Aase Haugen Home Board of Directors releases a statement about changes at the nursing home

In the wake of the dismissal of Aase Haugen Home Executive Director Sue Bjelland and the decision to discontinue the position of Development Director at the nursing home--first announced here on decorahnews.com on Wednesday--the Aase Haugen Home Board of Directors has released a public statement:

"Aase Haugen Senior Services has seen many challenges and changes in the past few months.  Any time there are changes within an organization, it gives them a chance to reflect and refocus their efforts.  The Board of Directors of Aase Haugen Senior Services have been given just that opportunity in recent months and has decided that to best serve the residents, tenants and community members within the Aase Haugen continuum, further changes were necessary.

The board members agreed that to fulfill the mission and purpose of Aase Haugen in all lines of service to the community, new leadership was required.  As a result, Susan Bjelland has been relieved of her position as Executive Director and Administrator of Aase Haugen Senior Services.  The board has also decided to eliminate the Director of Development position. 

Over the next weeks and months the board will be redefining roles and positions at Aase Haugen to best meet the needs of the organization and those it serves.  They will be enlisting the help of accounting firms and a health care management service, Continuum Health Care Services of Ankeny, IA, to aid Aase Haugen in its reorganization.

The Board recognizes the tireless efforts of current Aase Haugen staff to maintain operations and continue to provide quality care and services as seamlessly as possible to the individuals within the Aase Haugen Family.  The reorganization will, however take some time to complete and, as with any change, time to adapt and find best practices within the new staff and organizational structure while maintaining integrity. 

The Aase Haugen Board of Directors requests the community's patience and understanding during this time of transition, assuring their first priority is the continued care and security of its residents, tenants and community members.   Strategic board planning sessions will be held in the coming months to ensure Aase Haugen Senior Services' future security, viability and integrity."