Peabody Community Living Center is sold, renamed Legacy Park
A business with a major economic impact on the Peabody community has been sold. Peabody Community Living Center will continue to be a vital part of Peabody under its new name, Legacy Park.
The sale of the nursing home to Mid-America Health Center was effective June 1. The new owners are Charles W. and Mary Wurth of Wichita. The Wurths have operated nursing homes and residential care facilities in Kansas for 32 years under the Mid-America name.
In this area they have owned and operated homes in Marion and Cottonwood Falls.
Peabody Mayor Kevin Ensminger said of the family-owned company, "During this transaction, our dealings with them have been very positive and honest. I feel like we're leaving the nursing home in good hands."
Chuck Wurth, who is the on-site manager and interim administrator at the home, said that the family purchased the institution because of the "tremendous potential." Two market surveys indicated that with changes, the home has the capability to operate at full capacity.
Wurth noted that the building and the grounds have been well maintained. He credited Ron Miller and his maintenance staff for the consistent attention to the physical plant. "Ron has obviously devoted a great deal of energy to keeping the building in top condition. It's old, but it is a good sound structure," he said.
Changes are in store for the home and the Wurth family feels they will be positive for the residents, their families, the staff, and the community.
A major change will be the addition of Medicare and home health care. "Our market studies indicated that our immediate shift in services should be in these directions," said Wurth. "The facility won't survive as it is operating today."
Wurth said other changes will involve upgrades and renovations to the office and common areas. "When families and visitors come in the front door, we want them to see a different environment than they see now," he said.
"Our plan is to de-institutionalize the institution. Services will be moved to areas that will better serve needs of the residents. We will make better use of our common areas and the dining areas. Renovations will include changes in the special care unit and going to single occupancy rooms instead of double occupancy," he said.
Wurth said staff changes occurred based on the census of the home, that is, the occupancy rate, rather than because of new ownership.
"We didn't transfer staff into Legacy Park," said Wurth. "This isn't a case of a new company bringing in 'their own people to replace the local help.' By law, all employees are terminated when a new owner takes over and the necessary staff is then re-hired. Any positions that were dropped were because of the fact that the occupancy rate is not where it should be. And we are working to correct that."
Wurth also noted that as soon as the sale went through state inspectors did a survey of the home, as is required by law. He said that due to the leadership of former administrator Cindy Tapphorn, director of nurses Kathy Boesker, and maintenance chief Ron Miller, the survey by the state was excellent.
"Under the direction of these three individuals, the home was in great shape. If there had been deficiencies, they would have to have been addressed and corrected before we moved on into the program of change and renovation we are getting into now."
Mid-America is family-owned and operated. Charles Wurth serves as president. Paul Wurth, with more than 25 years of health care experience, serves as chief executive officer. Charles E. Wurth is the on-site manager in Peabody and David Wurth is the special projects manager.
According to Charles Wurth, this not only brings years of operating experience to the facility, but also brings with it the focus, attention, and dedication of a family-owned business. He said the people of Peabody will get to know all the Wurths as they will frequently be at the home and in the community.
Mayor Ensminger added, "I am very pleased to have Mid-America in Peabody to run our nursing home. This is a move designed to keep Legacy Park running strong for many years to come. And my thanks goes out to all the community volunteers, past and present, who worked for years overseeing the operation of the home."
