VCC foundation board votes to affiliate with Transforming Age
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Transforming Age has been operating Vashon Community Care since December, and that affiliation is now fully complete. An additional affiliation took place last week, when the foundation board members voted unanimously to affiliate with Transforming Age as well.
Previously, Transforming Age and VCC officials said that the foundation would remain in place, with members serving as liaisons to the island community and raising funds for the center first for operating expenses and later for capital improvements. Those plans have now changed. The foundation board members have resigned and will be replaced with representatives of VCC/Transforming Age. The VCC Foundation will continue to have an office in the VCC facility, and Jill Venturi will continue in her role as development manager, according to Transforming Age President and CEO Torsten Hirche. Verna Everett, the former executive director of the foundation, resigned earlier this year.
Former VCC Foundation President Dick Sontgerath said he is happy with this change in plans as the care facility has moved much closer to financial stability under Transforming Age.
“The big dreams got realized, We got affiliated with the right operator” he said, adding: “I feel extremely good about playing a small part in securing the future of VCC.”
Hirche said he made the recommendation the board to affiliate.
“I think everybody saw it was in the best interests of VCC and foundation to to connect the two legally and integrate those efforts,” he said.
He added that the care center is still generating a deficit but much less than when Transforming Age took it on. He attributed that to several changes, including installing new medical records and therapy documentation systems, creating an improved admissions process and making changes to the admissions criteria.
Looking ahead, Hirche noted that Puget Sound Energy had awarded the foundation a grant for emergency preparedness, and he said that effort will go forward.
Also, regarding financial support to VCC, Hirche said that funds will be needed in a variety of ways for years to come — from capital improvements, such as a new roof, to program enhancements.
“We hope people will continue to support VCC,” he said.
— Susan Riemer
