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On Thursday, September 17, St. Elizabeth Rehab & Nursing, a Vierra Community, welcomed local dignitaries, healthcare partners, and neighbors to an evening open house and ribbon cutting to celebrate its newly renovated facility.
Guests were invited to explore the center’s upgraded patient rooms, refreshed lobby, and state-of-the-art therapy gym. They enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while touring a community that pairs timeless charm with modern clinical care.
The event drew a distinguished group of guests, including Dr. Rohit Gulati, CMO of Saint Agnes Hospital; Councilman Julian E. Jones Jr, Candidate for Baltimore County Executive; Dr. Michelle Taylor, Health Commissioner, Baltimore City Head Department; and our new physicians, Dr. Karl Quist-Therson and Dr. Hakim Uqdah, cardiologist. Together with the St. Elizabeth team, they gathered for the ceremonial ribbon cutting that officially marked the completion of the renovation.
“This renovation reflects who we are at St. Elizabeth: clinical excellence with a warm, welcoming heart,” said Julius Mbeboh, Administrator. “We’re proud to serve our Baltimore neighbors and to work alongside our partners at Ascension St. Agnes, and we’re thrilled to open our doors and show the community what we’ve built together.”
Located at 3320 Benson Avenue, next door to Ascension St. Agnes Hospital, St. Elizabeth is a 162-bed, faith-based community and a preferred provider for the hospital’s patients. The renovation reflects the center’s commitment to a healing environment that feels warm, comfortable, and welcoming. That commitment stands alongside the clinical strengths families rely on, including therapy seven days a week, hospitalist physician oversight, a dedicated physiatrist, onsite peritoneal dialysis, a secure memory care unit, and an agency-free team of caregivers. Residents and families are also supported by a dedicated Patient Concierge and an onsite chapel with daily Mass.
St. Elizabeth thanks everyone who joined the celebration and everyone who helped make the renovation possible. To see the transformed spaces for yourself, visit our photo gallery or schedule a tour.
New physician leadership, major renovations and Vierra’s clinical model are driving new momentum at a highly accessible, 5-star-rated Silver Spring community.
On July 1, 2026, Woodside Rehab & Nursing officially became part of Vierra Communities. The transition marks a defining moment for a community with deep roots in Silver Spring, and the momentum since has been immediate. Located just minutes from Holy Cross Hospital and the DC border, with convenient access by Metro, MARC train and bus, Woodside combines an exceptionally accessible location with a 5-star CMS rating for Quality Measures and a 5-star consumer rating on Google.
Now, with new clinical and facility leadership, a multi-million-dollar renovation underway and Vierra’s physician-led approach to care, Woodside is building on those strengths and establishing a new standard for the community.
Clinical Leadership Patients Can Trust
At the center of Woodside’s clinical direction is Garrett C. Martin, MD, the community’s Medical Director and a familiar face to patients and families throughout the Silver Spring area.
Dr. Martin has served as a Hospitalist at Holy Cross Hospital since 2019, caring for patients across medical and surgical services at one of Maryland’s largest community hospitals. He brings more than two decades of hospital-based medicine and clinical leadership experience to Woodside, including previous leadership as Program Medical Director at Prince George Hospital Center. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine.
His longstanding connection to Holy Cross is particularly meaningful for Woodside. The community’s proximity to the hospital creates an opportunity for greater continuity as patients transition from acute care to rehabilitation and skilled nursing.
“Woodside is a community with a long history in Silver Spring, and there is tremendous opportunity here,” said Dr. Martin. “Our goal is to build on that history with strong clinical leadership, an engaged care team and a clear focus on helping our patients achieve the best possible outcomes. We want patients and families to feel confident that when they come to Woodside, they are in good hands.”
Dr. Martin is joined by Dr. Girgis, also part of the Holy Cross physician community, further strengthening Woodside’s connection to the local hospital network and Vierra’s Hospitalist physician oversight model.
A New Leadership Team. A New Direction.
The renewed energy at Woodside extends beyond its physician team. The community has also welcomed a new Administrator and Director of Nursing, bringing fresh leadership and a shared commitment to strengthening every aspect of the patient and resident experience.
