South central Nebraska nursing home salvaged by local hospital

Long-term care residents and their families in Red Cloud, Neb., were able to breathe a sigh or relief this spring when the local nursing home was saved from closure.

The Heritage of Red Cloud was scheduled to close on April 18. But a local hospital and its foundation decided to acquire the facility thanks to some large community donations.

Since 2020, at least 13 nursing homes in Nebraska have shuttered and more than 100 total have closed in the Midwest.

See previous reporting from the Nebraska Public Media and the Midwest Newsroom on this issue:

• How some rural nursing homes in the Midwest are staying afloat

In hopes of keeping residents and employees close to home, Webster County Community Hospital acquired the Heritage.

“We also had so much community support, and we knew we wouldn't be able to do it unless we had the community support,” said Adrielle Griffin, communications director for the hospital.

The 43-bed facility is now called the Heritage of Webster County. The hospital officially took ownership on April 1.

Griffin said keeping the nursing home alive was essential to the town of 962 residents. It was an ethical decision for residents and an economical choice for employees and the town as a whole, she said.

The Red Cloud Community Fund, the Nebraska Community Foundation and local residents donated $375,000 to the hospital’s foundation, Griffin said. Those funds will kickstart a campaign aimed at getting the total matched by the community.

Ultimately, Griffin said they hope to preserve the long-term financial health of the nursing home with the donations.

She hopes Red Cloud can be a model for similar communities in need of preserving long-term care.

“I’m really proud of this community and what it stepped up to do in this situation, to ensure that we don't lose a part of our population that's vital to who we are,” Griffin said.

So far, the new ownership has been able to admit additional residents, she said. The hospital will look to grow the facility’s patient count and bolster staffing in the coming months and years.