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Letter to the Editor | Please contact your Washington Co. Supervisor to support our commitment to the most vulnerable | By Deb Anderson

Judy Steffes
By Judy Steffes
749

April 10, 2023 – West Bend, WI – I sent the following letter to each Washington County Supervisor last week, I would like to share it with the public because the vote they take on Wednesday will have an impact on so many in our community for decades to come.  If you haven’t already, please contact your supervisor to express your support for our commitment to the most vulnerable.Letter to the Editor Washington

Dear Supervisor,
I have attended most of the ad hoc committee meetings regarding the future of the Samaritan Health Center. Having been on the original Task Force that addressed this issue over 2 years ago, I have a personal vested interest.
Our committee concluded that we should continue to support the services that the Samaritan has provided for over half of a century to vulnerable people who had no financial ability to go elsewhere. We felt strongly that we had a moral obligation to care for those who once cared for us.
At that time, there was a possibility that a partnership was possible with Cedar Community. That potential did not come to fruition. But since then, I have heard our conclusion repeated as if that was the only circumstance for staying in the “nursing home business”. That was not the case. We wanted to continue to provide services regardless, an imminent partnership being the easy solution.
So here we are, 2 years later. The current committee heard from similar experts, asked similar questions, and came to conclusions similar to ours – but without a partnership in the wings. Their top recommendation is to keep and remodel the existing building. If not that, then their second choice is to build a new facility, leaving the idea of closing as a last and most distasteful option.
I went to these meetings wondering what had changed in the intervening years that could impact the conclusion of the original committee. Yes, Covid has changed how people choose careers. And Baby Boomers retiring by the thousands weekly has been a shock no one prepared for. So, staffing is a universal problem. And in this case, staffing levels have been affected by the uncertainty of having a job as this debate continues.
But in America, we rebound. We become creative and we find solutions. And we don’t give up.  I listened to the committee members. I heard their interest evolve into a sense of purpose. After listening to balance sheet numbers, population numbers, costs related to remodeling, building new, or demolition, they also asked about the people living there now and those yet to come.
Where would they go? Who would take care of them? I heard them move toward “human” concerns. This isn’t a rummage sale “free to a good home.” While there are more companies providing in-home services, delaying when a person might actually need services in a nursing home environment, there will always be people for whom that is not an option. We are all just a diagnosis (of stroke, kidney failure, loss of vision, loss of mental capacity) away from needing the assistance and safety only found in a nursing home. At $10K and more per month, in a private facility, it would not be long before most of us would run out of money.
In Wisconsin, we have Medicaid providing a safety net that helps subsidize these costs. But to a private nursing home, that is in business to make a profit, they can only handle so many people on Medicaid before they no longer see a profit, so they keep Medicaid dependent clients to a small percentage of their population.
The current ad hoc committee recognized the need to look for solutions. They have suggestions about creative staffing. With Medicaid paying almost 100% reimbursement, there is no loss. (There will still be a mix with private pay residents.)  In fact, they have found that the Samaritan will be able to be self-supporting while paying back any money borrowed for remodeling the building.
I apologize for this long message, but the resolution of this issue will reflect for generations the kind of county, community, and people we are. I encourage you to ask questions you may have at the Board meeting, then to vote to support Samaritan services for decades to come.

As a county leader, I am looking to you to lead, to solve problems, to set an example other counties can follow. Please vote yes to continue Samaritan services. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Deb Anderson, former Samaritan Task Force Member

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