Together with Vierra’s clinical leadership, the Woodside team is focused on creating an environment where clinical care, rehabilitation, communication and hospitality work together. That focus is already translating into visible strides for patients, families and the wider Silver Spring community.
Woodside is now home to VIVID Recovery, Vierra’s specialized short-stay rehabilitation program, with orthopedic, cardiac, pulmonary and renal specialties. Therapy is provided seven days a week, supported by Hospitalist physician oversight and an agency-free team of nurses and caregivers.
Vierra’s philosophy is simple: Clear Care. Stronger Outcomes. At Woodside, that means creating a clear path from hospital to rehabilitation, from rehabilitation to greater independence and, whenever possible, back home.
Investing Millions in the Woodside Experience
The most visible sign of this new era is happening within the building itself.
Vierra is undertaking a multi-million-dollar renovation at Woodside designed to strengthen comfort, recovery and quality of life. The investment encompasses patient and resident spaces, common areas, therapy environments and the overall experience of living and recovering at Woodside.
The renovations complement amenities and services including private and semi-private suites, a dedicated Patient Concierge, seven-day therapy, a “Walk to Dine” fine dining program, an onsite beauty salon and engaging recreation programming.
This renovation builds more than new space. It builds the Woodside experience Vierra intends to deliver.
Quality Care. Remarkably Convenient.
Woodside’s location is one of its greatest advantages.
Situated at 9101 Second Avenue in Silver Spring, near the DC border and close to Holy Cross Hospital, Woodside provides convenient access for families throughout Montgomery County and the greater Washington metropolitan area.
It is also particularly accessible for families and visitors who do not drive. The Silver Spring Metro station is approximately one mile away, while MARC Train, Metrobus and Ride On routes are also nearby.
For veterans and their families, Woodside is approximately 20 to 25 minutes from the DC VA Medical Center, making it a convenient option for rehabilitation and skilled nursing close to home.
That accessibility, paired with Woodside’s 5-star CMS Quality Measures rating, gives patients and families another reason to consider the community when choosing post-acute care.
The New Woodside Is Just Getting Started
For Vierra Communities, Woodside represents more than an opportunity. It represents a commitment to significant, lasting impact in Silver Spring, delivered while honoring the community’s place in the local healthcare landscape.
With Dr. Martin and an expanding physician network at the forefront, new facility leadership, VIVID Recovery, significant investment in the building and a commitment to measurable quality, Woodside is building real momentum toward a distinctly different future, one already reshaping Woodside’s place in the Silver Spring community.
About Woodside Rehab & Nursing
Woodside Rehab & Nursing is a 92-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation community in Silver Spring, Maryland, providing short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing services. As a Vierra Community, Woodside offers VIVID Recovery, therapy seven days a week, Hospitalist physician oversight, agency-free staffing and specialized clinical programs including orthopedic, cardiac, pulmonary and renal care. The community is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation focused on enhancing comfort, recovery and quality of life.
About Vierra Communities
Vierra Communities is a third-generation, family-owned provider of skilled nursing, rehabilitation and long-term care services throughout Maryland and Virginia. For more than 70 years, the organization has combined clinical excellence with compassionate service, creating communities where residents recover, thrive and feel at home.
Appointment brings hands-on, on-site physician leadership to the center, and signals a deliberate change in what Northern Virginia should expect from post-acute care.
Vierra Falls Church Health & Rehab has named Tahir A. Shaikh, DO, an Internal Medicine Hospitalist at Inova Alexandria Hospital, as its Medical Director. Dr. Shaikh will also round on patients at the center as an attending physician — a deliberate choice about how physician leadership should work, and a reflection of the ethos Vierra brings to every community it enters.
In much of Northern Virginia, the medical director title at a skilled nursing center is one of dozens held by the same physician, with limited presence in any single building. Vierra Falls Church made a different choice: a medical director who practices in the hospital its patients come from, and who is in the building, at the bedside, caring for them.
Dr. Shaikh has served as President and CEO of Internal Medicine Group, Inc. for more than a decade and practices as an Internal Medicine Hospitalist at Inova Alexandria Hospital, following earlier hospitalist work at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
At Vierra Falls Church, Dr. Shaikh serves as both Medical Director and one of the center’s rounding attending physicians, seeing patients himself rather than directing their care from a distance.
