Welcome to our home base for everything that relates to our closure plan of Long Term Care.
Below, you can scroll down to find a number of different resources:
The following message is a written version of the above video
From Ross Ramsey, MD
After many years of discussion, analysis and consultation, our Board of Trustees have made the extremely tough decision to close our Long Term Care unit at Scheurer Health.
As you can imagine, this was not an easy decision; nor was it the solution that in a perfect world, we would ever come to. But as we are reminded every day, the world is far from perfect and closing our Long Term Care unit is one that ensures that our residents can receive the quality of care that they are used to and we as an organization can continue to provide the top-rate quality of care that Scheurer Health has come to be known for, for years into the future.
Our goal is to answer and explain any of the questions that you may have as it relates to the ‘why, when, and how’ this decision was made.
Long Term Care has been part of our DNA ever since we opened our doors to the ‘new’ Scheurer Hospital in 1972. In 2004, we put on an addition at the north end of our campus that over doubled its size while keeping the number of Long Term Care residents the same – at just 19 in total. Our Long Term Care unit is considered to be a “basic” unit, unlike the “skilled” centers like that of the Huron and Tuscola County Medical Care Facilities, Courtney Manor, Lakeview Extended Care and beyond. In fact, our Long Term Care is the only basic unit in the entire county. For the last 51 years, we have bridged that gap by going above and beyond with the quality of care that our residents receive on a daily basis.
The short answer as to why we have come to the decision to close our Long Term Care is finances and the constant increase in federal and state regulations that are applied to our small unit of 19 residents.
Over the years, the amount of regulation and paperwork that is required to maintain a nursing home the size of ours is quite ridiculous and has been increasing at an alarming rate, especially since the pandemic. Most, if not all of these changes are aimed at large metropolitan facilities that have hundreds of residents, and we completely understand the need for these regulations. However, it makes for a very difficult environment to operate in for a small ‘basic’ unit like ours at Scheurer.
In addition, funding and reimbursement from programs like Medicaid continue to decrease making our Long Term Care of just 19 residents unsustainable.
It is our goal to be as transparent with you as possible when it comes to this decision. That’s why we are willing to share with you that over the last ten years, we have lost an average of over a half million dollars every year -- $580,907 to be specific. Up to this point, we have been able and willing to subsidize the losses in Long Term Care with the success that we have had at Scheurer. However, in today’s economy where everything is costing more and expenses continue to rise, we are at a fork in the road and we refuse to lower our standards and quality of care that our residents receive.
Like I said earlier, this decision was not made easily and certainly not overnight. Since 2018, we have had financial auditors and consultants from WIPFLI, who specialize in healthcare finance, reviewing our business operations as a whole. Every year, for the last five years, they have recommended drastic changes to our Long Term Care that would change its identity with a number of cuts and reductions. All of this would have a negative impact on quality – which we refuse to do.
These findings and scenarios have been discussed at length for half of a decade with our Board of Trustees. Our Board is comprised of pillars of our local communities since Scheurer’s establishment 78 years ago. Their purpose is to look out for the communities that we serve and to drive our standards forward. So, as you can imagine, this was not an easy decision to make. In every single one of our discussions about Long Term Care, our residents, families and Scheurer team have been at the top of our minds and will continue to be, as we move forward.
Much like the rest of us, our board did not want to have to come to this unanimous decision, but it’s one that is along the same lines as when we stopped delivering babies at Scheurer Hospital, some 25 years ago.
Now, we realize a decision of this magnitude will spark conversations and rumors about Scheurer’s overall future. That’s why I am here to tell you that we have made this decision to ensure a bright future at Scheurer. We are absolutely determined to remain an independent healthcare organization and sometimes tough decisions are required to do so. We still have the same commitment to Senior Living as ever and Country Bay Village and Country Gardens remain as great resources for our community.
Our decision to close Long Term Care was extensive and thorough, and so is our closure timeline.
The State of Michigan and federal government requires a very detailed closure plan with a wide variety of required milestones to ensure that our residents are taken care of. As you can imagine, we are taking these baseline requirements and upping them to meet our Scheurer standards for the benefit of our residents and their families.
The State requires just 30 days' notice from the time it is announced to when the unit can close, while the federal government requires 60 days. To make sure that every one of our residents’ needs are met, our timeline is around 100 days. During this time, our staff will be working with each family individually so that a new community can be found that best suits their needs, level of care and lifestyle. When it comes time for that resident to move to their new home, our staff will travel with them to maximize their comfort and familiarity of the new location. Our social work team, along with our MDS Nurse Coordinator and Director of Nursing will all be involved so that there is as smooth of a transition as possible. We have great relationships with the other eight nursing homes across the Thumb area and we will utilize every one of them for the benefit of our residents.
