Cass County moves medical care facility millage language to August meeting after facility presentation

Cass County commissioners voted to send proposed ballot language for a medical care facility millage to the boardregular meeting in August after a presentation by a facility representative about services and infrastructure needs.

The presentation, delivered by Mercedes (identified in the record as a medical care facility representative), said the Cass County Medical Care Facility is an 80-bed facility with a current census of 69 and that the facility has operated on the same campus since opening July 14, 1977. Mercedes said county nursing facilities are a small share of the statewide total and described service and capital priorities that the millage funds would target.

"Cass County medical care facility is currently ranked number 1 on the Medicare compare website and recognizes 1 of the facilities in the top 10% rank on both the state and federal government levels," Mercedes said. She described rising demand for private rooms, assisted living, dementia care and a specialized subacute unit for residents requiring ventilators, tracheostomies, feeding tubes, dialysis and complex wound management. "Dialysis is a huge one for us," Mercedes said, noting the facility recently denied at least two residents dialysis care because it lacks on-site capacity.

Why it matters: Mercedes said the facility has served the community for 48 years and faces capital needs such as roof replacement, parking-lot resurfacing and upgraded electrical capacity to provide additional outlets in resident rooms and support electric beds and other equipment. Commissioners said they wanted the ballot language advanced so voters could consider the millage; the motion to send the resolution to the regular meeting in August passed on a voice vote.

Commissioners did not adopt final millage language or set a ballot date at the meeting. The board moved the resolution forward for consideration at the regular meeting in August.

What was said about services and capacity: Mercedes described outpatient therapy already in place from a prior millage and emphasized dialysis as the principal unmet service. "A typical dialysis patient is receiving dialysis for 4 hours. So transportation can't sit and wait for that person," she said, describing transportation and staffing challenges for off-site dialysis. On capacity, she said the facilityoperates at 69 of 80 beds.

Next steps: The board will consider the ballot language at its regular meeting in August. No final vote on millage approval or a ballot date occurred during this session.