New Grant nursing home build is ahead of schedule; hiring staff ramps up as spring opening date approaches
BY BECKY UEHLING
GRANT TRIBUNE
The construction of the new 40-bed nursing home, Western Sky Community Care Center (WSCCC), in Grant is ahead of schedule. However, the facility will not open until the top two leadership positions are in place, according to facility consultant Tim Groshans, owner of Senior Insight, a nursing home consulting business that has assisted WSCCC throughout the process.
The top positions of the facility are Administrator and Director of Nursing Services (DNS). Currently, an administrator has been hired and will start February 1, but the Director of Nursing Services has not, Groshans said.
“It (DNS) is a pivotal position,” Groshans said. “I would argue that it is even more important than the administrator because they are responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the staff.”
Groshans said the DNS is required to be a Registered Nurse, but more critical for him, and the WSCCC board, is finding a person who has strong leadership and people skills.
“It is the DNS’s responsibility to maintain a happy, quality staff. The administrator can help, but the DNS has the most influence,” he said.
With the building of the facility ahead of schedule, and 25 people interested in utilizing its services so far, finding that key person to serve as DNS is the top priority. Especially as the proposed April 1st open date approaches, he said.
“We will not open until we have the DNS position filled,” he said.
Applications for employment are now open on WSCCC’s website for all employees, including DNS and another pivotal role of MDS, or Minimum Data Set Coordinator, which, in a nursing home, is a nurse who oversees the process of monitoring the residents’ health and functional status, Groshans said.
Groshans encourages anyone who is interested in the DNS, MDS, or any position, to apply online now or reach out to him or any of the board members if they have specific questions.
All positions now open include the following: DNS, MDS, charge nurses, nurses aides, medication aides, social services, dietary, laundry, housekeeping and maintenance. He said WSCCC is not taking any office staff applications at this time, but may later. The website’s address is https://westernskycccenter.socs.net/
Members of the WSCCC Board are as follows: Mark Bottom, Renae Bottom, Genie Bishop, Chris Loeffler, Steve Loeffler, Diane Hagan and Dan Hughes. Interested applicants can email Groshans with questions at senior.insight@yahoo.com.
Continue to keep an eye on the Tribune for more articles about the new nursing home.