Big things are in store for Milford Wellness Village, and its new general manager is excited for what the future brings for the innovative campus.
“It’s a beautiful campus that has been brought back to life,” said Kent County resident Mona Boyer, who took the reins in January this year.
Boyer remembers a time before the campus became the Milford Wellness Village — her father received rehabilitation services 20 years ago in the former Milford Memorial Hospital, which Nationwide Healthcare Services in 2020 transformed into the vibrant and evolving community it is today.
“I am excited about the positive impact it will bring to the city of Milford and the community at large,” said Boyer, who has 10 years of experience in operations and HR management, most recently managing the largest pulmonary practice in Delaware.
We spoke with Boyer to learn more about her role at Milford Wellness Village, how she heard about it, what she’s most excited about, and more.
How did you hear about Milford Wellness Village?
I was invited to hear of the new upcoming ventilator unit. I received a call from Milford Wellness Village, inquiring about the pulmonologist I had worked with.
I went to represent the practice, and within 15 minutes of listening to Mr. Meir Gelley’s vision, I couldn’t wait to tell my boss.
I was so excited — Mr. Gelley showed me around and told me about what they were doing there. I had all my brochures in hand and ready to get one of my pulmonologists to sign up, but my boss didn’t have the manpower.
I hung on to Mr. Gelley’s business card and just kept in touch. The former GM resigned, and, working in pulmonary during the pandemic, I was just burned out. This felt like it came at the right time. It was serendipity.
What drew you to MWV?
Mr. Gelley’s vision incorporated by personal and professional career goals.
I’m a big believer in giving back to the community. I believe in taking care of your neighbors and a sense of community, and the Village really takes care of the people in its community.
Describe your role at MWV.
I am the GM and do my best to bridge the gap within the campus.
It’s different every day — I am the GM of the whole facility, and I manage the HR piece off the nursing care unit. I have two offices here, and I go back and forth between the two.
I love meeting the public that comes to visit. I love giving tours, and I love walking around the facility and chatting with employees. It’s never the same.
Wearing two hats gives me the advantage of not being stuck in one division of the campus and forces me to meet everybody and tell them [of the different services we offer at MWV].
With your professional background and expertise, what do you want to accomplish at MWV?
I want to assist and provide a campus that offers a multitude of healthcare, education and inclusive services to the city of Milford, as well as fostering a community environment within the walls of this campus.
What are the most exciting things happening at MWV now?
New tenants joining the community, such as DE assistive technology initiative; brand new vent unit at Polaris Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, and so much more!
The end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 was the construction phase when we didn’t have bodies moving and it was just renovation. Then in 2020, we started seeing tenants moving in. Then, this year, more tenants are moving in and there’s less construction.
It’s exciting. The type of population that comes here is going to be a game changer.
Is there anything else you’d like to say about MWV?
I see people come from the public, walking to the facility to walk like how they did at old malls; you can get your steps here.
The Village Café is the most interesting place; people from the neighborhood come in — there’s a group that comes in to play cards every week.
Some people have said that they were born at the hospital or were here years ago. They saw the space when it would have been ER or outpatient or remember when they had breast cancer surgery here. It’s interesting to see their vision and say “Wow, I can’t believe it looks like that now!”
##
To view the Milford Wellness Village directory, click here. You can view a walking map of the Village, which includes the location of each tenant, here.