ike Martin, Vice President of Senior Services with Riverside Health System (RHS), has a special connection to Warwick Forest. “I came to RHS in 1985 to develop full service retirement housing for older adults,” said Mike. Riverside was a leader in senior and acute care services then and maintains this impeccable reputation now. Mike Martin’s objective with Warwick Forest was to offer an attractive independent lifestyle with the security of health care coverage and a focus on wellness. “With Riverside backing, I knew it would be a winner,” said Mike.

“The site we selected was very nice but the old Patrick Henry Hospital buildings in use during

World War II were still standing,” Mike recalled. “We tore them down and built Warwick Forest on the site, a beautiful new retirement community. I became the first administrator,” he said, “and eventually turned the reigns over to Greg Burton, who is now deceased.” Mike remembers being a hands-on administrator. As a relatively small retirement community, all the administrators of Warwick Forest are close to residents. Because of the early development, Mike got involved with activities, and acquainted himself with many residents, often long before they even moved in.

Mike’s vision of seniors sharing an active healthy lifestyle during retirement has come to fruition in

this community over the past 15 years. “Warwick Forest will always hold a special place for me because it was the first community we opened, and the first I helped create from just a concept. Along with a lot of faithful residents and staff, we truly took Warwick Forest from an idea to a living, breathing entity,” said Mike. Mike Martin’s office is just a short walk across the parking lot from Warwick Forest, and he makes a point of visiting often.