The Summit Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus will close in the fall.

A long-term care and short-term lower intensity rehabilitation services provider, the facility at 211 N. 12th St. will close with a targeted date of Oct. 1.

“We made the difficult decision to close Summit with a heavy heart,” said John Nespoli, president of St. Luke’s Carbon and Lehighton campuses. “Our staff have provided compassionate care to so many residents over the years and continue to do so to this day. However, the building has outlived its useful life, and it is just not feasible to maintain it over the long term.

“Our goal is to work closely with each resident and their families to find all of our residents new homes with the same compassion and care they receive at the Summit. We also will be offering all Summit employees comparable employment elsewhere in the St. Luke’s network.”

St. Luke’s said it will continue to invest in many senior services throughout the county to ensure seniors can live independently in their homes as long as possible. This includes healing at home services, chronic disease management to prevent acute episodes, stroke screening and prevention programs, behavioral health programs focused on the needs of seniors, and senior meals at the Carbon Campus to ensure nutritious diets, social interaction and health education.

Melissa Fairchild-Strohl posted on Facebook that she just celebrated 22 years as an employee at The Summit. She said she started there working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and continued on to become a nurse.

“For 22 years, the hallways of this nursing home have been more than just a workplace, it has become my second home,” Fairchild-Strohl posted. “My coworkers, the residents and their family members became my family.

“We have been through so much together. The bonds we formed are unlike any other.”

Fairchild-Strohl added “As the years passed I realized how fortunate I was to be part of this extraordinary family.

“Thank you for the last 22 years and all the memories.”

St. Luke’s took ownership of the Summit when it acquired Blue Mountain Health System in 2017.