By Madeleine Dumais, Social Media Editor
Since 1995, Providence Senior and Community Services (PSCS) has provided management for Vashon Community Care (VCC). Last month, PSCS decided that they will not renew their management agreement with VCC on the upcoming August 27 deadline.
“They did not give us any reasons,” VCC Board Chair Susan Hanson said. “I met with the Providence representative an hour before the board meeting last month.”
The Providence representative made it clear that although they will not be renewing their contract, they will help VCC in transitioning to a new company.
“They have already told us flat-out that if we do not have our new company in place by then, they will extend us month-to-month,” Hanson said. “They’ve really been supportive even though they’ve decided they don’t want to do this any longer.”
The Board has begun looking for a replacement company, vendor or partner to work with moving forward. Offers were sent out to four companies on May 1, and VCC will be receiving replies on June 1.
“We hope that we are going to bring everything home to Vashon,” Hanson said. “Decisions will be made on Vashon by people that live here rather than off-island people, and we’re continuing to work with management to make VCC more sustainable.”
VCC is one of two organizations in the area that accepts patients on Medicaid. Their commitment for the past 20 years — since they bought Island Manor Nursing Home — has been to never turn anyone away who could no longer pay. The government only pays 49 percent of the assisted living costs for those patients on Medicaid, and the community has helped fill the difference.
“We’re going to continue to have to raise money to make up that difference, but because of good management, the amount we have to fundraise is getting steadily lower— from $500,000 to $60,000 this year,” Hanson said. “The board of directors takes care of running the organization, but the foundation raises funds for us, and they’ve been doing a brilliant job.”