The Cordell Christian Home has found new ownership under Kent Abbott of Hydro, Oklahoma. CCH announced in a news release that Abbott’s ownership of the home would be effective starting September 1, 2021.
“Living and supporting the communities of Western Oklahoma has always been a source of pride for the Abbott family,” the release said. “Their commitment and dedication to serving our most vulnerable population residing in nursing homes has been the key to their success in managing other nursing facilities.”
“I've never changed. Every time that I have taken on a new facility, I'm excited about it,” Abbott said.
Abbott, who is a pharmacist by education, has been in the long-term care industry for over 20 years, and his current pharmacy operations service a total of 20 states including Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas.
Abbott currently operates three additional nursing facilities including one in both Hydro and Binger and has done so for the past 15 years.
“I'm from a small town. I'm from Hydro and I'm used to small-town life,” he said. “I understand the smalltown market. I understand small-town needs.”
Abbott describes himself as a “stickler for good care” and attributes this to his reasoning for purchasing the Cordell Christian Home, a facility for which he once served on the advisory board, “I feel like any town, if possible, needs their own facility. It's just part of the town makeup, and CCH has been there for years,” Abbott said. “I was close to it. It was important to me that I give it a chance to continue.”
According to Cordell Christian Home’s President of the Board of Directors Jimmy Piercey, the sale of the home was due to various factors such as cash flow and the pandemic.
Piercey said the sale was a necessary move in order to keep the home in Cordell.
“I think it's very positive,” Piercey said. “That home has been an integral part of caring for elderly since 1962 when it first was built and opened. The board, they want that good care to continue for all the elderly in Washita County and surrounding towns… We're looking forward to bigger and better things.”
As for what residents can expect with the new change in management, Abbott said changes might be made where needed; however, he said changes made would be in terms of the care provided and would hope to reach a level of that similar to his other facilities.
“As an example, two of my three previous facilities had a star rating of two from the state,” Abbott said. “My facilities today, two of them have five-star ratings and one of them has a fourstar rating… Contrasting that to some other facilities around, no one has as good a star rating as I do. I want to bring that to Cordell. It will take a while to get there, but I want to make it. I want to be the best I can be and the facility could be at taking care of patients.”
As of now, the only confirmed change that is planned is the changing of the home’s name due to it becoming a for-profit facility rather than a nonprofit once the change in ownership takes effect.
“It will still have a Christian flavor,” Abbott said. “I think you'll find that it's still, it's still a warm place, and very home-like- as best we can do it with a physical plant. That's pretty well how we operate all of our buildings. With a warm, family and Christian-like manner.”
Coming up, residents’ family members, as well as members of the community, will get the chance to meet the new management team during a meet-and-greet event being held in the parking lot of the Cordell Christian Home at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 26.
“We welcome all families and other loved ones who may have questions or simply just want to meet the new management team to stop by,” said the news release.
The Cordell Christian Home began in February of 1962 after the minister of Cordell Church of Christ Jack Cox decided he wanted to provide for the needs of the aging.
Congressman Victor Wickersham aided the church in getting the home started.
The Cordell Christian Home describes itself as “a team of board members, administration, and support staff dedicated to maintaining and improving the highest standards of care for today’s elderly.”