Pleasant View Nursing Home, Rock Port, is one of the nursing homes owned by Tiffany Care Centers, Inc., that has been sold to Prime Healthcare Management.

By Sheri Wright, Mound City News

The owner and officers of Tiffany Care Centers, Inc., have made the decision to sell the company’s six nursing homes to Prime Healthcare Management of Kansas City, Missouri. The transition will be Tuesday, November 1. Wava Duncan Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Gibson, Vice President of Corporate Compliance Kim Duncan Ireland, and Vice President of Business Development Kristine Duncan Gibson, spent many months weighing their options on which direction the company’s long-term planning would take. As with many other businesses there is constant need for update and expansion. “The environment of healthcare has become challenging for small owners with so many more regulations,” states CEO Gibson. “Small companies like Tiffany Care Centers are beginning to sell to bigger companies.”

Because there was no fourth generation legacy interested in taking the reins, the board of Tiffany Care Centers began researching several healthcare companies. Prime Healthcare Management stood out because it is also a third generation company. “Prime is very excited to acquire the Tiffany Care Centers’ buildings,” states the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Joseph R. Shafer. “These family and community oriented buildings fit our current portfolio of facilities in the great state of Missouri. PRIME strives to provide the best quality care to our residents in the community. Additionally, as an employer in the communities, we excel in keeping staff happy and feeling appreciated for caring for our residents. We look forward to great relationships with the residents, staff and communities.”

Tiffany Care Centers has been a fixture in Mound City and area communities for 46 years. On December 3, 1976, David and Wava Duncan started the business, but the origins of the business dates back to 1956 when David’s parents, Howard and Ruth Duncan, opened Duncan Nursing Home in Mound City. The original facility was in their home and provided 24-hour care for 22 residents. In 1969, David Duncan purchased the home and operated the home for two years until the Bethesda Foundation bought the nursing home and built a new 58 bed faciity and Duncan Nursing Home became Tiffany Heights.

When David and Wava Duncan purchased Tiffany Heights and King City Manor from the Bethesda Foundation in 1976, the wheels began turning for the newly formed Tiffany Care Centers to expand throughout northwest Missouri with the purchase of five more nursing homes over the years. Tiffany Care Centers currently owns Tiffany Heights, Mound City; Oregon Care Center, Oregon, Missouri; Nodaway Nursing Home, Maryville, Missouri; Pleasant View, Rock Port, Missouri; Katy Manor, Pilot Grove, Missouri; and McLarney Manor, Brookfield, Missouri.

David Duncan passed away in 2009, but his two daughters, Kim and Kristine, and son-in-law, Robert, have continued to keep the legacy alive. Tiffany Care Centers employs approximately 300 caregivers and provides quality care for approximately 220 residents. The purchase of the facilities will not affect the employees of each nursing home. The names of the facilities will remain the same.

Prime Healthcare Management owns seven other nursing homes throughout the state of Missouri in Humansville, Buffalo, Cassville, Lewistown, Potosi, Harrisonville and Marshfield. CEO Gibson notes that Prime Healthcare Management’s current homes are located in smaller rural areas, indicating that the company is familiar working with communities in small towns. The following is the Prime Mission Statement: Our mission at Prime Healthcare Management is dedicated to providing proactive cares to exceed expectations of our residents. Our focus is to create new outlooks to enhance the quality of life and daily experiences while inspiring hope and healing to individuals to achieve the highest level of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being to ensure individuals live a “prime” quality of life.

The board of Tiffany Care Centers wants to stress that the selling of the nursing homes was not an easy decision. “We truly appreciate the community support over the last 46 years,” says Vice President Gibson. “The staff at our facilities have been so great and we will miss them.” The board is confident that there will be a smooth transition in November and wish the best of luck to Prime Healthcare Management.