WARSAW, Ind. (WANE) – A Warsaw-based retirement home operator is likely to leave 19 campuses and several other facilities across the state at the end of the month, leading many workers to wonder if they will have a job and what could happen to residents at these facilities.
Early last month, Miller’s Health Systems, Inc. notified the Indiana Department of Workforce Development that it was terminating its leases with eight Miller’s Merry Manor campuses and that nearly 700 workers would no longer be employed by the company.
Letters obtained by WANE TV, however, show that the leases for 19 of the company’s campuses – plus four assisted living buildings – are coming to an end.
This includes facilities in Fort Wayne and Columbia City, which were not on the initial list of eight.
Miller’s Merry Manors in Huntington and Peru were on the initial list. The same was true for the Indianapolis one, although this one is not listed in the letters obtained by WANE TV.
“This letter is notice that your employment with Miller’s Health Systems, Inc. (“MHS”) will be terminated effective 06/30/2022, due to the termination of the operating/lease contract for the facility you are employed,” reads a letter sent to employees by Miller CEO/President Patrick Boyle.
In the letter, Boyle notes that the owner of the campuses is Highgate Capital Investments/Aurora Health Network, and that his company anticipated that a new contractor “would likely hire most if not all of the former MHS employees working at the facility.”
Calls to Boyle and Aurora Health Network were not returned on Friday.
The letters obtained by WANE TV echo the language written in the notices Miller’s Health provided to the Workforce Development Department.
Another letter to employees details how Miller’s Health originally owned the facilities before selling them under a deal where the company could lease the buildings. Miller apparently tried to buy them back in 2017, but no price could be reached.
The COVID pandemic left facilities caring for fewer patients, and Miller’s Health could no longer meet the terms of the leases of the 19 facilities under current financial terms, according to another letter.
A notice to employees dated Wednesday says Highgate does not yet have a new contracted operator to manage the facilities, leaving workers uncertain whether they will have jobs on July 1 when the leases expire .
“We don’t know if we have a new owner, we don’t know if we’re closing, we don’t know anything,” said an employee of Miller’s Merry Manor, who wished not to be named for fear of not mentioning it. TO DO. have a job to express themselves, said.
Not to mention the residents of the establishments which, to the knowledge of the employee, have not been formally informed of any change in ownership, management or staff.
The list of Miller healthcare facilities terminating leases is below:
- Castleton
- Chesterfield
- City of Colombia
- Dunkirk
- Fort Wayne
- City of Hartford
- Hobart
- Huntington
- Barn
- Middletown
- Peru
- Rockport
- Rushville
- Sullivan
- Syracuse
- Tipton
- East Wabash
- West Wabash
- Wakarusa
- Indianapolis
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