Casper proclaims Nurses Week as local nurse opens adult day center for seniors

Mayor Ray Pacheco opened the May 5 council meeting by welcoming members of the Wyoming Nurses Association and reading a proclamation designating May 6–12, 2026 as Nurses Week in Casper.

"I, Ray Pacheco, the mayor of the city of Casper, do hereby proclaim May 6 to the 12th, 2026 as nurses week within our community," Pacheco said as he praised nurses for providing "indispensable high-quality care" and urged residents to recognize their contributions.

The proclamation was followed by public comment from local nurses and an extended presentation from Becky Bozes, a school nurse who said she is opening Among Friends Adult Day Center in the former True Care building at 1744 South Popular Street.

"The building is complete," Bozes said. "We are waiting for the state department of health to come and issue our license probably in one or two weeks." She described the center as a 5,000-square-foot, ADA-compliant space offering supervision, healthy meals, activities and socialization for people 50 years and older, and said Casper College occupational therapy students will provide services on-site. Bozes also said the center will work with a new Stillme Foundation to provide grants and scholarships for seniors who cannot pay.

Bozes described the likely payment mix for clients and noted coverage limits: "Medicare does not cover adult day services whatsoever. Medicaid does, but they pay $25 for a half a day," she said. That is a claim made by the speaker in the meeting transcript and has not been verified in the council record.

Bernardino Madson, dean of health sciences at Casper College, told the council the college recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and estimated that "50–60% of the nurses that you encounter in the county most likely graduated from Casper College." He did not provide a precise graduate count.

Council members thanked Bozes and invited the center's representatives to participate in community events. Bozes said the center will host a public open house May 16–17 and a ribbon-cutting with the Chamber of Commerce on June 18.

Why it matters: Casper is seeking to expand local services for aging residents and people with dementia. The new center, if licensed, would be one of a small number of adult day options in the state and could fill a gap between in-home care and assisted living for people who need daytime supervision and social supports.

Next steps: Bozes said she is awaiting final licensing from the Wyoming Department of Health and will hold the open house in mid-May. Council members publicly expressed support and encouraged outreach to community partners and the chamber.

(Quotes are taken from the city council meeting transcript and are attributed to speakers who identified themselves in the record.)