In regards to patient care, Wood Haven Health Care’s director Jeff Orlowski said their non-profit management of long and short-term care at their county-owned, 93-bed facility will always be superior to ownership by for-profit entities.

“In a for-profit care setting, the often out-of-state management organization’s focus is on profits and cost-cutting, while a non-profit organization like Wood Haven keeps income rolling back to us to constantly train staff and add new rehabilitation services, resulting in improving patient care,” Orlowski said.

Private-equity investment firms see nursing home ownership as a profit-driven option, he said.

To make his point, Orlowski referred to a February 2022 report that detailed how private equity-owned nursing homes are among the worst performers in regards to patient safety and health.

The Wood Haven director more pointedly referred to a Jan. 5 USA Today article which rated for-profit care facilities as performing poorly during the COVID pandemic.

He said Wood Haven maintains its high quality of staff, because as government employees, they receive a steady living wage, solid medical coverage and retirement options.

Orlowski said their local control of Wood Haven management allows them to create local training that maintains a positive and personal Wood Haven atmosphere.

“We require each new employee take our EMPATHY course, which stands for Empowerment, Memorable Experience, Positive Attitude, Always Be Amazing, The Details Matter, Heroes, Yes!”

“Once they complete the training, each employee chooses a superhero logo name badge holder to remind them that they have been transformed into a Wood Haven hero, where the right hero will make a difference by providing encore performances and striving to always be better than their best,” Orlowski said.

Wood Haven Health Care offers rehabilitation programs (in-house and outpatient) through Bordner Therapy Care, which includes physical, occupational and speech therapies. The therapy department is designed to meet the rehabilitative needs of customers through state-of-the-art therapy equipment and gym, with the goal to return customers to their homes.

Health care services include 24-hour professional nursing care; nutritional evaluation provided by an onsite licensed dietitian and meal planning; social services and family support; therapeutic programs; psychological intervention; and physician oversight. Alzheimer’s care, Parkinson’s care, hospice, palliative care and short-term respite care are also available.

Orlowski said over the years, Wood Haven and similar senior care facilities have pivoted more toward short term rehabilitative programs, rather than long term residential care.

“Each of the services that we provide is important to our success because they play a vital role to providing our residents with an outstanding experience and a successful return to home,” Orlowski said.

He added that as testament to Wood Haven’s superior care, for the eighth year in a row, they have received the ENERGAGE Top Workplace award for Northwest Ohio. Wood Haven has received other awards in the recent past.

“We have been recently rated by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services a five-star facility, out of five stars,” he said. “Some of our other achievements include the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce 2018 Outstanding Customer Service Award Winner, the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce 2019 Small Business of the Year, the 2019 Bronze AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award, 2021 Silver AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award.”

“We also were voted Wood County’s Best Skilled Nursing Facility 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022,” he added.