Another South Dakota nursing home is closing its doors.
Avantara will close its facility in Arlington, west of Brookings, in February. It currently has 22 residents.
A spokesperson blamed the closure on staffing issues, Medicaid underfunding, and the continued impact of COVID-19.
“We were honored to serve an incredible community who provided great support to both our residents and staff, especially during the pandemic," Connie Ortega
said in a press release Monday. “Our hardworking, dedicated staff at Avantara Arlington went above and beyond in their care of our residents, and they richly deserve to be recognized. They are true heroes, and we’ll be working closely with them and our residents through the closure of Avantara Arlington.”
Avantara owns 15 care centers in the state.
The South Dakota Health Care Association reports that roughly 10% of the state’s nursing homes have closed in the past five years.
In her recent budget address, Gov. Kristi Noem prioritized improving the Medicaid reimbursement rate for the state’s nursing homes.
