New nursing home on display as Western Sky welcomes public at Open House

A large crowd gathered Saturday at the Western Sky Community Care Center (WSCCC) in Grant for its open house, as leaders, residents and state officials celebrated the new skilled non-profit nursing home facility that will open in April.

“In less than 11 months we went from a bare lot to this beautiful building,” said Dan Hughes one of WSCCC’s board members who emceed the event, praising the hard work, extensive fundraising and wide regional support that made the center possible.

The new 44 bed facility follows a different model than many traditional nursing homes, which are usually for-profit institution that combine different levels of care. WSCCC is a nonprofit, focused solely on long-term nursing care to include rehabilitation, according to WSCCC’s leadership.

The open house attracted state senators to speak, including local District 44 Senator Theresa Ibach and District 42 Senator Mike Jacobson, along with District 12 Senator Merv Riepe who also sits on the state’s HHS Committee and wanted to see the facility he had heard so much about. Riepe lauded the project as an example of rural civic commitment. Senator Riepe highlighted the project’s importance amid the recent trend of nursing home closures in small communities.

“This is one of those shining stars that I like to talk about when we talk about how communities come together,” Senator Ibach said, recalling early community meetings that launched the effort. Senator Jacobson noted the speed and scope of the undertaking.

Perkins County, along with communities around the area, were also praised during the event for their help in raising the more than  $3 million that was needed as seed money, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture providing roughly $13 million in rural development financing, allowing construction of the skilled nursing facility to move forward.

Board members and volunteers were singled out for their relentless fundraising efforts, led by Doris Olsen, which organizers said drew donations from more than a dozen states. Sarah Pierce, the USDA Community Program Specialist who championed the project throughout the application process, was also recognized for guiding the complex federal financing process.

Perkins County Community Health Services was acknowledged during the event for donating the land and selling its bed licenses that enabled the project to proceed. PCHS also donated furniture and other items from their former convalescent home to be used at WSCCC.

Tim Groshans, owner of the consulting group Senior Insight that guided the project from start to finish, spoke about the transition from construction to care.

“Now we get to take care of people,” Groshans told the crowd, emphasizing a commitment to resident-centered care and staff development. Organizers urged the community to continue supporting the facility beyond the excitement of opening day, noting that ongoing volunteerism and engagement will be essential to its long-term success.

Towards the end of the presentation, Hughes shared a story from the board’s bi-monthly meetings, saying that the board is made up of people with strong personalities and difficult decisions sometimes led to frank, “come to Jesus” conversations. But he said while fighting back tears that the board would also collectively “come to Jesus” at the end of their meetings, focusing on the larger picture of making the project a success.

Board member Mark Bottom closed the formal remarks with a simple message of gratitude.

“Yes, we worked hard, and the board has done a lot of good work,” he said. “But none of us are here today but with you people… We’ve done something that’s unique, and we’ve done it as a community, and you can wear that pride yourselves because you are what did it. We just were the captain of the ship.”

Those attending the event for tours and refreshments commented about how having the facility is a relief of improved local services and the importance of keeping families nearby when nursing care is needed.

The facility’s leadership says they expect to complete final staffing and licensing steps in the coming weeks and begin accepting residents shortly thereafter. The official opening date for the facility has not yet been set but will be in the coming week or so, Groshans said. For more information, or to ask a question, log on to the facility’s website at https://westernskycccenter.socs.net/ or call 308-352-2575. More photos on page 3.