Northwest Minnesota Foundation
RESOURCE
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation invests resources, facilitates collaboration and promotes philanthropy to make the region a better place to live and work.
FALL 2015 | Number 70 Board of Directors Pete Haddeland, Chair Tom Anderson, Vice Chair Faye Auchenpaugh, Secretary Leah Pigatti, Treasurer Judy Roy Jody Horntvedt Jon Quistgaard Jon Linnell Tom Anderson Cathy Forgit Kristin Eggerling Edie Ramstad Steven Anderson
Developing Community Assets Serving 12 Counties
HILLCREST SENIOR LIVING FACILITY It is a service often unnoticed, until it isn’t there – senior living. The community of Red Lake Falls knows all too well how important Hillcrest Senior Living Facility (HSL) is to their small community; at one time, it was close to being obsolete. “The facility was being operated as a nursing home and unfortunately nursing homes are not profitable,” said Jim Birchem, HillCrest Senior Living owner. He added, “Medicaid reimbursement rates do not match the actual costs of staffing and other operating expenses.” The difference between a nursing home and an assisted living facility is that an assisted living facility is a mix of private pay residents as well as residents on Medicaid; they do not rely solely on Medicaid as nursing homes do.
Erma Pouliot, HSL resident After Jim and his wife Kathy discovered this profitable formula, Kaska Properties, LLC purchased HSL from Riverview Health in 2008. HSL is now an ElderCare of Minnesota property. ElderCare of Minnesota is the umbrella management company that operates 34 separate elder care facilities, with 16 in Minnesota. Seven of the 16 Minnesota facilities are located in the northwest region: Bemidji, Continued on page 7