Baptist Homes to close Chillicothe campus, discontinue ‘benevolent care’ program
JEFFERSON CITY – During its latest meeting, Aug. 2, The Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries (BHHM) board of trustees focused on measures to improve the financial position of this Missouri Baptist ministry to the aging.
In addition to hearing reports on recent decisions to close the Chillicothe campus and discontinue benevolent care, the board approved a financial faithfulness plan and established a staffing workgroup to support best practices for staffing.
“The board has demonstrated unity, resolve and Christ-honoring faith as they addressed long-standing challenges that stood in the way of sustainability and Kingdom impact,” BHHM President Rodney Harrison said following the meeting.
The board’s measures are only the latest in efforts that BHHM trustees and administrative leaders have taken since 2019, when the ministry was restored to the governance of Missouri Baptist elected trustees. The aim of these measures have been to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the ministry and respond to issues that have been developing for years and, perhaps, decades.
“Over a period of years—if not decades—Baptist Homes slowly slid into an organizational lifecycle stage called the ‘Death Rattle,’” Harrison wrote in the BHHM’s “My Home” e-magazine earlier this month, addressing the ministry’s decision to close the Chillicothe campus and discontinue benevolent care. (The complete text of this letter is found at the end of this article.)
“For Baptist Homes,” he added, “entering 2020 without access to Medicare or Medicaid funds that are the payer source for 84% of long-term care was a formidable obstacle. Additionally, a kind but unsustainable promise to provide nursing care once one’s funds were exhausted [i.e., benevolent care, which has been in place at the BHHM for decades] was a growing liability that reached over $3,000,000 per year in unreimbursed care. Observers on the sidelines would not be expected to grasp the significant challenges this ministry faced. However, our trustees, being faithful to their task, approved initiatives to support a sustainable future.”
Harrison added, “The recent decision to discontinue Assisted Living care at Chillicothe and to sell this campus is an example of a hard decision that needed to be made. Sadly, this campus lost over a million dollars each year. Efforts to update the campus through major renovations in 2023 failed to stem the tide of loss. The heartbreak of hard decisions is not the failure of a dream, rather, it is the impact upon the people. At the time of the decision to close the campus, Chillicothe had four residents in Assisted Living and nineteen staff members. Some of these team members had faithfully served for over 20 years. Another decision, the discontinuation of benevolent care, means residents receiving nursing benevolence will be offered the opportunity to move to one of our Medicaid approved campuses at no cost. This change, along with delaying the opening of the Smithville campus for veterans and transitioning pastoral care to the churches and volunteers are painful, but necessary.”
Responding to the BHHM board’s latest efforts to restore financial sustainability to the ministry, MBC Executive Director Wes Fowler said, “The board of Baptist Homes and Healthcare Ministries has faced many obstacles, challenges, and at times what even feels like spiritual warfare.
“Despite the difficulties, a sincere effort to prioritize prayer and resident care has remained paramount,” he added. “In a market where ministries similar to BHHM are also struggling, Dr. Harrison constantly reminds the board of the Lord’s power, presence, and providence.
“In critical times such as this, our prayer needs to be for the Lord to provide wisdom, to provide His favor, but most importantly, for His presence to be with us. We also need to remain in prayer for the residents whose lives are affected. Every resident is precious to the Lord and precious to Missouri Baptists as well. Thank you in advance for praying for the BHHM board as they continue to navigate this difficult journey.”
During their Aug. 2 meeting, the BHHM board also received reports on the Baptist Homes of Adrian, the newest BHHM campus 25 miles south of Kansas City. This Medicare/Medicaid certified community is licensed to provide skilled nursing care. Twelve Assisted Living apartments adjacent to the home will open soon. Bright open spaces, private rooms with private restrooms and several larger rooms designed for married couples are a few of the highlights this campus. Community services include in-patient and out-patient physical therapy and short-term respite care.
The Arcadia Valley Campus was certified for Medicaid after major renovations were completed this year. The board also received updates on applications to provide Medicaid supplements for Assisted Living and Residential Care at Arcadia Valley, Independence, Ozark and Vandalia. Once approved, the supplements make Assisted Living more affordable to seniors who qualify for Medicaid.
