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Denise Hanson Denise Hansen, 29, has worked in health care for seven years, most recently at the former Good Samaritan Care Center in Paynesville and Hilltop Good Samaritan Center in Watkins as the director of social services. She has an undergraduate degree in social work and is currently working on her master's degree in social work. She and her husband, Greg, have a 19-month-old son. A focus for PAHCS in recent years has been long-term care, with a large part of the current construction going for improvements at the Koronis Manor and with the hospital district purchasing two homes from the Good Samaritan Society. How important should long-term care be to the hospital district? 700 Stearns Place, Washburne Court, and the Koronis Manor have been important parts of the Paynesville community for a long time. There is a growing number of elderly persons who will be needing health care services and are going to be more demanding of quality service than ever before. Having worked in the industry, I know firsthand that consumers will expect more private rooms, a home-like environment, and quality staff to assist them in reaching their highest standard of living. I believe it will be very important for the hospital district to be in a position, not only as a provider, but as the provider of choice for long-term care services. Do you support future improvements in long-term care: an addition at the Koronis Manor that would create more private rooms and bathrooms and the switching of Washburne Court to assisted living? Yes, the only way to be competitive in this market is to provide outstanding services that enhances the elder person's dignity in a home-like environment.

Brad Johnson Brad Johnson, 60, has a bachelor of science in mathematics and a master's degree in guidance and counseling. He retired two years ago as marketing manager for an insurance company, where he supervised insurance agents in four states and worked with federal regulations and compliance audits. He and his wife, Sharon, have two grown daughters. A focus for PAHCS in recent years has been long-term care, with a large part of the current construction going for improvements at the Koronis Manor and with the hospital district purchasing two homes from the Good Samaritan Society. How important should long-term care be to the hospital district? Long-term care will be very important to the future of the hospital district. With the improvements in health care, people will live much longer and there will be an increased need for long-term care. If you have to put a loved one in long-term care, it certainly would be nice if the facility were in the local area to allow convenient visits. Do you support future improvements in long-term care: an addition at the Koronis Manor that would create more private rooms and bathrooms and the switching of Washburne Court to assisted living? I do feel strongly about the availability of private rooms at long-term care facilities. However, I do not feel qualified to answer about an addition at the Koronis Manor without additional information. An assisted living facility would be an excellent addition to the community.

Kay Spooner Kay Spooner, 47, a 1973 graduate of St. Cloud Cathedral High School and 1977 graduate of St. Benedict's College, worked for two years at a long-term care facility while attending college. For the last seven years, she has been the office manager at Mueller Wood Products. She and her husband, Bill, have three boys. A focus for PAHCS in recent years has been long-term care, with a large part of the current construction going for improvements at the Koronis Manor and with the hospital district purchasing two homes from the Good Samaritan Society. How important should long-term care be to the hospital district? As a member of the Baby Boom Generation, I feel that we need to address long-term health care issues today. We cannot afford to put it off as the oldest baby boomers will soon start to retire. I think that offering long-term health care will act as a feeder to the health care system as a whole. The residents of the long-term health care facility will be using the local physicians, therapists, etc. The facilities will complement each other. Do you support future improvements in long-term care: an addition at the Koronis Manor that would create more private rooms and bathrooms and the switching of Washburne Court to assisted living? After my brief experience working in a long-term care facility, I know the best situation would be to have private rooms and bathrooms. This would create an atmosphere that would be more like a home and less like an institution for the residents. I also believe that having an assisted living facility would be wonderful for Paynesville.

Part I of the profiles for hospital board.
Part III of the profiles for hospital board.

(Editor's Note: Profiles of the four hospital board candidates for Paynesville Township will continue next week.)