Officials expect smooth transfer of care services

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Nov 23, 2002 | by Rindfleisch, Terry, | Magney, Reid

Gundersen Lutheran Home Care announced Friday that Caregivers Home Health Inc. of Oshkosh, Wis., will take over services for about 400 people in the La Crosse area.

Caregivers, a private, for-profit agency, is also looking at taking over client services provided by La Crosse County, but probably not until after the Gundersen Lutheran transition is complete.

Gundersen and Caregivers signed the contract Thursday, designed to ensure a smooth transition that would keep as many of Gundersen Lutheran's workers employed by Caregivers as possible.

George Tucker, Caregivers CEO from Palm Springs, Calif., said his agency paid money to Gundersen Lutheran to complete the deal but would not disclose a purchase price.

Tucker said Gundersen Lutheran's cooperation was valuable to allow Caregivers to enter the home care market in western Wisconsin and provide continuity of care to 400 clients in La Crosse, Monroe and Trempealeau counties. He would like to hire as many of the 150 employees at Gundersen Lutheran Home Care who want to join the agency, he said.

"Patients and employees always have a choice, but we hope they will continue with us," Tucker said. "Patients should not see a change. We want to hire everybody locally."

Under the agreement, Caregivers will provide skilled, privateduty home nursing care to about 150 adults and children with conditions who now receive care from Gundersen Lutheran Visiting Nurses Inc.

The agency also will provide personal care and supportive home care services such as meal preparation, house cleaning and laundry for about 250 people now receiving these services from Gundersen Lutheran Supportive Home Care Inc.

"This agreement is a win-win situation for both clients and staff," said Robert Fendt, executive director of Gundersen Lutheran Visiting Nurses and Gundersen Lutheran Supportive Home Care. "Home care clients will continue to receive the care and services they need, without interruption, and from many of the same providers they have come to know and trust over the years."

Fendt also said workers who continue with Caregivers "will be assured of continued employment and with their same salaries." About 90 percent of the employees have picked up application forms for Caregivers, he said.

Fendt said he is happy with Caregivers, which has the experience of specializing in long-term home health care.

The agreement goes into effect Jan. 1, but the transition of clients and staff will start immediately. Caregivers has opened an office at 1802 Hwy. 16 in La Crosse, which should be fully operational next week.

"Even after we close, we'll keep the doors open to assure a safe and smooth transitional period," Fendt said.

Caregivers is in the process of getting its Wisconsin home care license for La Crosse. Gundersen Lutheran will continue to provide home care until the license is granted, even beyond Jan. 1.

Gundersen Lutheran is pot getting out of the home care business entirely. Gundersen Lutheran will continue its hospice and adult and pediatric skilled home care programs, which will continue serving patients who need short-term nursing care at home.

Fendt said Gundersen Lutheran hospice and home care programs will serve 80 to 100 clients.

Many of the people who get services from Gundersen Lutheran are actually clients of La Crosse County, said Mary Faherty, director of La Crosse County's Care Maintenance Organization, which provides long-term care to older people and people with disabilities.

However, county employees provide services to about 65 people, according to county officials. Faherty said the county will let Caregivers complete the transition from Gundersen Lutheran.

"When they get their feet on the ground, La Crosse County will pursue the same kind of agreement," Faherty said.

The county board budgeted enough money in 2003 to continue providing direct services for at least three months and possibly longer.

Tucker said he knows some people are concerned that there is no safety net if the La Crosse County Health Department discontinues its home health nursing program.

"But I assure you we plan to be here for a long time, and we know there is a chance to expand more in western Wisconsin," Tucker said. "Long-term home care is what we do," he said. "We're financially stable and have very low debt."

Gundersen Lutheran lost money in home care.

"We've been in the business since 1967 providing this type of care, and we haven't closed any offices," Tucker said. "We've made a formal commitment to be here in La Crosse."