Metcalfe Healthcare Center Sold: A Fresh Chapter Begins
Pictured are Magistrate Daniel Bragg and Judge/Executive Larry Wilson. Screenshot 9-12-2025-Facebook Metcalfe County Fiscal Court
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Metcalfe County Fiscal Court held a special-called meeting on Thursday, September 11th, at 3 p.m. with all members present.
The main item on the agenda that everyone in attendance was waiting for was the bid award for the purchase of the Metcalfe Healthcare Center.
In a special-called meeting held on Friday, September 5th, four bids for the purchase of the Metcalfe Healthcare Center were opened.
Judge/Executive Larry Wilson opened and announced each bid:
- Ballards Spahr of Seattle, Washington, 10 million, five thousand dollars ($10,005,000).
- Oncore Health Partners of Richmond, Kentucky, 11 million ($11,000,000).
- L. Management of Brooklyn, New York, 12 million, two hundred and fifty thousand ($12,250,000).
- Topaz Fiscal Services of New York, 11 million, one hundred and fifty thousand ($11,150,000).
Immediately after opening the bids on Friday, the court voted to enter into executive session per KRS 61.810 (1)(b) – Property Acquisition/Sale.
Approximately 20 minutes later, the court returned to open session and Judge Wilson stated, “No action has been taken.” He then added, “I’d like to say this. This is a big decision for the magistrates and myself. We’ve got a lot to think about. Top priority in all of this is to take care of the residents and the employees of Metcalfe County Health Care, and we are going to research and make sure that we are comfortable that they will be taken care of.”
“One of the things we already know that’s been talked among some of the people that have been said, nobody will lose a job. I know there’s been rumors that some would, that’s not going to happen. First of all, whoever should buy this cannot operate without employees that are already trained. Thank God.”
“And part of the reason I want to go ahead and explain to everybody, part of the reason the nursing home board and the fiscal court has thought about the sale, we cannot compete.”
“As far as these large companies and what Cody (Brooks, Administrator) purchases for the nursing home for its operation, he has to pay a whole lot more for it. Whereas these larger companies can buy for a fraction of the cost. We all know, back when covid hit, the nursing home was in a bad shape financially. It looked scary. They thought we were going to lose. We’re at a point right now. We’re holding on, but all it’s going to take is one emergency, and we’re in trouble again.”
“So, to ensure that we keep the nursing home, we need to look at other avenues, places that have the money to make sure it’s taken care of, but already, and everything that’s been done. I have some people from the nursing home and from the nursing home board here today, and they can all assure you, residents and staff are top on the list to be taken care of so, but we do want to give this some deep thought, and we will do our best at next Thursday’s regular meeting, if possible, to make a decision. There’re no guarantees that we can, but we’ve got a lot of calling to do and a lot of research to do.”
The results of that Friday’s meeting prompted the necessity of Thursday’s special-called meeting.
After opening meeting, routines were completed, the motion to go into a closed session was made by Magistrate Kevin Crain and seconded by Magistrate Daniel Bragg.
After approximately 15 minutes, the court returned to open session, and Judge Wilson began the announcement. “The magistrates and I, we and our attorney, we have met, and we have decided…Go ahead and make a motion (looking at Bragg).”
Magistrate Bragg then made the motion, “I make a motion. We award the bid for the purchase of the Metcalfe County Healthcare Center to Topaz Health on the recommendation of the nursing home board.”
County Attorney Sharon Howard offered a correction of the name to Topaz Corporation.
Magistrate Ronnie Miller seconded Bragg’s motion, and the sale was approved unanimously.
Ambulance Fund
The other main item on the agenda was concerning an Ambulance Fund CD.
Fiscal Court Clerk / Treasurer Page Edwards explained, “The CD matures on the 20th. It’s been a six-month CD, and its current interest rate is 4.25. I called this morning; the six-month rate is 4.21, and the 9-month rate is 4.01. I just need to know what you all want to do.”
One of the magistrates asked how the monthly payment (ambulance service) was usually made, to which Edwards replied, “Well, just through the ambulance tax, but it seems we’ve been hit hard, because in 23 we had to pay for an ambulance, and we also have to pay the Road Fund back for the ambulance.”
After several back-and-forth calculations about payments and the rest of the year’s billing, Bragg said, “I’ll make a motion that we cash this CD out. We take $190,900, put it back in the Road Fund to reimburse the purchase of the ambulance. Take $88,000, put it in the ambulance fund, make the rest, make sure we have enough money for the rest of this year’s payments. That leaves $140,941.48 that we put on a three-month CD to come to the year. That way, we still get the maximum amount of return on that money. That’s my motion.”
A second was made by Miller, and all the magistrates approved it.
The other regular monthly financials were approved. With no other items on the special-called agenda, the court adjourned.
The next regular meeting is rescheduled for Thursday, September 25th, at 9 a.m.
