Nursing home’s sale likely to be finalized soon

If all goes as planned, the Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell will soon be under new ownership.

Both administrator Ron Gates Jr., whose family owns the facility, and Tom Boerboom, CEO of Mission Healthcare, say the sale of the business will be finalized May 1.

Gates said the 146-resident facility has been owned by his family since Sept. 1, 1984. The decision to sell the facility to Mission Healthcare was at least partially influenced by Gates’ decision to retire.

“We’ve enjoyed the business, and we appreciate everything the community has done for us,” Gates said. “The relationships we’ve built with the residents, the residents’ families and the staff are going to be difficult to let go.”

The elder-care facility, which is estimated to have approximately 180 employees, is scheduled to be purchased by Mission Healthcare of Minnesota.

The organization owns a facility in Britton and six others in Minnesota.

Boerboom said there are no plans to make significant changes to Firesteel after the sale.

“Obviously, it’s an excellent facility, and we’re very excited about becoming a part of the medical community and the community at large in Mitchell,” Boerboom said. “We’re really excited about working in South Dakota.”

Boerboom said nearly everyone in the company “has had a South Dakota relationship,” which could make the transition easier.

“We just want to get to know everybody,” Boerboom said. “Our organization’s focus is on providing good, quality care to people that live there.”

He said Mission Healthcare is also working on purchasing facilities in Spearfish and Belle Fourche.

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