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Skyline properties to go into receivershipFree Access


Recent news concerning the management company of the Mobridge Care and Rehabilitation Center and others across South Dakota have caused concern for many residents with a a connection to those faculties.

A story in the Aberdeen American News (AAN) on Tuesday raises concerns about South Dakota facilities under the management of Skyline Health Care, these include the Mobridge facility which was formerly a Golden Living Center.

In the AAN story it was stated that the South Dakota Department of Health filed a motion for Skyline Health Care to turn over its income and assets to a receiver. Receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver “placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights,” especially in cases where a company cannot meet financial obligations or enters bankruptcy.

The AAN story stated “Debbie Menzenberg, a licensed nursing home facility administrator and a divisional vice president in charge of Skyline facilities in South Dakota had contacted the state. She told state officials “Mr. [Joseph] Schwartz [Skyline owner] called me Friday, April 27, 2018, to state… no capital, the state needs to put them in receivership, there is no way to continue operations and all residents are at risk.”

According to the AAN, all Skyline facilities across the U.S. are entering receivership or being sold, and Skyline was to be dissolved on Tuesday, May 1.

In January 2017, some Golden Living Centers in South Dakota came under the management of Skyline Health Care, including the now Mobridge Care and Rehabilitation Center, which is managed by Black Hills Healthcare Company, an affiliate of Skyline. Officials with Black Hills Health Care and the Mobridge Care and Rehabilitation Center have referred all questions about the facility to HeraldPR in New York.

On Tuesday, the public relations firm released this statement about the Mobridge facility.

“Skyline has never owned the properties; rather, an affiliate was simply the care provider and tenant. Skyline and its affiliates have been dedicated to providing quality care to the residents of the facilities, has absolutely been meeting its obligations to its staff and patients, and it has been engaged in good faith negotiations with the property owners, Golden Living, to come up with a viable solution.  We have extended the olive branch to Golden Living to help seek a new operator.  The landlord has rebuffed Skyline’s efforts, unilaterally extended the timeline, which further disadvantaged this process, and that is what forced this issue.”

Further developments on this situation will be published in upcoming issues of the Tribune.

 

Black Hills, LLC comments on receivership

Following the story printed in the Wednesday, May 2, edition of the Mobridge Tribune and the Tribune Website and Facebook page, the following statements were sent to the editor.

The first statement is a press release that was issued on Wednesday by Black Hills Receiver, LLC with additional details on the receivership of 19 facilities in South Dakota that were formerly operated by Skyline Healthcare.

  “On Monday, April 30, the property owners of 18 skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living facility in South Dakota, which were operated by Skyline Healthcare (also known as Cottonwood Healthcare), filed a legal action in the Hughes County Circuit Court to appoint a Receiver for the operations of the facilities.  On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, the Court appointed Black Hills Receiver, LLC as the Receiver.

The South Dakota Department of Health filed a motion in support of the legal action to appoint the Receiver.  The Receiver will work with the state of South Dakota and skilled nursing facility leaders with the singular goal of continuity of care for the patients.

The President for Black Hills Receiver, LLC is Wanda Prince, a registered nurse, who has more than 25 years of experience providing clinical and operational support to nursing facility operators, as well as knowledge and expertise relating to the regulatory and federal guidelines that are in place to serve the residents, staff and families of skilled nursing facilities.  Wanda has provided support to other South Dakota skilled nursing facilities in the past.  She is gathering a team of experienced leaders to assist with the Receiver’s efforts.”

Kelli Luneborg-Stern, a spokesperson for Black Hills, LLC, also released a statement concerning the receivership.

“As the receiver of the 19 South Dakota facilities formerly operated by Skyline Healthcare, Black Hills LLC is committed to supporting the facilities as they work to stabilize the operations. We are moving quickly as a team with the local leaders and clinicians at each facility to help those leaders focus on the health and safety of the residents and support the needs of the staff. It is our goal to keep the facility operations stable so that the focus can remain on the care of the patients.”

The staff of the Tribune will follow any breaking details on this situation and will post those on the newspaper website and Facebook page.

 

– Katie Zerr –

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