Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners plans to sell three skilled nursing facilities in Ohio and one in Indiana to a real estate investment firm, which will then lease the facilities to be operated beginning this autumn by Diversicare Healthcare Services. Brentwood, Tenn.-based Diversicare currently provides long-term care to patients in more than 50 for-profit skilled nursing centers.
CHP spokesperson Michael Boehmer said the three facilities in Ohio are Mercy Siena Retirement Community in Dayton, Mercy Health – Schroder in Hamilton and Mercy Health – St. Theresa in Cincinnati. The Indiana property is Mercy Providence in New Albany. Until the sale is final, CHP is not releasing the name of the real estate investment firm, the health system said in a statement.
CHP is selling a fifth facility, Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson, Ohio, to the Laurel Lake Board of Trustees. Terms of the sales have not been disclosed.
Boehmer said CHP has been working to more closely align its skilled nursing facilities with its acute care hospitals. CHP wants its skilled nursing facilities to provide post-acute care for its hospitals in addition to caring for frail seniors. The system began a process last year to identify partners or buyers for skilled nursing facilities where CHP doesn't have hospitals or other care providers, he said.
All of CHP's skilled nursing facilities are Catholic and follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. They will not follow the directives when operated by Diversicare, as it is not a Catholic organization. However, Boehmer said Diversicare "follows values that are similar to CHP's."
At the end of the year after the sale of the facilities, CHP will still own and operate seven senior care facilities: Mercy Sacred Heart in Louisville, Ky., and six in Ohio: Mercy Health – West Park in Cincinnati, Oakwood Village in Springfield, Mercy McAuley Center in Urbana, Humility House in Youngstown, The Assumption Village in North Lima and StoneBridge at Winton Woods in Cincinnati.
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