Portage County committee unanimously recommends Gateway Wisconsin as preferred buyer for county nursing home amid public objections

A Portage County ad hoc committee voted unanimously Aug. 18 to recommend Gateway Wisconsin as the preferred buyer for the Portage County Health Care Center and asked county counsel to draft a resolution to carry the recommendation to subsequent committees and the county board.

The decision followed multi-hour site visits, Zoom follow-ups and research into Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services star ratings by three committee members who reported their findings to the panel. One committee member summarized the due diligence and said Gateway’s financial strength, staff-development programs and record of not reselling facilities made it the strongest choice: “I recommend that we accept the offer from Gateway Wisconsin,” the committee member said.

Why it matters: The health care center holds 48 licensed beds but currently operates well below capacity. Commenters and staff have raised concerns that a sale and transition to private ownership could lead to job losses, cuts to pay or benefits, and changes to resident care. The committee framed its role narrowly: it may recommend a single buyer to move forward to other committees and the county board; it does not itself approve a final sale.

Public comments were strongly against selling. Nancy Rockey, who gave her address during public comment, accused the process of secrecy and alleged the broker had marketed the facility before the committee hired him: “We will lose staff due to privatization,” Rockey said, urging the committee to protect the facility and the county’s investment.

The committee’s presenters said their review included facility tours in Ladysmith and Clintonville, multiple Zoom meetings with buyer leadership, phone calls with Lincoln County staff involved in a recent transition, and reviews of CMS ratings. Members said they considered ‘‘feel’’ and physical warmth of facilities as well as financial capacity, and repeatedly stressed the importance of a strong local administrator in preserving quality after a sale.

Committee members also discussed operational details: how buyers would fill licensed beds, staffing plans during transition, and possible uses for underused wings of the building. Presenters said Gateway proposed adding outpatient rehab services and expected to raise census and staffing over time; one presenter said one buyer had pledged to invest more than $1,000,000 in the short term.

A member of the public alleged the broker—named in the record as Ray Janini (surname appears elsewhere in the record as Giannini)—started marketing the center before the broker was formally hired and that a broker-led sale in Lincoln County (Pine Crest) led to staffing cuts. A committee member responded to the public’s commission-amount claim, saying the $300,000–$400,000 figure circulating in public comment was inaccurate.

Next steps: court counsel was charged with drafting a resolution reflecting the committee’s recommendation; a public presentation by Ensign/Gateway is scheduled for the joint committee meeting on Sept. 2, followed by committee votes and a county board consideration (the county board meeting was scheduled for Sept. 16 at 5 p.m.). The committee recorded the motion to recommend Gateway Wisconsin and the vote as unanimous.

The recommendation does not itself transfer ownership. If the county board ultimately approves an LOI or sale, the county expects a period of additional due diligence and vetting—committee members said that typically runs 60 to 90 days but can be shorter—before any final sale agreement is presented for approval.