By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster’s Shelby Ridge Nursing Home and Rehab Select has been a busy place over the past several months, the facility’s owner said on Oct. 11.

In addition to improvements and renovations – including three new rehabilitation gyms in its short-term rehabilitation wing – Shelby Ridge has also added several new services with the help of local physicians.

“This should enable us to bring things to the next level,” said Shelby Ridge owner Chris Schmidt. “We are getting results like we’ve never seen before.”

Shelby Ridge staff members, residents, visitors and elected officials gathered at the facility on Oct. 11 to celebrate the facility’s work over the past several months.

During the ceremony, Shelby Ridge Medical Director Dr. Lawrence Lee said the facility recently started working with several local doctors to add services such as advanced wound care, psychological care and orthopedic healing.

“I truly think this is a state-of-the-art facility for rehabilitation,” Lee said.

State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said Shelby Ridge is providing services “we never could have dreamed of 20 or 30 years ago,” and praised the facility for having a “personal touch.”

“I am very proud to have it in our community,” Ward said. “Quality care is about personal attention. This facility has that personal touch.”

Shelby Ridge Director of Admissions DiAnna Wilson said the facility decided to have a ribbon cutting to celebrate the culmination of its new services.

“We are excited about our new services, and we have not celebrated our physicians yet, we wanted to do it all at once,” Wilson said.