Building a More Connected Clinical Model
Dr. Shaikh is leading Vierra Falls Church’s build-out of a connected clinical ecosystem between the hospital and post-acute settings.
Drawing on his longstanding connection to Inova and his work as a hospitalist, Dr. Shaikh is deepening the center’s relationships with hospital-based physicians, hospitalists and subspecialists across Northern Virginia. Patients arriving from the hospital are met by a clinical team already in contact with the physicians who treated them.
“Patients deserve continuity when they transition from the hospital to rehabilitation,” said Dr. Shaikh. “Our focus is on maintaining strong communication, providing engaged physician oversight and making sure the clinical team remains focused on the patient’s individual recovery.”
Clear Care. Stronger Outcomes.
Dr. Shaikh’s leadership also anchors the center’s VIVID Recovery short-stay rehabilitation program, which pairs focused rehabilitation with specialized clinical expertise. VIVID Recovery includes specialty tracks for Orthopedic, Renal, Pulmonary and Cardiac patients, reinforcing Vierra Falls Church’s commitment to condition-specific care and individualized recovery.
“We are raising the expectations for what post-acute care should look like, and bringing Dr. Shaikh into medical leadership is a big part of that,” said Nikki Gachot, vice president of business development at Vierra. “VIVID Recovery is about more than rehabilitation. It is about a complete recovery experience where medical care, therapy and physician oversight work together toward one goal: helping our patients get stronger and return home with confidence.”
An expanding network of hospitalists, attending physicians and subspecialists now supports the center, bridging acute hospital care and recovery.
With Dr. Shaikh’s appointment and the continued development of its physician and specialty network, Vierra Falls Church is building a clinical model centered on clear care, stronger collaboration and stronger outcomes.
About Vierra Falls Church Health & Rehab
Vierra Falls Church Health & Rehab is a 160-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Falls Church, Virginia, providing short-stay rehabilitation, skilled nursing and long-term care. The center is part of Vierra Communities, a family-owned, third-generation skilled nursing organization committed to clinical excellence and an elevated patient experience. To learn more visit vierrafallschurch.com.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are a growing presence in nursing homes and are expected to play an even more pivotal role in the years to come, with the role tied to survey outcomes, quality improvement initiatives and value-based care.
The changing survey process, the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs and value-based care models like the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) are all demanding greater clinical expertise, according to nursing home leaders.
To meet policy and clinical needs, some nursing home operators, including Vierra Communities, have been hiring NPs to serve a single facility, with support from other NPs and specialists that belong to physiatry groups.
Historically, the NP played a more supportive role to the primary physician, John Njonjo, VP of clinical services for the Virginia-based provider, told Skilled Nursing News, but that has changed in recent years.
The positions have flipped, he said, so that the NP has a more primary care role when it comes to nursing home care.
“Some of this is not optional,” said Njonjo. “CMS is moving forward with value-based systems like the TEAM model, where they expect you to address rehospitalization — this is where the nurse practitioner is going to become key because the focus is going to be not necessarily on the physician, but who is able to mitigate.”
Hospitals are choosing which nursing operators to work with for the mandated TEAM model; they pay attention to operators who have NPs that are good at managing joint pain, sepsis and demonstrate strong diagnostic results, Njonjo said.
Texas-based Cantex Continuing Care Network employs 24 nurse practitioners and registered nurses (RNs), said Cantex CEO Robin Underhill. The team recognizes the value of the NP, and that they’re being utilized in so many ways.
“We are finding more that the position is stretched thin. Yes, they’re our medical director. They’re at the helm of the table talking about QAPI, and they’re representing the company in the facility,” said Underhill. “But when you go to bedside and you’re engaging with that patient, more times than not it’s the nurse practitioner — they’re driving the medical model for that patient.”
Cantex runs 37 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), alongside multiple home health agencies, hospice agencies and pharmacies.
Generally, there will continue to be a lot of pressure on clinical outcomes, and the NP is the one who’s able to drive those clinical outcomes, Njonjo and Underhill said.
