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NILES — A new health care company is in town and ready to take care of southwest Michigan residents.

Last Thursday, the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and welcome event for Elara Caring, 312 E. Main St., Suite 1, Niles.

Elara Caring is a regional skilled home health service with more than 225 locations nationwide. The business provides in-home care and a wide range of clinical services, with a focus on recovery, rehabilitation and health education.

“We provide home care to patients in the southwest Michigan area,” said Director Lisa Runyon. “We provide nursing, therapy, social work and home health aid.”

The Niles branch of Elara Caring was previously located in Edwardsburg but moved to Niles in April. Runyon said she believed the new Niles location will help the business better serve southwest Michigan residents.

“Niles is really centrally located in southwest Michigan, and it is obviously one of the largest towns in this area, and the county line cuts through here,” she said. “It really gives us a better location to provide to all the surrounding community, as well as there is a larger health care community here in Niles.”

Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was well-attended by community members and business leaders alike. Runyon said she was happy to receive a warm welcome to the Niles community.

“It’s lovely,” she said. “It’s wonderful. We love the small-town feel that we have here in Niles.”

Now that Elara Caring has been officially welcomed into the Niles business community, Runyon said she and her staff plan to serve the area well by providing quality health care services.

“We are a part of a large company, but each branch has a small field,” she said. “Our staff are able to make really strong connections with their patients because they are from the community or they grew up in the community. They are able to make those connections, but we also have that support from one of the largest home care companies in the United States.”

For more information about Elara Caring, call (269) 663-2201.