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County buys Sait Elizabeth Hospital
Lancaster County spends $530,000 to buy the former Saint Elizabeth Hospital at 1145 South St. and open a nursing home. -
New Lancaster Manor opens
New Lancaster Manor opens west of the former hospital. -
Lancaster Manor Foundation forms
Lancaster Manor Foundation forms to raise money for manor projects and programs. -
State officials ban new admissions
State health officials ban new admissions for 90 days because of serious problems. -
Larry Van Hunnik is appointed administrator
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Manor gets excellent inspection report
Manor gets an excellent inspection report from state health officials. -
Saint Elizabeth Hospital razed
Old Saint Elizabeth Hospital is razed, but its historic appendage, St. Francis Chapel, is spared and later refurbished. -
Ron Fetters hired as temporary administrator
Van Hunnik retires and Ron Fetters is hired as temporary administrator. He later is named administrator. -
Fetters resigns
Fetters resigns; Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Gwen Thorpe is named interim administrator. -
Manor billing problems
County board discusses manor billing problems and potential losses of $300,000 to $400,000 a month; commissioners decide to explore options, including leasing or selling the manor, new management and hiring new administrator. -
Advisory committee created
County board appoints advisory committee to evaluate proposals, including a sale. Five entities submit proposals, but only one -- from Hunter Management, a private company based in Evanston, Ill. -- is for purchase of the manor. -
Committee recommends sale
After lengthy study, committee recommends "structured" sale. -
Public hearing/rally
Nearly 200 people, mostly manor employees and relatives of residents, attend public hearing on advisory committee report; union rally outside County-City Building attracts about 75, mostly manor employees. -
County board votes for sale
County board votes 4-1 to pursue sale. Commissioner Larry Hudkins votes no. Board appoints subcommittee to come up with talking points for potential sale. -
Lancaster Manor placed on probation
Lancaster Manor is placed on probation by the state after inspectors find nine care-related problems. -
Foley releases audit
State Auditor Mike Foley releases audit report saying, among other things, that the nursing home lost more than $2 million in two years because of bad management and inadequate accounting. -
County board votes to sell manor
County board votes 4-1 to sell manor for $8,050,000 to Hunter Management. Hudkins opposes. -
Lawsuit filed to stop sale
Union President Kim Kaspar files lawsuit to stop sale. -
Lancaster Manor Rehabilitation Center begins
Lancaster Manor Rehabilitation Center, a new Nebraska company established by Hunter Management, takes over day-to-day operations, leasing property until sale is finalized. Target date is June 1. -
New administrator fixes problems
New administrator Keith Fickenscher and his staff corret the nine care-related problems that led to the probation. -
Judge rules on suit
Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers rules against Kaspar and says county board was within rights to sell. -
Completes probationary period
Lancaster Manor completes 90-day probationary period imposed by state Department of Health and Human Services. -
Hunter Management granted extension
County board amends sales contract and grants extension to Hunter Management, which wants to close by Oct. 15. However, the Rothner family must provide a letter of financial assurance by Aug. 15. -
Sale is closed
County Board and Hunter Management close on the sale of Lancaster Manor. After returning about $4.2 million to the state, earmarking $1 million for future improvements and taking care of other obligations, the county will net about $2.6 million from the sale. -
Foundation dissolves
Lancaster Manor Foundation dissolves and transfers $100,000 to The Senior Foundation. -
Defamation lawsuit filed
Hunter Management files a defamation lawsuit against the nursing home's international and local employee union seeking $100,000 in damages from each. -
Endowment fund recommended
Nine-member Lancaster Manor Proceeds Committee recommends that the county create an endowment fund with the $2.6 in proceeds from the manor sale and seek proposals from nonprofit organizations and government entities to manage it. -
Public apology as part of suit
A representative of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees International makes a public apology to Hunter Management and the Rothner Family as part of defamation lawsuit settlement. -
Annual survey finds no probationary problems
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services completes annual survey of manor. A handful of care-related problems were found but nothing to warrant probation. The problems have been corrected.