‘It’s a real honor’

Colonial Health and Rehabilitation Center named 5-star facility

Colonial Health and Rehabilitation Center in Colby is celebrating a five star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2023. The rating is calculated using inspections staffing and quality measures data collected by state health inspections and CMS data sets.

Colonial is a part of the top 10 percent of inspected facilities in Wisconsin which received five-star ratings. The middle 70 percent of facilities receive two- through four-star ratings. The bottom 20 percent receive a one-star rating.

The facility, which was bought by the Ocoee Foundation in 2021, was in dire need of repairs and nursing home Administrator Trudy Erickson said they were saved by the foundation in 2021.

“We were saved by the Ocoee Foundation and I thank God every day for it,” Erickson said at a ribbon cutting in July for the improvements to the building.

Erickson said having owners that prioritize care for their residents over making money has helped tremendously.

“Just even with the presentation of the facility now, with it being completely renovated, it’s helped our census,” Erickson said.

She said the difference is evident when walking into Colonial versus walking into other area facilities.

“They’ve done whatever we need. They’re not for profit so they’re not out to make a million dollars,” she said. “Some corporations are all about making money and taking it up the ladder. Here, we pay our bills and we break even, but we don’t have to make all this extra money for the higher ups.”

Another benefit Erickson has experienced as a part of the transition from forprofit owners to non-profit owners is the resources that are provided to the facility.

She said the Ocoee Foundation has provided her with tools such as clinical reimbursement specialist who helps Colonial submit accurate and complete information to agencies like CMS to get the maximum amount of funding available to them.

Compared to past owners, Erickson has noticed a much more hands-on approach from the Ocoee Foundation and President John Sheehan Jr. She said the staff at Ocoee make monthly visits to the facility to ensure they have everything needed for successful care of residents, despite being based in Tennessee.

“They’re just a phone call away if I need anything.”

For the sake of comparison, Erickson said she sometimes didn’t see management from past companies for months on end, managing to only garner a phone call from staff at her previous for-profit bosses.

The facility looks better than ever, however a major portion of the five-star rating criteria pertains to safety, health and living conditions of residents.

Along with resident care, the facilities are graded on how well they are staffed and the knowledge of the staff on-hand. Erickson glowed about her staff, saying they have been essential to the recent success they have achieved as a group.

“The only way that this was possible was through our employees,” Erickson said. “It’s through our CNAs, nurses, housekeeping and dietary, that’s what made this happen. If they’re not providing great care, we wouldn’t be able to acheive a five-star rating. It’s all about the staff that work here and how dedicated they are to our facility.”

Although Colonial and similar facilities provide jobs for their employees, Erickson said she notices that those working at Colonial have a passion for health care and that is essential to their success.

“They’re very dedicated. We’ve got CNAs that have been here for 30-plus years. They give their life to this place. This is their second home – it’s all of our second home.”

Erickson said the surveys and inspections are vital to the reputation of the facility and so a lot of hard work goes into creating the best environment possible.

“If you have a bad survey, it can haunt you for months,” Erickson said. “It kind of reflects the type of care that’s being provided within the facility.”

Erickson has been with Colonial since 2014 and said the facility has hovered around being a four or five star establishment for the majority of her time as administrator.

Having been a part of a for-profit organization for about 30 years, Erickson said being a part of that for so long has taught her to appreciate what they have going at Colonial right now.

She recalled times when she wanted to get her CNAs a raise but because past management groups wanted to make as much money as possible, she said raises for those doing the essential tasks were not always compensated fairly.

Colonial Health and Rehabilitation is licensed for 70 beds. However, Erickson said she likes to keep the census around 60-62 residents so they can provide the utmost care for their guests. She said they are currently near capacity but are always willing to talk to people who would like their loved ones to reside at Colonial.

Erickson and Marketing Director Ashley Mertens said they encourage anyone wanting to place a loved one in a nursing home, assisted living or rehabilitation center to take a tour of the facilities to ensure the organization and building would be somewhere they would want their loved one to live.

If interested in information on Colonial or a tour of the facility, you can call 715-223-2352 or email Mertens at colmark@twinrivershc.com.