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- Sauk County’s public nursing residence will stay county-owned — and open — after a decision to start closing the ability didn’t advance throughout a chaotic Board of Supervisors assembly. It was a win for organizers who’ve relentlessly resisted efforts to denationalise the ability.
- Tensions have escalated since final 12 months, when the board accredited promoting the nursing residence to the for-profit Aria Healthcare. Opponents sued the county to halt the sale, and Aria backed out of the deal.
- Some county board members say a sale is one of the simplest ways to maintain the ability open as prices enhance. Opponents argue the board ought to prioritize investing within the residence, fairly than risking inferior privatized care.
- Comparable debates have unfolded in no less than 4 different Wisconsin counties during the last two years.
Sauk County’s public nursing residence will stay county-owned — for now. That’s after a decision to start closing the ability didn’t advance to the total county board throughout a gathering that resulted in chaos final week.
It was the most recent twist throughout a relentless marketing campaign by native residents to maintain county management of providers which have existed regionally in some type for the reason that 1800s. Heading right into a particular assembly Thursday, proponents of holding the Sauk County Well being Care Middle public feared defeat.
The Sauk County Board of Supervisors was anticipated to vote on a decision to shut the nursing residence if it weren’t bought. The assembly drew greater than 80 attendees to the county board room. A number of held indicators, declaring “SAVE OUR SAUK CO. HEALTH CARE,” and “WE LOVE OUR SAUK COUNTY NURSING HOME.”
As an alternative, no vote passed off, and the board adjourned the assembly inside two minutes with out permitting public remark.
Organizers yelled “disgrace on you” as board members left the room.
“You gained,” County Board Chair Tim McCumber shouted on the chanting organizers. “The rattling nursing residence hasn’t been bought, and it hasn’t been closed.”
Tensions have escalated since final 12 months, when the board accredited promoting the nursing residence to the for-profit Aria Healthcare. Opponents sued the county to halt the sale. The litigation and broader opposition prompted Aria, which didn’t reply to a request for remark, to again out this month, based on Thursday night time’s tabled decision.
Board members supporting a sale name it one of the simplest ways to maintain the ability open as prices elevated. Opponents argue the board ought to prioritize investing within the residence, fairly than risking inferior privatized care.
Wisconsin counties debate nursing residence gross sales
Comparable debates have unfolded in no less than 4 different Wisconsin counties during the last two years. St. Croix discovered new income streams to maintain its nursing residence public, whereas Washington County bought its facility to a personal nursing residence chain. Lincoln County accredited a sale this month, and Portage County continues looking for patrons.
Wisconsin nonetheless maintains extra county-owned nursing houses than most states, however that quantity has shrunk lately, regarding nursing residence residents and their family members.
County-owned nursing houses are typically higher staffed, have larger high quality of care and draw fewer complaints than services owned by for-profits and nonprofits, a 2024 WPR/Wisconsin Watch evaluation of U.S. Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers knowledge exhibits.
County nursing houses have a tendency to supply higher care, however 22 Wisconsin counties have bought or closed them over three many years.
Sauk County’s nursing residence has a historical past of excessive care rankings, however these have just lately slipped. Federal inspections between October 2024 and April yielded three “fast jeopardy” citations associated to affected person care. These citations, essentially the most extreme sort, dropped the facility’s total score to “a lot beneath common,” CMS knowledge exhibits.
In the meantime, the nursing residence has struggled with staffing, shedding 10 staff since Could 23, together with its director of nursing, Thursday’s decision mentioned. Costlier contractors, many from out of city, are filling in.
“We have to do all the pieces to guarantee that that facility is as profitable because it was once,” mentioned Judy Brey, a frontrunner of the citizen group suing the county.
Her group stuffed the board room Thursday night time.
By tabling the decision, the board preserved the established order.
“It’ll be county-run till we’ve extra affected person care issues on the market and the state intervenes, or we’re in a position to promote it,” mentioned McCumber, who has had household keep on the facility.
