History
Linking tradition with tomorrow
Porter Hills was founded in 1970 by a group of friends who set out to provide gracious living primarily for women of moderate means in a modern campus environment in Grand Rapids Township. During the decades that followed, Porter Hills expanded, adding a variety of new campuses, innovative services and valuable partnerships that redefine life for older adults, today and into the future. The following timeline identifies our major milestones.
1961
Porter Hills Village planning committee formed
1964
Porter Hills Presbyterian Village incorporates in the State of Michigan
1968
Porter Hills Village ground breaking ceremony
1970
Porter Hills Village opens in Grand Rapids Township offering residential living and skilled nursing
1972
Town home residential living added to Porter Hills Village
1974
Assisted living services developed at Porter Hills Village
1982
Garden Apartments West residential living added to Porter Hills Village
1986
Residential Memory Care at Porter Hills Village opens
1988
Garden Apartments East residential living added to Porter Hills Village
1992
Health Center completed, Generations Child Development Center opened and chapel added to Porter Hills Village
1993
Porter Hills Village receives national accreditation from the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC), the first in West Michigan (and re-accredited in subsequent years)
1995
Porter Hills Foundation established
1997
Meadowlark Retirement Village in Sparta is acquired, offering residential living plus services and assisted living
Walker Meadow affordable housing community opens in Walker
Porter Hills Home Health Care and Private Duty agencies established
1998
Harvest Way affordable housing community opens in Sparta
1999
Oak Ridge affordable housing community opens in Grand Rapids
Martindill Wellness Center opens at Porter Hills Village
2000
Sparta Senior Neighbor Center located at Harvest Way opens
River Grove affordable housing community opens in Belmont
Cook Valley Estates opens in Grand Rapids Township, offering estate homes and residential living apartments
Porter Hills Rehabilitation, LLC established
2002
Additional estate homes added to Cook Valley Estates
Bailey’s Grove affordable housing community opens in Kentwood
2003
Porter Hills Village renovation begins
2004
Additional town homes added to Porter Hills Village
Residential living town homes added to Cook Valley Estates
Additional assisted living added to Meadowlark Retirement Village
CHAP accreditation for Home Health and Private Duty
2005
Station Creek affordable housing community opens in Caledonia
2006
Porter Hills receives Advancing Women in Leadership Award from The Women’s Resource Center
Meijer-Hadley Wellness Center opens at Cook Valley Estates
2008
Larry Yachcik named President/CEO
Porter Hills voted The Best Retirement Community by Grand Rapids Magazine readers for the fourth consecutive year
2009
Formal affiliation with Gerontology Network
THE GREEN HOUSE Homes® open as two 10-bed residences in Grand Rapids Township; receive Award of Excellence in Green Building by the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
LifeCircles Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) opens in Muskegon
2010
40th anniversary!
I Prefer® Porter Hills program launches
THE GREEN HOUSE Homes® earn Silver LEED Certification
2011
Collaboration established with Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids to form Marywood Circle
2012
Emmanuel Hospice planned with partners Clark Retirement Community, St. Ann’s Home, and Sunset Retirement Communities & Services
Porter Hills honored as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in West Michigan by the Michigan Business and Professional Association, for the 10th consecutive year
Goodwill Industries recognized Porter Hills as employer of the year in the category of innovation
Launch of Avenues, by Porter Hills
Porter Hills Home Care awarded 2012 Work Based Learning Site of the Year by the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center
2013
Pillar Award received from the Women’s Resource Center for Empowering Women at Work
Leading Age Michigan awarded Porter Hills its Leading Edge Care & Services for distinguished services to a Leading Age member
Emmanuel Hospice and Maywood Home Health received CHAP Certification
Marywood Health Center received licensing for 32 beds
TANDEM365 began operations
2014
TANDEM365 began enrollment of their initial participants and entered into an agreement for a pilot program with Priority Health.
LifeCircles expansion in Muskegon broke ground and later received approval to increase participant level
Cook Valley Estates and Meadowlark Retirement Village scored in the top 10% nationwide in the annual resident satisfaction survey
Marywood Health Center received licensing for the 17 remaining beds
2015
LifeCircles opens in Holland, and is approved by the State for 175 PACE participants
Porter Hills Foundation celebrates 20th anniversary
Cook Valley Estates celebrates 15th anniversary
Meadowlark kicked off construction of the Memory Care Household
2016
Porter Hills’ GREEN HOUSE® Homes dedicated as the Dr. Robert and Lynn Browne Green House® Homes
2017
Meadowlark Retirement Village receives State Licensing approval for Memory Care
Larry Yachcik, President/CEO retired in September
2018
Porter Hills honored as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in West Michigan by the Michigan Business and Professional Association, for the 16th consecutive year
Meadowlark Retirement Village Assisted Living Household Project receives Leading-Edge Care & Services Award – Service Excellence x from LeadingAge Michigan.
Porter Hills and GVSU Intergenerational Learning Academy receive Leading-Edge Care & Services – Service Excellence Leading-Edge Care & Services Award – Service Excellence award from LeadingAge Michigan. from LeadingAge Michigan.
