Yates Center, Kansas (KWCH) – A small town in southeastern Kansas is working to recover after grass fires ripped a nursing home. Yates Center people and Mission Health staff own and operate Yates Center Health and Rehab, but met for the first time Monday since the fire on Friday destroyed the facility.
The community is taking the first step towards considering rebuilding. The Yates Center encouragement was that none of the 38 residents of the nursing home were seriously injured. Monday's meeting focused on potential grants and federal funds that could be used to rebuild the facility.
“I think now we're just going to bring our residents home with familiar faces and the people they've relied on for years to care for them. Now that's our biggest goal.”
Mission Health highlighted the efforts needed to ensure that all residents, patients and staff are safely evacuated and relocated.
“When we evacuated 38 residents to our new homes without getting injured within four hours, that's an incredible testament to our staff and their preparation for these types of events,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs said he hopes Mission Health will remain at the Yates Center. In the short term, she said staff are working with the city to ensure that residents of evacuated nursing homes are being looked after.
“I just want to praise the Yates Center and the community,” Jacobs said. “They really stepped in and helped. The initial responders and EMS intervened and helped to make this a smooth evacuation and transition to the relocation site.”
Mission Health is seeking food and clothing donations to further support those chased by the fire on Friday. Donations may be brought to Superior Lumber Supply, 215 W. Rutledge Street, KS 66783, Yates Center.
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