For Vierra, NPs are indeed first line of defense, since they are embedded in the day to day of each facility, and they see residents on a daily basis. The only other role that may surpass them as first line of defense are CNAs, Njonjo said.
“That’s the one main pillar that we’ve seen make a huge difference,” said Njonjo of the NP role. “These are the people who are at the front lines, preventing anything from escalating.”
The rising use of NPs mirrors the general trend in healthcare: NPs serve as primary care providers, making up nearly half of the U.S. primary care workforce, according to recent studies. They are often hired to work in community clinics, rural areas and family medicine offices.
Center-based NPs
Each of Vierra’s five facilities has, at minimum, one center-based NP, but placement is also based on census, he said. For larger buildings, Vierra has two center-based NPs.
Vierra finds value in having facility-based nurse practitioners in their buildings five days a week, working closely with their medical provider group. Having NPs embedded in the facility helps meet the needs of higher acuity patients. These clinicians also help patients and their families get their answers faster, considering how hard it is to get ahold of a physician.
Underhill added that NPs are driving the medical model for the patient.
“You’ll have your physician who works in tandem with your center-based NP, and they alternate, and they also do some rounding together,” Njonojo said. “Families can get their communication in real time. The NP who’s in facility also means that assessments are also at bedside, mitigating rehospitalization.”
In addition to the center-based NPs, Vierra works with a physiatry group for specialists like cardiologists, who also bring their own NPs into the building. Having this group come in has helped with unnecessary consult trips for residents, Njonjo said.
The mix of physiatry and center-based NPs has helped with peer-to-peer communication, with the Vierra NP doing peer-to-peer meetings with the physiatrist NP.
And, Cantex leaders have found that implementing a care plan is much easier when an NP is involved.
“Nurse practitioners can, through listening to their physician, be able to execute on the plan of care and be able to engage and be front facing,” said Underhill.
NP’s role in QAPI
Having NPs on the floor has helped with QAPI progress as well.
In one case, CMS changed criteria for determining which buildings become special focus facilities, going back and forth between survey outcomes and the number of falls with injury. Vierra’s NP was able to influence both of these measures.
Having the NP sit in on risk meetings helps drive root cause analysis for the QAPI program because NPs are seeing the resident five days a week. Their deeper knowledge of each resident’s medical conditions enable them to make informed clinical decisions that ultimately have an impact on surveys, Njonjo said.
Vierra’s NPs know each resident’s medication profile as well, offering another boon considering CMS’ heavy focus on polypharmacy, or the concurrent use of multiple meds by a single patient in the nursing home.
“More than likely, [the NP] is the one who ordered the labs. She’s the one who’s going to manage the medication profile. And last but not least, she will literally be there when the surveyors show up,” said Njonjo.
Surveyors mine their citations from provider notes, and oftentimes there’s a lot that gets lost in translation. Having NPs in the building can help surveyors get their information “straight from the horse’s mouth,” Njonjo added.
“The nurse practitioner can articulate the thought process,” Njonjo said. “That’s just one example of how they can truly impact our survey. In addition, the teaching that they’re able to do with the nurses on a day-to-day basis, that does impact clinical outcomes.”
Cantex’s NPs have been front and center when a patient has a change in condition, Underhill said. UTIs, for example, are the number one reason a patient goes to the hospital. NPs test for UTIs at the bedside and can be proactive with an IV, hydration and an antibiotic while waiting for lab results to come back.
NPs are there “just in time” to help manage the journey of care, Underhill noted.
As for Vierra’s Njonjo, using the NP role for QAPI programs and communicators on the floor is a more structured and precise way of going about business. He calls it “the prescribed clinical workflow.” With other workflows, the NP shows up and decides what information to gather, attending risk meetings, fall prevention meetings, morning meetings, to stay informed.
When the role is prescribed by the facility, however, the NP knows this information already since they are so deeply woven into the fabric of daily operations.
The family-owned operator introduces a bold, branded rehabilitation experience across all five of its skilled nursing and rehabilitation communities.
Vierra Communities, a third-generation, family-owned operator of skilled nursing and rehabilitation communities throughout Maryland and Virginia, recently announced the launch of VIVID Recovery, a first-of-its-kind branded rehabilitation program that redefines what short-stay rehab looks like, feels like, and delivers.
