Dr. Steven Mulder can’t enter Harmony River Living Center in rural Minnesota without smiling.
The CEO and president of Hutchinson Area Health Care wore an especially large smile during a dedication ceremony for the new senior living facility in late February. “When we broke ground, we imagined what could be,” Mulder said. “We didn’t imagine this.”
Harmony River is a new 108-room senior care facility financed using a direct loan and a loan guarantee through USDA Rural Development's community facilities program. AgStar Rural Capital Network is the lender on the guaranteed portion of the loan.
The new facility resulted in the hiring of about 50 new employees, bringing the total number of staff at Harmony River to over 200.
Harmony River offers several upgrades over the previous senior living facility managed by Hutchinson Area Health Care. Resident rooms doubled in size. Bathrooms are handicap accessible. Hallways are 8-feet wide. Specific units are dedicated to specialized services such as memory care and rehabilitation.
"This puts us in the best position for the long-term," said Dan Lindh, President of Presbyterian Homes & Services. Lindh oversaw the project's development. "This means a lot to our community."
To find out how USDA’s Community Facilities Program can partner with your community, click here.