As of today, we have 16 Long Term Care residents, all of whom our team considers to be part of their family. We will without a doubt miss their warm smiles, stories and presence on our campus. Saying goodbye will be tough and many tears will be shed. Knowing that they are going to be taken care of at one of our other great local nursing communities will make it a little easier, but certainly still bittersweet.
One of the many topics of discussion in addition to just our residents is also our staff. We are so grateful for every single person who works in our Long Term Care unit and they’re the reason it has such an outstanding reputation in our community. One of the great benefits and strengths that we have as an organization is that our scope of service spans in many directions. As is the case with nearly every business in the world right now, we have a number of open positions and our Long Term Care team has the opportunity to apply for and fill those slots.
No plans have been made for the space that Long Term Care currently occupies. Our focus has been on our residents, families and staff that are affected by this decision. Eventually, the area will be repurposed in a way to best serve the community, much like we have with Long Term Care for the last 51 years.
So, as we work through this tough decision and everything that is associated with it – including our emotions – I want to thank you for your support of Scheurer Health. It is because of you that we are able to provide so many essential services to our local community and as a result, you have made us your first choice for healthcare.
Tough decisions are just that – tough.
But sometimes they’re required to ensure an even brighter future. One that we will certainly have together at Scheurer Health.
Thank you.
Ross M. Ramsey, MD
President & CEO
Timeline of Long Term Care Closure
The closure of Long Term Care has been long debated and researched for over five years. Since the recommendations from WIPFLI (a consulting company specializing in healthcare finance) to make drastic changes and cuts to Long Term Care in 2018, the Scheurer Board of Trustees was able and willing to accept the financial losses that the department was incurring due to the overall success of the organization. As costs continue to rise in today's economy, the department's losses have grown at a substantial rate.
2018:
WIPFLI consultants recommend drastic changes to Long Term Care.
2019:
WIPFLI consultants again recommend large cuts and changes to Long Term Care.
2020:
WIPFLI consultants recommend the same cuts and changes to lessen the losses.
2021:
WIPFLI consultants present the same cuts and changes to Long Term Care.
2022:
WIPFLI consultants highly recommend that changes are made to Long Term Care.
2022-Nov:
Board of Trustees vote unanimously to close Long Term Care.
2022-Dec:
Closure plan is submitted to the State of Michigan. No announcement can be made until approval.
2023-Jan:
State of Michigan begins reviewing the thorough and detailed Long Term Care closure plan.
2023-Feb:
On February 22, the State of Michigan approves the closure plan for Long Term Care and an announcement can be made to the families, staff and public.
Long Term Care staff begin meeting with families individually to make the transition to a new community as smooth as possible.
2023-Mar:
Staff of Long Term Care continue to work with families as our residents move to their new communities.
2023-Apr:
Staff of Long Term Care continue to work with families as our residents move to their new communities. As part of the transition, our staff will travel with the residents.
2023-May:
May 26, 2023 will act as the official last day of Long Term Care at Scheurer Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a facility that is considered a "basic" unit, versus a "skilled" nursing care facility, we are limited in the number of services that we can provide to our residents. We have bridged this gap with an outstanding level of care ever since Long Term Care was formally established in 1972.
Over the years, increased regulations from both the state and federal governments have made it difficult to operate a unit as small as ours at just 19 total residents.
With such a small unit, finances will eventually become unsustainable in today's economy. Over the last 10 years, Long Term Care has sustained over $5.8 million in losses, which has been offset by Scheurer Health's overall success as an independent healthcare organization.
Our Board of Trustees made a unanimous decision to close Long Term Care after five years of discussion. Since 2018, we have utilized WIPFLI, an organization that specializes in healthcare finance and auditing to analyze our operations. Their findings suggested that we would have to make drastic changes to Long Term Care in order to continue, which would have lowered our quality of care -- something that we refused to do, for the sake of our residents and families.
Once voted upon by the Scheurer Board of Trustees, a closure plan was created to submit to the State of Michigan before an announcement could be made to the public.
We have great relationships with all of the nursing homes and skilled care facilities across the Thumb of Michigan. Individual attention will be given to each resident and their family to determine what location will best suit their needs and comfort. Once a new home is confirmed, our team will travel with the resident to ensure a smooth transition between the two locations and to make sure the resident is taken care of as best as possible.
