JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Officials on the state’s commission for Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee proceedings approved a new facility to bring up to 50 new living facility beds to the region.
Delta South Nursing and Rehabilitation, owned and operated by Terry Cole of Sikeston, applied for a new $5.4 million addition which would include beds for both a skilled nursing facility and an assisted living facility.
Originally, Cole’s application was for 40 new skilled living facility beds and 20 assisted nursing facility beds. But concerns were raised during the CON hearing about whether or not there was a need in the area for quite so many beds.
Cole said that there was a significant need in the area, pointing to at least two facilities with fewer beds than they were licensed for. It’s been more than two decades since the last in-home nursing facility was built in the region.
Cole, who has been handicapped since he was 16 because of an accident, said he has a unique understanding of the importance of a clean and functioning facility, pointing to his own lengthy rehabilitation as a youth.
While the owners and operators of other nearby nursing homes claimed Cole’s operation would exceed the need the town had, Cole said some supporters of his projects had been threatened by the same owners and operators. At least one state senator withdrew a letter of support for the project after receiving backlash from an existing facility.
“I didn’t want to put them in that position, I told them they would withdraw,” Cole said.
While it first appeared that the CON may be denied, Rep. Caleb Jones, R-California, moved to amend Cole’s motion to reduce the size of the overall project by 10 overall beds, a move that may have saved the application and ultimately helped lead it to a narrow 4-3 approval.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
