Santé Courville to keep its beds

TBy Gordon Lambie

he Santé Courville nursing home in Waterloo will not be closing any of its private beds after all. According to the home’s owner, Kenneth Courville, a funding agreement was reached with the regional healthcare establishment, the CIUSSS de l’estrie - CHUS, at the end of last week that has secured the beds threatened with closure for another five years.

“We received a budget that's adequate” Courville said, explaining that the agreement was signed last Thursday. “We’re going to be able to keep operating all 31 beds.”

Under the new agreement, 20 of the previously private beds will become fullyfunded long-term care beds, with an additional four being converted into “intermediate care” based on evaluations that have taken place over the last month. Those four join an additional five beds that the home already had contracted with the CIUSSS. The remaining two, the owner explained, will be left as totally private as far as funding is concerned.

“It's a good arrangement that allows us to provide a range of different services to the region,” Courville said. “I feel satisfied; I think both sides wanted to find a solution that would keep the beds open.”

Though the owner referred to the evaluation period with the CIUSSS as a process of waiting and discussion, he explained that the end result shows the homes needs were understood and respected. He credited that understanding in large part to the support the home received from its community.

“When we announced the closing, it made the newspapers and we received a lot of support from different organizations and the public in general,” Courville said. “I believe that helped turn things around.”

In March of this year Santé Courville announced a “definite closure” of its beds as of May 9. Following public outcry, the facility was asked by the CIUSSS to delay closure for one month in order to seek a solution.