By David Fleet

Editor

Goodrich-A former village hospice facility may be operational with a new occupant by the end of the year.

By an 8-0 vote on July 25 the village planning commission OK’d Grand Rapids-based Hope Network for a special use permit for the vacant Goodrich Hospice Care Center, 7280 S. State Road. Hope Network is a non-profit Christian organization founded in 1963 to empower people with disabilities or disadvantages to achieve independence. The company provides a continuum of specialized care for those with brain and spinal cord injuries, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and other disadvantages. Their support services include transportation, subsidized housing, case management, community-based services and workforce development. Hope Network addresses the social, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the individual.

On Monday night the village council voted 5-0 to OK the project, following the recommendation of the village planning commission. The facility will be used for an adult foster care facility with a capacity of 30 beds.

Deb Mock, Executive Director of Behavioral Health at Hope Network, attended Monday’s meeting.

“Our proposed home in Goodrich would serve a variety of people, including those with a diagnosed mental illness or developmental disability, providing quality care and treatment to help them overcome,” she said. “At Hope Network we believe that a person shouldn’t be defined by their diagnosis, or let it hinder them from pursuing their dreams or goals.”

The Goodrich Hospice Care Facility has been closed for about three years. In June 2013 Genesys Health Systems announced that it would locate its residential hospice services in Goodrich to a separate, dedicated wing of Genesys Convalescent Center (a skilled nursing facility) in Grand Blanc. At that time, Genesys, like other healthcare facilities across the nation, made changes to help ensure its long-term sustainability in the era of healthcare reform.

“It’s a great opportunity to the community, ” said Jakki Sidge, village administrator. “The facility has been empty and it’s good to have someone occupying the building. They do have a stellar service record. The plan is for a six-foot privacy fence and there will be alarms. It’s better to keep the building in use.”

Bill Bone is an 18-year village resident and president of Hawthorn Ridge Condominiums Association just west of the proposed Hope Network facility. He questioned Mock during Monday’s village meeting.

“Are we more concerned about filling a vacant building then what’s actually going in there?” he said. “I was shocked the village council did not ask more questions before voting to approve Hope Network. They did not ask what kind of clientele is going to be there? Where did that clientele come from? Are they just coming back into the system from prison? We need to get something in writing to say just what is going in. I really thought Hope Network was vague.”

Mock responded.

“We’re deeply committed to safety, both for our residents, and the communities we’re a part of,” she said. “The residents of this home will be served by qualified and experienced staff in a 1:3 staff-to-resident ratio. The facility will include a fenced-in yard with alarmed doors. While we are still in the process of due diligence to purchase the building, we are excited about the potential to serve the Goodrich community in the near future.”

Shannon McCafferty, village council member and planning commission member who voted for the project responded.

“They are short-term, not permanent housing,” she said. “There are reports on their (Hope Network) website you can pull up from the state. They will enhance Goodrich, not hinder it.”