Courage Center Duluth announces new name in merger with Sister Kenny

DULUTH, Minn. - May 29, 2013 - PRLog -- (MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., May 29, 2013) – Allina Health announced today that the  merger of Courage Center and Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, part of Allina Health, becomes effective on June 1, 2013. This merger includes Courage Center Duluth, which has served Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin since 1979, offering a wide variety of recreational and competitive sports for youth and adults with physical disabilities, vision loss, and youth on the autism spectrum, as well as their families. Their new name is Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – Northland.

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute will be a clinical service line of Allina Health, encompassing health care services, community-based services, innovation, research and public policy.
“By knitting together all the segments of care, we will create a unique model that will make a difference in the communities we serve,” said Penny Wheeler, MD, chief clinical officer for Allina Health.

“We believe this new model can improve health outcomes, make it easier for people to get the right services for their needs and reduce the total cost of care by preventing complications,”  said Jan Malcolm, CEO of Courage Center. Malcolm will serve as Interim President of the Courage Kenny Foundation as well as Vice President of Public Affairs for Allina Health, as of June 1, 2013.  

“The sports and recreation services offered in our communities represent a critical part the healthcare continuum for Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute,” said Eric Larson, long-time leader of Courage Center Duluth.  “I am excited by my expanded  leadership role as Supervisor of Sports and Recreation for Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.  My goal is to ensure the programs of the combined organizations continue to positively impact the lives of families and people with disabilities of all ages throughout the region – the Northland and the Twin Cities.  We are pleased that our new name is more inclusive of our programming reach into northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.”

The Courage Foundation and Sister Kenny Foundation also will be combined into a single, merged foundation, to be named Courage Kenny Foundation. Ongoing relationships with donors in the Duluth/Superior area will be honored. Philanthropic support will continue to be necessary to provide a full continuum of care, enabling this integrated clinical service line to invest in programs and services that improve the health of the participants served by Courage Center Duluth.

As of June 1, 2013:

·         New logos will begin to replace existing logos of both Courage Center and Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. A full brand rollout will be phased in over the next 12 to 18 months.

·         Courage Center employees will become Allina Health employees .

Full integration is expected to take 24 to 36 months.  

About Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute

A clinical service line of Allina Health, Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute was created in 2013 by the merger of Courage Center and Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.  

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute provides a continuum of rehabilitation services for people with short- and long-term conditions and disabilities in communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Our goal is to improve health outcomes, make it easier for clients and families to get the right services for their needs, and reduce costs by preventing complications.

Courage Center, begun in 1928, and Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, opened in 1942, were both founded to bridge a gap in services for people with disabilities.  

For more information on our combined services and locations visit our websites – allinahealth.org/sisterkenny or couragecenter.org.