Site Manager Penny Davis (left) with resident and
Past President of the Woodlands Home Owners Association
Margery Adams.
Copley Woodlands, an independent living retirement community located in Stowe and managed through a partnership between Copley Health Systems, Inc (CHSI or Copley) and the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) since 1996, will now be fully managed by Copley beginning July 28. UVMMC and Copley agreed earlier that same day that Copley would accept the sole ownership and operator of the 23-year old facility.According to both organizations, the transfer of ownership has been in the works since 2017.
“Initially the conversations revolved around UVMMC and Copley questioning if operating an independent living retirement facility fit within our core missions,” said CHSI Chief Administration Officer Vera Jones. “We were also looking at our own Copley operations and deciding what our role, if any, should be if we remained involved in the Woodlands on a day to day basis. Then COVID came along and put those conversations on hold. By the time we revisited the various plans that were on the table, we became more and more convinced that Copley could manage the facility on our own.”
“We are profoundly grateful,” Margery Adams said, “not only to have worked in partnership with UVMMC over the years, but also for such a smooth transition.” Adams is the immediate Past President of the Woodlands Home Owners Association.
UVMMC Senior Vice President and General Counsel Eric Miller concurred. “This is an excellent outcome,” he said. “While we’ve enjoyed a strong partnership with Copley for over twenty-five years, Copley’s been the organization on the ground, managing the day-to-day operations. Copley has deep roots in Stowe, Morristown, and Lamoille County and having them own and operate the Woodlands really is what’s best for the community and their residents. We were really pleased when they approached us with the idea of retaining ownership and management oversight, and wanted to do whatever we could to make that happen.”
“We felt very strongly that the Woodlands would be better managed – and the residents better served – by our local organization,” said Copley CEO Joe Woodin. “Everyone from UVMMC couldn’t have been more supportive and helpful in making this transition possible.”
Copley Woodlands is a 40-unit Independent Living Retirement Community located in Stowe. Residents have the option of owning or leasing their units and enjoy amenities such as fine dining facilities, organized events and activities, and well-maintained common areas.