Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Changes are coming for the residents and staff of Mason Health Care Facility.
The health care facility, on the Kosciusko Community Hospital campus, is not only on the selling block, but also will be seeking a new administrator. Brian Catron, who currently holds that position, tendered his resignation this morning. It becomes effective April 4. He made the announcement at a staff meeting Friday afternoon.
"The staff has done a great job and have made this facility the best in the county," Catron said.
"I just want a clean start. It got to the point where it appeared the process (of selecting a buyer) for the facility wasn't going to be fair. It was evident that my opinion really didn't matter," he said. "So, I thought it was time to move on,"
Willis Alt, chairman of Mason's board of directors said Catron's contribution to the facility has been great and his expertise will be hard to replace.
"We wish him well," Alt said during the staff meeting. "Brian, you will be missed."
The news of Catron's departure was not taken well by some staffers. Staffers also expressed concern about the inclusion of Miller's Health Care Systems on the list of three finalists of possible purchasers. Miller's manages 31 other retirement homes in Indiana under the name of Miller's Merry Manor. The other two finalists are Kingston Health Care and TLC Health Care Systems.
"I've worked in every facility in this county, and I don't want to see someone like Miller's come in here," said Bobby Asher, a nursing assistant at Mason who was formerly employed at Miller's. "We should have the right as employees, and we should have a right as a community, to have a say in the decision on who buys this nursing home."
Additionally, Alt's friendship with Jim Miller has Catron wondering whether that relationship is giving an unfair advantage to Miller in the selection process.
"One would have to question that," Catron said. "I hope that it [the process] is genuine, but I'm not convinced it is."
Debra Trap also questioned Alt's relationship and the influence it has on including Miller's Health Care in the list of finalists. She also said Miller's reputation in the industry is not stellar and they don't deserve to be considered as a possible purchaser of Mason Health Care.
"You don't think that you [Alt] being involved in that meeting to include Miller on the final list for the bid process resulted in an undue influence?" she asked.
"I don't understand, knowing their record, how you can even consider Miller," she said. "How can we trust this process? We're afraid we're going to end up being sold like the hospital - being sold without the community being told."
Alt said he has not been included in the selection process, nor did he vote to include Miller on the list of finalists.
The lack of information was also a concern with Tonya Vandewater.
"I don't know who to believe, with all the misinformation that went out about the sale of the hospital; and with Dane Miller, Larry Teghtmeyer and George Clemens being removed from the [HealthNet] board and the public told they resigned when they didn't," she said. "It's like Bill Clinton - you don't know what to believe."
Alt said the concerns expressed by Mason's staff are troubling, and offered to allow more staff involvement in the decision-making process as to which of the finalists is selected.
"I feel a real sense of distrust here, and I feel bad about that," he said.
Alt offered to have a committee of four staff members, selected by Catron, sit in on the deliberations on the eventual purchaser, but the committee will not have veto power over any decision.
Alt and Catron said they both hope to have the decision on the purchaser before Catron's resignation takes effect. Until that time, Catron will continue to be involved in the selection process, including evaluation of patient services and conducting tours of the facilities.
