West Bend, WI – The Washington County Board will discuss the potential sale of the Samaritan Health Center at its April 12, 2023, meeting. The first meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Herbert J. Tennies Government Center – Room 1019 at the courthouse on E. Washington Street. The first meeting with be a review of the findings from the Ad Hoc Committee tasked with reviewing the Samaritan Home.
Agenda_2023_4_12_Meeting(4549)
Excerpt below is from Washington County, Wi.
In 2019, the Washington County Facilities Department created facility assessment reports for the majority of county facilities, including the Samaritan Health Center.
Those reports detailed the short- and long-term needs of each building and its infrastructure. In early 2021 the County created a task force to discuss the future of the Samaritan Health Center. That conversation continues today through the special committee concerning the future of the Samaritan Health Center.
Due to the uncertainty of the Samaritan Health Center, most of the short-term projects had been deferred. Many of the recommendations in that report are now at a critical point to keep the building functioning properly for its residents and staff.
The Samaritan Campus comprises of three specialized licensed operations with its own individual rules, regulations, and requirements. In addition, the complexity of the negotiation process as well as the development of a written sales agreement requires a legal firm whose expertise in senior healthcare is paramount.
The Board will meet in closed session specifically to discuss the potential sale of Samaritan Health Center and later return to open session to act on their findings.
After three years of discussions with the community; meetings with Samaritan
staff, residents, and family of residents; visits to over a dozen other county nursing homes;
financial consultants and reports; one task force and one ad hoc committee; and countless staff hours devoted to a workable resolution, we now reach the point where the discussion
concludes. No stone is unturned.
Throughout the deliberations, Washington County has remained focused on ensuring
compassionate care of its elderly citizens somewhere in and around Washington
County, while keeping a keen eye on the perspective of Washington County taxpayers. With
an abundance of data now available to consider every angle of this important decision, it is
time for a final decision.
The Board needs to determine whether county government is better suited to manage this care or is the private sector better equipped. If the Board concludes county government run long term care is best, then either remodeling or rebuilding must be the conclusion. If the Board concludes the private sector is more appropriate, then a sale of Samaritan is the option to be pursued.
Click HERE to contact your County Supervisor.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Herbert J. Tennies Government Center – Room 1019 at the courthouse on E. Washington Street. The meeting is open to the public.
