COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Despite all kinds of financial struggles in recent years, the annual Maple Lawn Medical Care and Rehabilitation Facility report accepted by the Branch County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday indicates they will not approach the county for financial assistance any time in the near future.
Commissioners voted in August of 2022 to advance Maple Lawn up to $1 million to help the facility deal with financial difficulties. A cut in residents during the COVID-19 pandemic was cited as the main reason Maple Lawn got into a financial squeeze.
County Commissioner Tim Stoll said the Maple Lawn funding request almost three years ago caught them by surprise.
County Commissioner Rick Hollister said Maple Lawn is fully staffed with training for new staff members being partially funded through grants.
The occupancy rate has been up so far in 2025.
Maple Lawn got some good news from the Internal Revenue Service earlier this summer.
After years of appeals, the county-owned facility was told they will receive a settlement amount for the Employee Retention Credit of $2,895,000.
Maple Lawn says the funds will be an integral part in securing their future financial position and will allow them to move forward with some long overdue facility needs.
Administrator Jane Sabaitis said during a recent board meeting Maple Lawn suffered a $1-point-2 million operating loss between January and May of this year.
Sabaitis and Controller Jessica Worden have been collaborating with the accounting firm Plante Moran to determine the 2026 Medicaid reimbursement rates and to identify any additional changes that may be necessary to keep the facility in the black.
Medicaid payments to Maple Lawn are still dependent on adequate federal funding and how the state disburses the Medicaid funds Michigan receives.
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