Whereas Thursday’s decision had left room for Aria or one other firm to purchase the house earlier than finalizing its closure, some board members — even proponents of a sale — weren’t snug voting to probably shut it, mentioned Supervisor Terry Spencer.
Spencer, who favors a sale, sits on the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, one in every of three committees that met earlier than the total board assembly and took no vote on the decision.
“If it’s going to fail by itself, we’ll simply let it fail by itself, after which we’ll shut it,” Spencer mentioned. “However I’d fairly see it attempt than simply say we’re closing our doorways.”
Resident: Nursing house is ‘one huge household’
Sauk County has operated a care facility in some type since 1871 — utilizing it to deal with ailments starting from smallpox within the early 1900s to Alzheimer’s within the Nineties, based on the county’s web site. Round 50 folks reside within the facility as we speak, together with Robert Leopold, 84, who has been there a few 12 months. He and two different nursing residence residents got here to the board assembly to talk out in opposition to a closure.
“We (nursing residence residents) play playing cards, we’ve enjoyable, and it’s one huge household,” Leopold, a retired trainer and longtime 4-H volunteer regionally, mentioned with tears in his eyes.
“If we’ve to go someplace else, we’re all going to be a household gone,” he added. “I simply hope the board realizes what a fantastic facility they’ve acquired and be happy with it and do one thing with it.”
The assembly’s fast adjournment left no alternative for Leopold — who was attending his first board assembly in the course of the nursing residence debate — or others to publicly voice their views. Brey and others shouted calls for that the board enable public remark, declaring that nursing residence residents had traveled half-hour to be there.
McCumber responded: “Disgrace on you for dragging folks out of a nursing residence.”
“(Nursing residence residents) confirmed up and so they needed to talk, however no one gave them the possibility,” Brey replied. “That’s despicable.”
Sale falls by way of
Whereas energized by Thursday’s final result, residents are bracing for a future try to promote or shut the house.
However McCumber mentioned the county’s most suitable choice, Aria, probably gained’t purchase the ability till what he calls a “frivolous” lawsuit is dropped or dismissed.
Aria acquired board approval to buy the ability in September, however the county nonetheless wanted state approval. The Division of Well being Providers beforehand blocked Aria from shopping for one other nursing residence, citing previous citations that, the division mentioned, “exhibit a historical past of noncompliance,” based on the Cap Instances.
Aria’s 4 Wisconsin nursing houses have federal rankings starting from “a lot above common” to “a lot beneath common.”
The state finally accredited the Sauk County buy in Could, however the lawsuit prompted Aria to as a substitute search a leasing settlement with the county.
Whereas the county board accredited that association, the state well being division required extra approval, based on the decision. The unique state-approved sale plan required Aria to take over the nursing residence by July 1. Shifting ahead with a sale or lease after that deadline would require a brand new license utility, which might take as much as 60 days.
Aria advised county officers it not wished to proceed because of misrepresentations of the corporate on-line and “unwarranted assaults” that might intervene with enterprise operations and affected person care, based on the decision.
Requested in regards to the potential for a future Aria buy of the nursing residence, resident Mary Camp responded: “You don’t need to know.”
The 79-year-old has lived there for 4 years and described it because the “finest place on the earth.”
“I believed it was horrible they had been going to promote,” Camp mentioned. “I don’t suppose (Aria is) going to purchase it now. I don’t know. I hope not.”
Her favourite half about her residence? The folks. Not less than twice a day somebody asks her how she’s doing, and “it’s unbelievable,” she mentioned. Her 56-year-old son lives there too.
As they peer into an unsure future, Brey mentioned she has no plans to decelerate her group’s work. As Thursday’s assembly ended, she collected donations for authorized charges throughout a dialogue about subsequent steps, together with probably campaigning to recall board members who favored a sale.
“I really feel the ability of individuals being collectively and united on this,” Brey mentioned. “They know we imply enterprise.”
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