Touchstone Communities expands with recent Azalea Heights ribbon cutting last week. 

Touchstone Communities, a Texas provider of senior care services for nearly three decades, recently acquired Pinecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation.

The skilled nursing community was renamed Azalea Heights, which links the community to another Touchstone Community, The Heights of Tyler. The new name also gives a nod to one of the beautiful flowers for which Tyler is known, according to Touchstone founder and chairman Stan Studer.

“Touchstone Communities strives to make lives better through a best-in-class post-acute healthcare experience,” he said. “The addition of Azalea Heights to Touchstone Communities expands Touchstone’s service in the Tyler market.”

“At Touchstone, we believe that providing exceptional skilled nursing care is our calling,” Studer added. “We believe that God brought this opportunity to us, and we are committed to leveraging this growth to glorify Him and increase our ability to make lives better in Tyler.”

Touchstone Communities President Bryon Sehlke the decision to expand in Tyler was an easy one to make.

“Expanding our presence in Tyler was an easy decision due to our success at The Heights of Tyler and relationships with the families in the area that we have served since 2010. The addition of Azalea Heights allows us to provide a solution to those needing post-acute skilled care at either location, giving them a choice for wherever they feel their needs can be best met,” he said. “Stan Studer, an owner with Touchstone Communities, has family ties to Tyler. Stan’s wife, Jan Studer, grew up in Tyler and they felt her hometown was a natural location for the company to invest and grow.”

Vice President Operations Chris Boening said plans for the facility are to go above and beyond what is expected.

“Touchstone Communities is the leader in Texas for quality measures among our peers. By serving more patients and residents with our exceptional skilled nursing and rehabilitation care, families in Tyler can expect to benefit. Touchstone is well known as an innovative leader in the industry,” he said. “We will be bringing additional resources not just clinically, but in our operational efficiencies, made possible with this expanded presence in Tyler.”

“Azalea Heights will continue their reputation as a compassionate, loving environment for short term rehabilitation and long-term care,” Boeninig continued. “Touchstone Communities will bring support for the care team by injecting a 30-year history of clinical excellence and a solid foundation for innovative operational success in the future.”

Melissa Brown, who oversees VP Sales & Marketing, said the company strives to make a difference in the lives of those they serve.

‘Our purpose to glorify God is at the core of everything we do at Touchstone Communities. By expanding the opportunity to serve more patients and residents in Tyler with the addition of Azalea Heights, we will positively impact more families,” she said. “By providing a culture of service excellence and alignment in purpose, Azalea Heights strives to make a difference in the lives of those we are honored to serve.”

The event took place last Thursday and was hosted by Touchstone Communities and The Tyler Chamber of Commerce.

Azalea Heights is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center that provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapies.

Azalea Heights, at 3505 Old Jacksonville Highway, can be reached at 903-561-2011 or on the Azalea Heights Tyler Facebook page.