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Officials say Hyder House unsustainable; hospital to assume hospice operations under lease
Summary
County leaders told the delegation Hyder House’s census and reimbursement changes made the facility financially unsustainable; commissioners described negotiations to transfer hospice operations to Wentworth Douglas (hospital) and pledged some donated services and staff reassignment as part of the transition.
Members pressed county leadership about the future of Hyder House, a county-run hospice/respite facility, after commissioners reported sustained financial losses.
County presenters said Hyder’s census has fallen, that changing health‑care reimbursement patterns following COVID made hospice stays less frequent, and that those factors produced persistent deficits. The administration described Hyder as “financially unsustainable,” and said closure and a transition were necessary to stabilize the Riverside system’s budget.
Commissioners and the administration said they are negotiating with Wentworth Douglas Hospital (referred to in the meeting as Wentworth Douglas / Douglas) to transfer hospice operations under a lease or similar agreement; the county would act as landlord while the hospital provides hospice services. Officials said some donated items and volunteer relationships (Friends of Hyder) will continue, and that a number of Hyder’s nursing staff were reassigned to Riverside or the jail while others took other employment.
Speakers acknowledged the public sensitivity of the decision: some delegates said constituents were disappointed and called for clearer prior communication, and others pressed for a breakout of Hyder’s share of Riverside’s larger budget picture. County officials said they would provide more detailed breakdowns for the delegation and that savings from the closure are expected to help the county’s broader budget.
No final sale or contract terms were revealed in the meeting; presenters said parts of the negotiations were sensitive and being handled through appropriate executive/contract-approval channels.
