wayne, Medina, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Cuyahoga, Stark, Ashland, Carroll, Jefferson, Tuscarawas and Holmes.
In the West Central part of Ohio we have Home Health in Clark County and Helping Hands and Hospice in Warren, Clark, Montgomery, Champaign, Miami and Greene counties.
Who can use Cornerstone’s services?
Everyone!
What types of care does Cornerstone provide?
If you need someone to help put up Christmas decorations, walk the dog or go grocery shopping, we have aides through Helping Hands to assist. Through Home Health, we have nurses for medical health care, or therapy after surgery to help you get your strength back. Our Hospice provides palliative care as well as assistance coping with bereavement.
What sets Cornerstone apart from other home health services?
What sets us apart is we’re connected to the Ohio Masonic Home (OMH), so we do have access to several different resources. Additionally, because we’re a not-for-profit and affiliated with OMH and the Fraternity, we provide care in a different way. We are very conscious about how we hire people, train people, and about the philosophies that we practice. From the aide to the CEO, we all have the same purpose; right care, right place, right time. A piece that sets us apart in the Northeast area is they specialize in therapy after head injuries, strokes and hip or knee replacements. Where our hospice is concerned, we have nurses certified in hospice and palliative care, which not all agencies have; and if called, we are there within two hours to say, “This is hospice and this is what we provide.” If the situation is appropriate, we open the case the same day. The industry standard is 48 hours, which could mean unnecessary waiting, but we hold ourselves to a higher standard.
Those are good points, so, what is on the horizon for Cornerstone?
At the moment Cornerstone is expanding home health, skilled care nursing therapy to Southeast Ohio and the Springfield Masonic Community campus. As the new Scottish Rite building opens, we have been working with Springfield to make certain we will be providing services for independent living so we are there from day one and the process is as smooth as possible.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the Brethren about Cornerstone and what it means to them?
I think that’s it, thank you for this opportunity to share what we’re all about!
