Letter sent to nursing home residents, families, brings panic with July deadline

Cimarron Memorial

Hospital, Nursing Home, and Rural Health Clinic

580-544-2501 __________P.O. Boxl059—100 S. Ellis Boise City, OK 73933-1059

April 17,2007

Dear Sir or Madam:

Please accept this letter as Clmarron Memorial Nursing Home’s intent to voluntarily cease operations as a provider of Long Term Care services. The effective date to cease operations is midnight on July 14, 2007. Cimarron Memorial Nursing Home will assist Residents to secure a position in another comparable facility. Cimarron Memorial Nursing Home will attempt to reduce/eliminate any inconveniences that are created by this change. The decision to cease Long Term Care operations was prompted by poor performance and financial pressures. This decision was not arrived at easily.

Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions about this matter or if I may be of any further assistance Sincerely,

„

David M. Peyok, MBA. MSHA, FACHE, FACEHSA Chief Executive Officer

Keren Janssen sits without title in the CFO’s vacated chair

by C.F. David

Keren Janssen seems a little bewildered why anyone would want to interview her about Cimarron Memorial Hospital.

“I may be here three weeks, or maybe three months. I’m not a CFO,” she explained.

Janssen explains that her present job is to find answers to the questions as to how Cimarron Memorial can de-license its long-term nursing home and by doing that, save the facility.

She explains that CEO Dave Peyok is “really smart” about such things as de-licensing nursing homes; “I’d call him A genius,” she said.

Basically she is Peyok’s eyes and ears on site.

She looks around, “This is a great facility, and you have a really dedicated staff. You’ve hit a couple of rough spots,” she said.

“I ultimately want to help. It’s unfortunate the hospital is in trouble,” Janssen said.

“We [she and Peyok] have a lot of concerns for the staff,” she added.

Jannsen also said it was unfortunate that the residents and the families had misunderstood the jist of the letters mailed out. She said that the letter was a formality, and that the de-licensure just needed to be implemented. She added that few if any residents would have to actually leave the facility.

“Oklahoma is making it difficult”- Keren Janssen

Underneath Janssen’s youthful and polished exterior is a woman who seems confident in the choas that is Cimarron Memorial. She explains that she has a Master’s Degree and has worked as a CEO in a small rural hospital in Mangum, Oklahoma. She also worked for the Intergis Hospital system in Central Oklahoma.

Asked on Monday when the public might expect answers, she explained that: “....we just need a firm time line. “People need to see a timeline.” (To ease their concerns.) She added she thought a statement would be ready for the press by Tuesday afternoon

But, by Tuesday, Janssen called The Boise City News and said there would be no press release. “We don’t have any answers. Dave has never had any problem implementing this before with Medicaid. But Oklahoma is making it difficult,” she explained.