Indianapolis firm agrees to purchase Franciscan Care
Ide Management Group excited about potential for facility
05 / 21 / 2008
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
APPLETON, Wis. – Ide Management Group, known throughout Illinois, Indiana and western Wisconsin for its successful management of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, has agreed to purchase Franciscan Care & Rehabilitation Center. The transaction is expected to be completed by July 1.
Mark Ide, founder and president of the Indianapolis-based company, is excited about the possibility of taking over ownership of the 200-bed facility from Affinity Health System.
“We look forward to learning from the staff and residents about Franciscan Care & Rehabilitation Center and becoming an active part of the Appleton community,” Ide said.
Affinity has been seeking a buyer for Franciscan Care & Rehabilitation Center whose focus was solely on the operation of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. “Ide Management’s desire to put the needs of the residents first and assure the employees are taken care of through the transition meshes well with Affinity’s philosophy,” said Daniel E. Neufelder, president and chief executive officer of Affinity Health System. “We’re very impressed with Ide Management. They will be wonderful owners for this facility.”
Purchase of the facility is expected to be finalized July 1. “Between now and then, our management team will have a presence in the facility on a regular basis to ensure that the staff and residents are comfortable with the transition,” Ide said.
Franciscan Care and Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as Appleton Extended Care Center, began as a 100-bed skilled nursing home offering fully-licensed health services in a home-like setting. The facility was purchased by Wheaton Franciscan Services, Inc., a ministry of Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, in 1987, and became Franciscan Care Center. The facility added “Rehabilitation” to its name in 1993 when it began offering rehabilitation programs and services.
In 1995, Wheaton Franciscan Services, owner of
Mark Ide founded Ide Management Group in 1997. Ide Management Group, Indianapolis, is a health care management group that oversees the operation of skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities throughout Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 25 family practice and specialty clinics – 22 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; and Affinity Occupational Health.