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HOT SPRINGS – It only takes a moment to understand that although Barry Epstein is a newly minted resident of Hot Springs, Pine Hills Assisted Living has a special place in his life.

“Who wouldn’t enjoy someplace like this?,” he said, sweeping his arm across a dining room prepared for the evening meal, with windows which look down on the 16th green of the Southern Hills Golf Course.

Epstein has been the marketing director for Pine Hills for slightly more than two months, and has come up with some innovative ideas to present the facility to a wide range of people in Hot Springs and the Black Hills area. Epstein previously worked as a consultant for the group which owns Pine Hills before moving to the marketing position.

“Well, my primary concern is to make Pine Hills a retirement destination, both for people in the Hot Springs area and Black Hills region, but also nationally for people who may have ties to the area.” Epstein says that data shows a nearly two-thirds to one-third difference in his inquiries, with the majority coming from within the Black Hills region. “But the number of interested people nationwide is significant.”

Among the different marketing ideas Epstein has begun is the ‘Meet the Artist’ series, which will see a different Black Hills or Hot Springs artist presenting a program each month on his or her specialty at Pine Hills. Programs will take place the second Thursday of each month.

“I was in one of our local galleries here in town and realized that I was surrounded by all this wonderful art. I’m talking to the artists, and I thought, ‘This is just wonderful, to be surrounded by all of this beauty and the talent it takes to create it.’” Epstein applied the same theory to Meet the Artists, providing a space and making the program open to the public and free of charge. “This will allow our residents, and anyone else who wishes to attend, a glimpse at the creative process that an artist goes through to arrive at a finished piece of art.”

“Just like any of the programs we offer here, it has to be supported by our residents because we are really inviting people into their living environment here,” Epstein stressed. “It gets their blessing before we move forward.”

Ginger Heinzen, a silk scarf painter, was the inaugural artist last week and Hot Springs’ Annie Thorstenson will bring her mosaics to Pine Hills in April.

Epstein said that “About a dozen” different service club or organizations have met at Pine Hills as well, again, with the support of the residents.

“Groups have used our dining room, as well as our smaller executive dining room for meetings, whether they eat or not,” he said. The Hot Springs Kiwanis Club, the Jedediah Smith Corral of Westerners and the Red Hatters are a few of the groups who have met at Pine Hills.

As in the previous two scenarios, Epstein’s third marketing idea is designed around bringing people into Pine Hills.

Valentine’s Day was the first ‘open dining room’ night for people to come Pine Hills and take in dinner. A special St. Patrick’s dinner was held as well last week, with, “Hopefully at least one special open-to-the-public event like it every month or so,” Epstein said. They reached their limit of 60 people pretty quickly and promised the first spots for St. Patrick’s to the people they were forced to turn away on Feb. 14.

“Of course we would like to have the facility filled to capacity,” he said. “When we show our apartments to a prospective resident and his or her family, the beauty of the construction and the surrounding make people feel right at home.”

Epstein says that his residents are also the best sales tool he has when it come to new residents.

“Sometimes when I am showing an apartment, one of the residents will come up and ask, ‘Are you thinking of moving in here? Let me tell you, this is a wonderful place to live!’ When something like that happens, I just walk away and let them talk,” Epstein said. “They word-of-mouth is better than anything I could tell people.”

Pine Hills is slightly more than half filled and Epstein said that he hopes his marketing plans will fill the remaining rooms.

Pine Hills offers both assisted and independent living quarters for singles people, married people or those who wish to share a room and rent but aren’t related. Assisted living quarters come with medical assistance and more than 45 meals per month. And all residents are able to take part in activities, make use of the pool or gym area and the extensive library.

To schedule a meeting for your group or organization at Pine Hills, contact Epstein at 745-5555.

“We strive to be an exciting and stimulating place for people 55 and older,” Epstein said. “At the same time, we want to have a good working relationship with the business community, both here in Hot Springs and the Black Hills area.”