Vernon Manor trustees approve roughly $50,600 write-off, accept $3,187 bequest; discuss staffing, vehicle replacement and building improvements

Trustees for Vernon Manor and Vernon Acres approved an accounts-receivable write-off recorded in the meeting motion as $50,585.82 and accepted an annuity distribution of $3,187 earmarked for Vernon Manor, the group heard at a regular meeting (date not specified).

The actions came amid an extended administrative report from Kim Gokanauer, chief executive officer of Bethany St. Joseph's Corporation, who outlined rising census, staffing incentives, and short-term operational risks that drove the board discussion.

The write-off motion passed on a voice vote after a motion and second were offered; the meeting record shows the amount in the motion as $50,585.82. The trustees also voted to forward acceptance of the $3,187 annuity distribution to the county board for final acceptance. Both votes were carried by voice vote.

Gokanauer said Vernon Manor’s census has increased to 63 residents (the facility was budgeted for 55) and at one point reached 75; Vernon Acres reported 25 residents against a budgeted 29. "We're running actually 63 residents in Vernon Manor," Gokanauer said, adding that admissions and referrals — including higher hospital census — helped drive the increase. She described the occupancy and current Medicaid and Medicare rates as "strong and positive." Gokanauer also noted that the facilities together showed unaudited operating results of about $770,000 before certain audit adjustments.

Staffing and retention were a central theme. Gokanauer detailed new retention and career-ladder incentives: retention bonuses of $2,000 for certified nursing assistants, $3,000 for licensed practical nurses and $4,000 for registered nurses after one year; a career-ladder bonus for RNs totaling $20,000 paid across pay periods for employees who meet hours thresholds; and pay increases averaging about 4.25% for direct-care staff going into effect the next pay period. She estimated, without an audit in hand, that starting registered nurse pay is about $42 per hour.

Trustees discussed safety and regulatory risk at Vernon Acres, where Gokanauer said the facility had been operating in some cases "beyond the scope of our licensing requirements" and that the organization would revise admission agreements and care placement to reduce license exposure. She warned the board that a state survey could result in citations while the organization completes corrective actions.

The board also reviewed a recent allegation of resident abuse. Gokanauer described the incident, the immediate suspension of the agency staff member involved, police notification, a prompt internal investigation including reenactment and skin checks, and the state surveyor visit that followed. "They agreed with our findings. No citation," she said, summarizing the survey outcome; the board was told the facility would continue staff reeducation and observation procedures.

Transportation needs and vehicle replacement drew extended discussion. Leadership presented options including smaller passenger vans versus a full bus; vendors quoted models in the ballpark of the mid‑$80,000s, with one vendor offering a roughly $10,000 trade-in allowance on the existing vehicle that would reduce the purchase price. Board members were told quotes were typically valid about 30 days and lead times can be several months. The trustees did not authorize an immediate purchase; instead the county finance director said staff would plan to include the vehicle in the county’s 2026 capital budget and long-range plan. "My recommendation would be budget for it in 2026," the county finance director said during the discussion.

Trustees discussed possible building projects at Vernon Acres, including converting one rarely used guest room into a private office for the director and a longer-term idea to add a bathing/spa room with a side-entry tub for assisted bathing. Preliminary cost estimates for a bathing room were described as likely at least $30,000 and possibly substantially higher once design, permitting and piping work are included; no capital appropriation or motion was made at the meeting.

On finance and accounting matters, Gokanauer told the board that Vernon Manor showed an unaudited net income of about $401,000 prior to audit adjustments, but that a GASB 68 retirement accounting adjustment tied to the Wisconsin Retirement System will reduce the reported surplus on the audited financial statements. She also said the facilities still have a net due to the county from prior years of "over $3,000,000." Gokanauer said the organization is implementing a new electronic medical record (PointClickCare) and a new financial system (Business Central) to improve billing and claims processing, and is working with Wipfli and Inovalon on cost-reporting and automated claim verification.

Other formal actions recorded during the meeting included approval of the previous meeting minutes and a motion to excuse a board member (Kevin Walliser) from the day’s meeting; both motions carried by voice vote.

The meeting ended after trustees discussed agenda planning and long-range capital priorities; the board agreed to add vehicle replacement to its 2026 capital planning and to revisit building improvement cost estimates at a future meeting.

Ending: Trustees scheduled follow-up through the county budgeting cycle and long-range planning sessions; no immediate capital spending was authorized at the meeting.