Updates and pictures of the Ashland project were provided. The 52,000 square foot facility is 75% complete. The Assisted Living apartments will open in November and the Skilled Nursing units should open in March 2025. The Ashland campus provides a full continuum of care ranging from well appointed independent living homes and assisted living to skilled nursing.
Key actions taken by the board in the past month include divestiting of the Chillicothe campus; postponing the opening of the Smithville campus to 2025; relocating benevolent care recipients to Medicaid approved campuses and implementing staff reductions involving campus chaplains.
Finally, the board recognized Dr. David Sundeen, Vice President, Organizational Culture & Care for forty years of Kingdom service as a pastor, church planter, Director of Missions, State Evangelism Director and Seminary Professor. Dr. Sundeen joined Baptist Homes in May 2021 and will retire effective September 1, 2024. Dr. Sundeen and his wife Julie live in Gladstone, Missouri and are members of First Baptist Church, Kearney.
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Rodney Harrison’s complete letter printed in the BHHM’s “My Home” e-magazine is included below:
Thank You Lord, For Our Board
As a stage IV cancer survivor, I have experienced the necessity of taking painful, but necessary steps in order to live. As a sanctity of life organization, the mission of Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries is to provide Christlike care for the aging. The Trustees of this ministry are tasked first and foremost with the preservation of this mission, even when it means taking painful, but necessary, steps to ensure preservation of the mission. This past month, the board took the necessary steps to preserve Baptist Homes.
Over a period of years—if not decades—Baptist Homes slowly slid into an organizational lifecycle stage called the “Death Rattle.” This is the seventh and final stage of organizational existence before going out of business for good. While this phase and the preceding phase, “The Big Rut,” can last for years or even decades, few organizations have the vision or resolve to make the changes needed to maintain relevancy. Iconic brands such as F.W. Woolworth, Montgomery Wards and TWA all failed to make the necessary changes to survive. For Baptist Homes, entering 2020 without access to Medicare or Medicaid funds that are the payer source for 84% of long-term care was a formidable obstacle. Additionally, a kind but unsustainable promise to provide nursing care once one’s funds were exhausted was a growing liability that reached over $3,000,000 per year in unreimbursed care. Observers on the sidelines would not be expected to grasp the significant challenges this ministry faced. However, our trustees, being faithful to their task, approved initiatives to support a sustainable future. These initiatives included renovations and improvements at Arcadia Valley that allowed the campus to secure Medicaid certification and acquiring Medicare & Medicaid certified campuses such as Adrian, Independence, and Vandalia.
While I would be remiss not to acknowledge there were missteps along the way, the board actions these past five years were taken only after an abundance of prayer and planning. The recent decision to discontinue Assisted Living care at Chillicothe and to sell this campus is an example of a hard decision that needed to be made. Sadly, this campus lost over a million dollars each year. Efforts to update the campus through major renovations in 2023 failed to stem the tide of loss. The heartbreak of hard decisions is not the failure of a dream, rather, it is the impact upon the people. At the time of the decision to close the campus, Chillicothe had four residents in Assisted Living and nineteen staff members. Some of these team members had faithfully served for over 20 years. Another decision, the discontinuation of benevolent care, means residents receiving nursing benevolence will be offered the opportunity to move to one of our Medicaid approved campuses at no cost. This change, along with delaying the opening of the Smithville campus for veterans and transitioning pastoral care to the churches and volunteers are painful, but necessary.
On July 28, 2017, I underwent my first chemo treatment. As the IV concoction entered my body it felt like lava flowing through into my heart and through my veins. The pain, though masked by sedatives and analgesics, was nearly unbearable. Before each treatment, my wife and adult children provided encouragement and support that reminded me the pain was just for a season. A year later the cancer was in remission and the effects of the treatments were only a memory. In 2022 I was declared “cancer free.” Today I enjoy vitality and health that are true gifts from God. In His wisdom, the Lord provided a medical team that made right decisions needed for me to survive. In the same way, God has given the Baptist Homes a board of trustees who made the necessary decisions to survive.
I hope you will take a moment to pray for our trustees, leadership team and the beloved seniors we serve as we go through this season of transition on the path to restored organizational health. The psalmist rightly declared in Psalm 30:5 that, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” I praise God for the dawn of a new day for Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement through this season of change.
Together in His service,
Dr. Rodney Harrison, President/CEO