County hospice being taken over by Ensign Group

On April 15, Wright County Public Health and healthcare provider the Ensign Group announced that the latter would be taking over Wright County’s hospice services. The change came after the county recognized the need to streamline the public health budget and after long discussions about what was best for the county.

Karl Helgevold, county supervisor and member of the Public Health executive board, said that Wright County, being in a rural area between Ft. Dodge and Mason City, lacks access for some health care services. Cooper agreed, and said that was one reason they had been worried about cutting the hospice program. “We felt that we were leaving the county high and dry,” she said. Two other privately-owned hospice programs reach into the county, but Cooper said having no county-run hospice left an area around Belmond without service.

While they were considering de-certifying hospice, Cooper said they were contacted by the Ensign Group, the same company that owns the Clarion Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, about taking it over. After many months of discussions between Public Health, Ensign Group, and Iowa Specialty Hospital to consider the best thing to do for the county, public health’s board of directors agreed to allow Ensign Group to acquire the service.

“I was very comfortable with them taking over hospice,” Cooper said. “I had worked with them before.”

For more information about Wright County Public Health, see the April 21 edition of the Monitor.