* Headquarters: 6020 Arbury Way, Ooltewah, Tennessee
* Online: morningpointe.com
* History: Greg Vital and Franklin Farrow started Morning Pointe Senior Living in Chattanooga in 1996 with a plan to provide a different type of senior care than the nursing home model. Their initial goal was to develop half a dozen brick-and-mortar communities for senior living services. After the six buildings were finished, they decided to assemble a management team and provide their own operations. Now in 35 locations in five states across the Southeast, Morning Pointe owns and operates seven communities in the Tennessee Valley including locations in Athens, Chattanooga, Collegedale, East Hamilton, and Hixson-and growing regionally.
* Mission: Morning Pointe communities are dedicated to providing services that enhance the wellness, lifestyle and enjoyment of senior living. Assisted living (in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana), personal care (in Kentucky), and Alzheimer's services are provided in a caring, secure environment that promotes hospitality and dignity while maintaining an independent quality of life. Trained staff and licensed nursing teams help maintain each resident's individuality through meaningful activities, investing time and attention in understanding prior roles, routines and interests of each. This is at the core of Morning Pointe's specialized Meaningful Day memory care programming that provides purpose and a sense of peace and security.
* What's Next: This programming will be back up and running in July at the newly rebuilt Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer's Center of Excellence in Chattanooga at 7620 Shallowford Road, following the tornado of April 2020. The tornado that devastated the Chattanooga region destroyed two Morning Pointe senior living communities at the same time the community was grappling with the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. All 130 residents survived the crisis and remained COVID-free. The almost 25-year-old company put new systems in place across every department, all while rebuilding both senior living buildings in 15 months.