North Central Health Care in Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — North Central Health Care and Opportunity, INC of Wausau has officially announced the transfer of services from the county-run healthcare facility to the non-profit.
NCHC Executive Director Gary Olsen says the transition means the county will be getting out of the supportive services business, something that they aren’t required to provide by state statute, but not without making a clean hand-off to a group that specializes in that type of care. “They handle all these programs, and they specialize in these programs. For us, it made sense to partner with them- let them handle these programs. That gives us the ability to concentrate on the other programs that we are required by law for us to do.”
Olsen says the only services that will move will be Adult Day Services or ADS. Those patients will have their services moved from NCHC’s location to Opportunity, INC. All other services will continue to be provided at their current location by many of the same staffers, all of whom have been offered positions with Opportunities, INC.
“To me, it’s better because they specialize in these programs. They are able to give the care that we were once able to do, they can do that fully. As far as the supportive apartments and group homes; those individuals get to stay right where they are. That doesn’t change.” added Olsen.
Opportunity, INC Executive Director Sara Satterfield says she’s happy to work with NCHC to make the transition seamless. “Our hope is that we go through this transition with the residents continuing to receive the quality of care that they have been receiving with North Central.”
The change becomes official on November 1st.
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