On Monday night, the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors voted to sell Pine Crest Nursing Home for $8.5 million.
Their decision was met with mixed responses- with some agreeing that it should be sold and many others dismayed by the outcome.
Pine Crest Nursing Home has been at the center of the public conversation on the future of rural healthcare in Lincoln County for the past few years.
The skilled nursing facility is one of the few nursing homes in the area and the only county-owned option.
The county says they can no longer afford to run it.
People for Pine Crest, a grassroots organizing group, disagrees.
They want to keep the nursing home county-owned and were hoping to delay the vote.
Before voting, board supervisors heard around 2 hours of public comments.
At Monday’s meeting, the Lincoln County Board voted 15-6 to sell Pine Crest Nursing Home.
Don Friske is the Lincoln County Board Chair.
“The difference between the People for Pine Crest and the County Board is the County Board spent two years studying where Pine Crest was at, in relationship to the County,” said Friske.
He emphasized that both the County and People for Pine Crest wanted to retain the staff and maintain the current level of care.
Irene Mehlos was against the sale in public comments.
“It's about the future of what happens to our elders in our community. We don't believe that our elders should be up for profit,” she said.
Marge Roadabuck is a lifelong Lincoln County resident.
“One afternoon, I went to visit my dad and he was nearly in tears. The people at Pine Crest are hearing what's going on. They don't know what's going to happen in their future. If we sell Pine Crest, we have no guarantee what's going to happen,” she said.
Others like Kevin Stevenson of Merrill were in favor of the sale.
“We have to sell Pine Crest for the benefit of the county and the people of Lincoln County as a whole.
Eugene Simon is County Board Supervisor for District 21.
“You're asking Lincoln County taxpayers to pay up to $4.5 million a year for the sake of 80 residents, some who I understand aren't even county residents. (They’re people!) And, yes, I know there are people. But it's the funding issue,” he said.
Care and Rehab, owned by Grant and Andrea Thayer, is Pine Crest’s buyer.
They manage other five star facilities.
“Numerous times during the negotiations was, will the staff stay? And that wasn't me asking, that was Grant asking, the buyer is asking, we need the staff to stay. We can't operate without them,” said Friske.
Friske says he believes Pine Crest will expand under the Thayers’ leadership.
WXPR will keep you updated as the nursing home changes ownership.