With the closure plan that has been submitted to the State of Michigan, our last day of operation is scheduled for May 26, 2023. The goal of the decision was to be completed by the end of our current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2023.
As of February 22, there are 15 residents that reside at Scheurer Long Term Care. The State of Michigan allows us a capacity of 19 in total.
The entire organization has been carefully analyzed and reviewed. The annual losses within Long Term Care and increased state regulatory requirements determined this to be a difficult, yet necessary decision to ensure the overall financial stability of Scheurer Health into the future. This decision confirms our commitment and future of remaining an independent healthcare organization.
Ultimately, the resident and their family will have the final decision of where they will live after Scheurer Long Term Care. Our team will work on an individual basis with each resident to make sure every need is met and to ensure a smooth transition between communities. Customized relocation care planning will be coordinated by our staff, social work team, MDS nurse coordinator and director of nursing. It is our goal that each of our residents finds the best-case scenario for their new home.
There are multiple requirements by both levels of government when a voluntary closure takes place. A closure plan must be finalized and approved by the State of Michigan before any communication to staff, residents or families can occur. Within this plan, there are specific standards and requirements that must be followed to ensure a smooth transition for our Scheurer Long Term Care residents.
The State of Michigan requires just 30-days notice for closure, while the federal government's requirement is 60 days. Our closure plan at Scheurer Health is closer to 100 days.
Luckily, there are open positions in a variety of areas across Scheurer Health. Every staff member will work with our Human Resources department to help them through the unknowns and to make sure that every teammate will be in a good place.
A series of retention bonuses and severance packages are available for our team in Long Term Care, depending on the career decisions that they choose.
No, our Long Term Care team is just one of the many bright spots that we have across Scheurer Health. Our compassionate staff is the main reason why we have repeatedly received a five-star rating since the designation's inception.
There are a number of nursing home facilities that are available for our residents across the Thumb of Michigan. Altogether, there are 11 different communities within 40 miles of Scheurer Health in Pigeon, MI. Scroll down to the map below to view each location.
Each of our Senior Living communities meets different sets of needs. Country Gardens is an assisted living community that would not be able to meet the requirements of our current Long Term Care residents. Country Bay Village is an independent living community for seniors.
Scheurer Long Term Care is the only basic unit in the Thumb area, with all others being designated as skilled medical care facilities. The biggest difference is the level of treatments and rehabilitation programs that are allowed in each.
There have been no plans made for the Long Term Care unit. Our focus has been on the residents, their families and our staff up to this point. Eventually, the space will be repurposed in a way that will best serve the community's needs into the future.
Our staff will participate in training focused on Relocation Stress Syndrome (RSS) that will educate them on the definition, characteristics and appropriate interventions to best understand and manage these behaviors.
Information will be available to all staff and family members that highlight what RSS is and what to look for. Daily huddles will continue allowing for feedback from staff who have seen any such behaviors. Appropriate handoff communication will be noted in their electronic medical records so the receiving facility staff is informed, as well.
The birds were relocated several months ago, even before any decision was made regarding Long Term Care's future. The company that was contracted to manage and clean the bird aviary went out of business.
The good news is that the birds were adopted by a family and continue to thrive.
Long Term Care // Finances
Total financial loss since 2013: -$5,809,076
Our Long Term Care has suffered an average loss of over $580,000 per year for the last decade due to our limited size and the number of regulations required to operate a basic-leveled Long Term Care unit. These losses have been able to be sustained by the overall success of Scheurer Health.
Other Options in the Thumb
Altogether, within 40 miles of Scheurer Health, there are 11 different living communities for Long Term Care, including three in Huron County.
Click on each pin on the map to learn more about each location.
Our Thanks
As you can imagine, this decision and process has not been easy. We want to thank you for your patience, understanding and prayers for everyone involved. Our Long Term Care residents are part of our family and we will miss their warm smiles and positive impact on our campus.
As Dr. Ramsey said above, tough decisions allow us to ensure a bright future at Scheurer Health.
Thank you!
In March 2022, the family of Bob Fluegge presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the staff of Scheurer Long Term Care. The award was made possible by a monetary donation to the Rotary International Foundation in our Long Term Care team's name. In their presentation, they noted how much of a positive impact the staff had on Bob while a resident at Scheurer Long Term Care.
Our team is what has made our unit so successful and heartfelt over the last five-plus decades.