The planned sale of Haverhill’s Penacook Place Nursing Home is off.
Covenant Health said Sunday it has reconsidered the proposed sale to Azure Healthcare, as WHAV reported last month
“Across all our ministries, Covenant Health’s highest priority is quality care. Earlier this year, we explored an opportunity to transfer Penacook Place to another operator. After additional due diligence, we have elected not to proceed with that change of ownership,” read the statement released to WHAV by Covenant Health Senior Vice President of Marketing and Chief Communications Officer Karen R. Sullivan. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to residents’ health, safety, well-being and the continuity of their care,” the statement added.
As WHAV reported, Azure Healthcare appears to have ties with Eliyahu Mirlis, CEO of RegalCare, which faces state revocation of a dozen nursing home licenses following a Boston Globe Spotlight review of the company’s cost-cutting.
Last week, families of Penacook Place residents convened a meeting at the home to ask questions and raise concerns. State Rep. Andy X. Vargas and Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett were among those who attended.
Vargas told WHAV Sunday night, “Families and residents were clear in their concerns and their outreach—they were fearful that a new Penacook owner would lead to a significant decrease in the quality of care. Given reports on the proposed buyer, it was a credible concern. I was happy to support families as they navigated advocating for themselves, the staff and the facility that has served our community for almost 60 years. I appreciate Covenant’s additional due diligence and commitment to continuity of quality care.” He added, “We must continue to do all we can to ensure our elders can have access to quality and dignified care.”
Barrett told WHAV after last week’s meeting, “We are obviously a concerned party in this and there are residents of the city who have family members there and we certainly want the quality of care maintained.” She noted, however, the process is controlled entirely by the state, involving the Department of Public Health and the attorney general’s office.
Covenant Health took control of the 160-bed home in 2017 from its original nonprofit, which began as Union Mission Nursing Home in 1969. Children of founders Albert D. and Janet Perron Boulanger were among those who asked Penacook Place’s sale be paused for a review.
“As one of the three children of the founder of Union Mission, Albert Boulanger and Janet Boulanger, I am thrilled that the sale of Penacook Place has been called off. My parents worked so hard for two years to get Union Mission up and running that I feel that their high standards for elder care will be well represented by continuing Covenant ownership. I want to express my family’s sincere gratitude to Rep. Andy Vargas and the Haverhill delegation, to DPH Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Governor Maura Healey,” Diane Boulanger-Prescott told WHAV Sunday night.