Mission Impossible?

For nearly 60 years, Wexner Heritage Village (WHV) has carried out its mission to enrich those it serves in life-affirming Jewish culture—providing quality housing, health, spiritual, and supportive services which meet the needs of our aging society. In such a time as this, with the contentious state of today’s economy and the impending health care reform, is this mission impossible? David Rosen, President and CEO of Wexner Heritage Village, doesn’t think so.

“Wexner Heritage Village isn’t just a nursing home. WHV is a health care system that goes beyond the nursing home,” says Rosen.

The economic and health care climates are creating a crisis in typical nursing homes. Frankly—if they haven’t already—nursing home facilities could face the prospect of going out of business or, at a minimum, be forced to make changes to the type of care they offer their residents.

So, how will WHV step up to the challenges created by diminished public reimbursement—and remain strong for the influx of baby boomers? Many in our Jewish community have real concern about whether or not—when the time comes—WHV will have a place for them in their long-term care unit (nursing home).

“Growing old is not a choice, but the choice we do control is how we care for our vulnerable populations who can’t fully care for themselves. The mitzvah of providing for the well-being of those who are ‘growing old’ is a Jewish moral imperative, and we—WHV—will not falter from our mission,” said Rosen.

In a recent interview, Rosen shared insights regarding the decision to reduce the number of skilled-nursing facility licensed beds in 2009, as well as how the assertion that the reduction will not compromise quality of care. Additionally, he shared his vision for redefining services to provide innovative senior health and housing options that meet our aging population’s needs and desires.

Why is there a perception that WHV won’t have room for the aging Jewish of our community?
“The community has watched WHV recently reduce the number of licensed beds by 25% (50 beds) in the long-term care unit. Likewise, the community has watched the waiting list for long-term care at WHV continue to grow. Therefore, it’s perfectly understandable why our community would have this perception, especially those who believe they are growing closer to needing long-term care.”

“Talking about our bed reduction is not easy—primarily because it was a very difficult decision. But I feel it’s important to keep our community informed. And what’s essential for our community to understand is that reducing the number of bed licenses was critical to keeping WHV’s long-term care operation open.”

Why did WHV reduce beds?
“Quite simply, we reduced beds because we are committed to providing a high level of quality care. We show it, for instance, in our staffing ratios. We place a higher value on things that our competitors do not. Furthermore, we will not make any adjustments to our business that sacrifices providing the highest level quality of care for our residents, members, and patients. To provide a lesser level of quality care is simply unacceptable, inconceivable, and non-negotiable to us—and is incongruent with our culture and mission.”

“The bottom line is the government isn’t providing adequate reimbursement to WHV for the amount it actually costs to provide this standard of long-term care. As a result, we were forced to consider an alternate solution. If we didn’t choose to reduce bed licenses, eventually we’d be forced to go out of business. We’re pleased that we were able to handle the reduction with great care, and no one was discharged as a result of it.”

“This process has led us through many new doors, and the doors we’ve chosen to walk through have led us to a plan to ‘fill the gap’ in services that is more financially sustainable and also what seniors prefer and want. So, we turned our business model upside down—the first point of entry at WHV used to be through our long-term care service. Now long-term care is available only for those who truly require it, and we are creating a system where seniors will exhaust options such as home care and assisted living before considering the nursing home.”

How do you plan on ensuring WHV can live up to its mission to serve and care for the Jewish elderly and less fortunate?
“The first step in our effort to stabilize our organization was to change our business model, as I’ve already mentioned. We realized we had to be less reliant on dwindling public dollars to help fund the long-term care unit. Instead, we began looking to other areas of the business—like Zusman Community Hospice, Creekside at the Village, the Ebner-Ruben Transitional Care Unit (inpatient rehabilitation), and Polster Medical Center/OhioHealth, relying on these more sustainable products and services to ‘fill the gap’ with what was lost from the bed license reduction at Wexner Heritage House.”

“Additionally, I’m confident in our vision moving forward, where we plan to incorporate more options into our family of services—including memory-impaired assisted living and expanded home care. Further, we will focus specifically on establishing an innovative model of care for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. We hope to get to a point where WHV positions ourselves as experts in confronting this disease.”

What concerns you the most when looking at WHV's future?
“Three things—public reimbursement/health care reform, seed money to create innovative programs to establish WHV as ‘best in practice,’ and selling the concept that ‘change is needed’ in our industry and in our organization.”

“The third concern—selling the concept of ‘change is needed’—is the most important. WHV has always been seen as just a nursing home. This is a crucial misconception—which is not unique to Columbus—but it is a critical misunderstanding, nonetheless. Relying on the nursing home to be the foundation of senior care is a fatal flaw because it is unsustainable and unmarketable, which essentially is a perfect storm that will destroy our organization. WHV’s decision to grow and diversify our products has stabilized us and really saved our business.”

What can the Jewish community do to support you and the WHV mission today—and looking ahead?
“We need our community to get involved in our change. Help us make caring for our aging population the moral imperative it should be and a very real priority in our Jewish community—and the community at large. Increase your financial support to create and sustain the type of organization our community—and especially our seniors—respect and deserve.”

“Reach out to me, the Board, the staff. Ask us questions. Give us your feedback. Educate yourself on the industry. Use WHV as a valuable resource. Let us help you understand the situation and our reasoning behind our decisions to make and keep WHV an organization that is redefining quality senior health and housing in our community.”

“We hope that you will think of us as an extension of our community… an extension of your family. That’s how we feel about you.”

About Wexner Heritage Village
Wexner Heritage Village is a non-profit provider of quality health, housing, supportive, and spiritual services to central Ohioans. Founded in 1951 as a grassroots effort to build quality nursing-home services that would meet the needs of the Jewish community, the organization has grown to meet the needs of adults of all faiths through a long list of programs including long-term care, transitional care, memory care, senior independent living, senior assisted living, hospice, housing and programming for the developmentally disabled, home care, an on-site medical center, and medical research and training. Wexner Heritage Village enhances the lives of those it serves in every season, in every way. Our framework of services now cares for more than 500 people of diverse backgrounds each and every day, offering a true community spirit that allows individuals to live life to the fullest.

A Message from the CEO

A Message from our CEO

Planning Paper

Mission Impossible?