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Operator will not renew lease at Glacier County care center; commissioners plan outreach and advisory group
Summary
County staff told commissioners the current operator (Cottonwood) will not renew its lease to run the local care center; commissioners agreed to pursue potential operators, contact the state DPHHS for help and consider a transition plan if no new operator is found by April 1.
County staff told Glacier County commissioners on Jan. 6 that the current operator of the county care center will not renew its lease, forcing officials to begin outreach for replacement operators and contingency planning.
Mike, a county staff member, said the operator informed the county during a Jan. 5 call that "they are not gonna renew their lease agreement with Glacier County to operate the care center," citing staffing and management obstacles. He said the operator's decision appears driven by difficulty securing stable nursing staff locally and by the high cost of relying on traveling nurses.
Commissioners and staff discussed options to keep the facility open. Mike recommended forming an advisory group to help recruit a new operator and to coordinate outreach; he said he will contact the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) for a statewide list of licensed care center operators. He told commissioners he would "start going down and cold calling people" and expects to make direct inquiries to operators he has worked with previously.
Mike outlined two critical timing benchmarks he raised with the board. He said the current operator will continue operations through a defined window but recommended that, "if we can't find an operator by April 1, I think you gotta really seriously think about talking to the state, health and human services about transitioning it and retiring the facility." He also said operations could continue until July 1 under the current timeline and that Cottonwood (the previous operator referenced in the discussion) offered a six-month window and assistance while a replacement is sought.
Commissioners discussed local staffing options, including outreach to Blackfeet Community College's CNA program, but noted the county's geographic isolation makes nearby staffing and shared staffing arrangements difficult. Mike repeatedly emphasized logistics as a limiting factor: some potential partner operators are several hours away, which complicates shared staffing arrangements.
The county did not take a formal vote on a course of action at the Jan. 6 meeting. Mike said he will provide updates approximately every two weeks and bring recommendations and candidate operators to the commission at a future meeting. Commissioners indicated support for creating an advisory group and for ongoing outreach.
Next steps: Mike will contact DPHHS for an operator list, begin outreach to potential operators (including those referenced in past efforts), and report back to the commission with recommendations and status updates.
