Getting in and out of vehicle can be rough after having surgery and soon local patients
of The Lodge at Sandhills Carolina, owned by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation along
Midland Avenue in Pinehurst, will have a new tool to get trained support to do so
thanks to the automotive students at Sandhills Community College (SCC).
It took about two weeks for collision repair students to work on a 2021 Ford Escape
Titanium donated by SanStone for the special project.
“We’re here to help support our community and this was a great example as to how our
students could solve a need for a new business coming to the region,” said Brian Garner,
Instructor/Department Chair of Transportation including the Collision Repair program
that is only one of six colleges in the United States affiliated with Enterprise Collision
Engineering/ Collision Repair Training Program.
Students were asked to provide SanStone with a safe, purpose-built rehabilitation
training vehicle for patients recovering from surgery or receiving long-term care—so
they can practice getting in and out of a vehicle in a controlled environment.
“At SanStone Health & Rehabilitation, we believe in partnering with the communities
where we live and work to create meaningful impact. Our collaboration with Sandhills
Community College is a wonderful example of how education and healthcare can come
together to support both student development and patient recovery. We’re proud to
contribute to a project that benefits the next generation of skilled professionals
while enhancing the care experience for those we serve,” said Jennifer Robinson, President
and CEO of SanStone.
SCC students got straight to work to fulfill the tasks of the request that included:
- Removed the hybrid drivetrain, fuel system, brake system, A/C system, 12-volt battery, and high-voltage battery
- Removed the front suspension
- Rewired the 12-volt system to operate from 110V AC power
- Evacuated all fluids from the vehicle
- Sectioned the vehicle by cutting off the front end
- Fabricated and installed a fixture to support the car without the front suspension
- Added custom brackets to remount the fuse boxes
- Performed sheet-metal fabrication to build:
- a front-end enclosure to close off the cut section
- fender covers to enclose the former wheel openings
- a cowl panel enclosure to visually integrate the new front section
“This was an excellent hands-on experience for our students in our garage to apply
what they’ve been learning and to learn on the job in a team environment,” said Garner,
“What’s equally important is the soft skills they’ve developed in communications while
listening and delivering on what the client needed. We were excited and happy to take
on this job and hope many patients and their caring staff get good use and outcomes
from vehicle.”
The Lodge at Sandhills Carolina, owned by SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, is due
to open in the Fall of 2026.
