Blaine County owns and operates a 25-bed skilled nursing home facility, locally known as Blaine Manor. It is located in the old county hospital building on the south end of Main Street in Hailey. The Hailey Medical Clinic is also located in the building. The county is at a crossroads regarding the future of Blaine Manor. The purpose of this column is to describe the complex set of conditions and decisions that face us as a community regarding skilled nursing care in the county.
Until 1999, the county provided nursing home care through the county hospital. When St. Luke's took over hospital responsibilities, it had no experience, expertise or desire to continue nursing home operations. In fact, the intention was to close Blaine Manor concurrently with the opening of the new hospital. The County Commission at that time decided to continue to operate Blaine Manor independently of the hospital. It was anticipated that the nursing home would lose money, but the estimated $160,000 per year loss could be handled by the county in its general budget.
Early experience operating the nursing home revealed that the county subsidy would have to be much higher than anticipated. In fact, it has never been lower than $60,000 per year and will be $700,000 in 2007. With health care costs as they are, it is unlikely the upward trend will reverse. Although the county has been dedicated to providing skilled nursing care, the situation is not sustainable.
The Blaine Manor board of directors (and commissioners?) knew this day was coming. Years ago, they supported creation of the Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation to solve the problem. The foundation developed a plan to build a multi-level continuing care facility for seniors that includes independent living apartments, assisted living units, and full-time skilled nursing care. The facility's operations would be financially sustainable. In order to realize this vision, the foundation has engaged top management and architectural firms to produce an operational plan and design. It expects to undertake a community fund-raising program in early 2007. The Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation has also purchased a 20-acre parcel west of Hailey near the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley and may get 10 more acres under certain conditions.
Here is the crux of the matter. To ensure successful completion of the project, the foundation's board has asked the county to loan it $2.2 million against the future sale of Blaine Manor. This money would be allocated over the next 30 months to cover the foundation's operating and fund-raising costs, and all expenses related to pre-development of the facility. The county has, to date, advanced the foundation $500,000 for this work and has committed to it the proceeds from the future sale of the Blaine Manor land.
The county has two options: Grant Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation the remaining $1.7 million, getting out from under the current and unsustainable annual deficit spending in exchange for a county asset that will be worth $5-$6 million.
The other option is to close down Blaine Manor in the near future and lose senior care in our community.
The County Commission is on record supporting seniors through Blaine Manor and The Senior Connection. We know there is public sympathy for a senior facility in the valley. However, local citizens should understand that there is risk involved in going with the Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation scenario. If the Blaine Manor property is sold before the new facility is built, as proposed, and for some reason the new facility is not completed the county would have no local senior care and would have lost the property asset.
The foundation has enough current assets to fund a feasibility study that would report in April on the potential success of future fund-raising efforts. At that point, if the report is positive, it would be up to the voters to decide whether a new facility is desirable for our community and whether we should fund it with the proceeds from sale of Blaine Manor. State law requires that, in order to sell this hospital property, an election must be held, and a simple majority of the voters must decide in favor.
The commission held a hearing on the foundation's proposal on Dec. 12. It was well attended by advocates of the new facility. Commissioners decided to have one more hearing to let the general public weigh in after being fully informed. The hearing will be Thursday, Jan. 4, at 10 a.m. at the Old County Courthouse. Please attend and let us know how you think we should proceed.
If you have questions before the hearing, call Commissioner Tom Bowman, 788-5500, or Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation Executive Director Mary Jo Helmeke, 788-7180, ext. 30.
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Tom Bowman is the District 2 representative on the Blaine County Board of Commissioners. He was elected in November 2004 to a four-year term.