Available immediately across all five Vierra Communities locations, VIVID Recovery is built on a simple but powerful premise: your recovery should be vivid — visible, purposeful, and undeniably moving forward. Clear Care. Stronger Outcomes.
“Short-stay rehab has too often meant patients leaving the hospital not knowing what to expect, feeling like they’re just going through the motions,” said Derek Vucich, President of Vierra Communities. “VIVID Recovery changes that. Every step is clear. Every session has a purpose. And every patient goes home stronger than they arrived.”
What Makes VIVID Recovery Different
VIVID Recovery is built around one metric that matters above all others: getting patients home and keeping them there. Across Vierra Communities, rehospitalization rates consistently fall below both state and national averages, the direct result of a program built to close the gaps that lead to setbacks and unnecessary returns to the hospital.
VIVID Recovery delivers physical, occupational, and speech therapy seven days a week, guided by an onsite physiatrist and a fully integrated clinical team working together toward a single goal: getting patients home. Progress is measurable and transparent, with standardized functional assessments at admission, mid-stay, and discharge so patients and families always know exactly where they stand and what comes next.
Discharge planning begins on day one, not as an afterthought on the day a patient leaves, but as an active, ongoing part of care. Home safety evaluations, equipment coordination, and caregiver training are built into the process from the start, because a successful discharge is only as strong as the plan behind it.
Physician-led medical oversight keeps medical and rehabilitation plans tightly aligned throughout every stay. And the environment itself is part of the program: private suites, hotel-inspired dining, and state-of-the-art, recently renovated therapy gyms, because at Vierra, comfort accelerates recovery rather than competing with it.
Specialty Tracks: When Recovery Needs More
For patients with complex medical needs, VIVID Recovery goes further. Specialty tracks layer condition-specific physician leadership directly onto a patient’s therapy plan, at the same facility, with the same care team they already know and trust.
VIVID Cardiac targets the highest-risk window in a cardiac patient’s recovery: the 30 days following a cardiac event. The track features center-based cardiology rounding, 24/7 cardiac nursing oversight, in-house EKGs and echos, weekly heart failure rounds, and a structured recovery journey from stabilization through discharge and transition home. Cardiac rehospitalization rates across Vierra Communities run well below state and national benchmarks, a result of keeping cardiologists actively engaged throughout every stage of a patient’s stay rather than handing off care at the hospital door.
VIVID Pulmonary provides specialized respiratory therapy and physician oversight for patients managing COPD, post-ventilator recovery, and other complex pulmonary conditions. Central to the program are onsite Respiratory Therapists who work alongside the clinical team daily, delivering hands-on respiratory care and ensuring that pulmonary needs are addressed as an integrated part of each patient’s rehabilitation plan rather than as a separate service. Notably, Admiral Health & Rehab in Arlington, Virginia operates a dedicated 60-bed Ventilator Unit, offering one of the region’s most comprehensive inpatient pulmonary care settings.
VIVID Renal delivers coordinated, nephrology-informed rehabilitation planning for residents managing chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. Admiral Health & Rehab in Arlington, Virginia offers on-site Hemodialysis, providing critical renal care without requiring patient transport. Additionally, two Vierra Communities locations offer Peritoneal Dialysis, ensuring that residents across the network have access to the dialysis modality that best supports their clinical needs and rehabilitation progress.
VIVID Ortho brings surgeon-led program direction and onsite physiatry to patients recovering from joint replacement, fracture, and post-surgical procedures. A renowned orthopedic surgeon leads each facility’s program, directly shaping protocols, reviewing complex cases, and maintaining the standard of care well beyond discharge. Outcomes are tracked at every phase of recovery, with rehospitalization rates that consistently outperform state and national averages.
Available Across All Five Vierra Communities
VIVID Recovery is now live at:
Carriage Hill Bethesda Health & Rehab | Bethesda, MD | carriagehillbethesda.com
St. Elizabeth Rehab & Nursing | Baltimore, MD | stelizabethnursing.com
Vierra Falls Church Health & Rehab | Falls Church, VA | vierrafallschurch.com
