The Pete and Jelaine Horton Center is one of only three federally-certified and Wisconsin-Licensed Skilled Nursing Facilities in all of Door County.
The Project
- Door County Medical Center’s Skilled Nursing Facility was the last of the patient service areas located in the original 1963 building to be updated
- The new 25,000 square foot facility is located on the corner of S. 16th Place and Rhode Island Street
- Door County Medical Center Foundation’s Fund Raising Goal is $5.0 Million; Total project cost of $9.5 million
The Need
- New facility is one of only 3 Federally-Certified and Wisconsin-Licensed Skilled Nursing Facilities in Door County
- The 2015 U.S. Census Bureau lists the average number of people over age 65 in the state of Wisconsin at 14.8% compared to 25.4% for Door County
- In Door County, people ages 65-75 grew by 16% over the past 5 years; those over age 85 during the same time period grew by 10%
- It’s the right thing to do!
The Plan
Resident-centered care:
- Patient safety focus
- Applying design to improve the use of assistive devices
- Creating a homelike atmosphere with a two neighborhood approach
Improved Efficiency:
- Central location of supplies, medical equipment and medications
- Eliminating physical space inefficiencies in the process of care delivery
Each neighborhood includes:
- 15 Private Skilled Nursing Resident rooms with 1 of the rooms dedicated for Hospice/End of Life Care
- Living room, Den and Hospice/End of Life family room
- Increased use of natural light
- Noise reduction architecture
Introduction of End of Life Rooms:
- Dedicated space for end of life care
- 2 End of Life Rooms - 1 per neighborhood
- 2 Family Rooms to accommodate sleeping
Shared areas between two neighborhoods
- Activity room
- Chapel
- Salon
- Spa
- Healing Garden
Hospice services are offered through contracted hospice care agencies.
Pete and Jelaine Horton
In 1999, the Hortons moved to Sturgeon Bay after Pete was involved in a silo gas accident on their Indiana farm. Door County was a place to heal, and an opportunity for the couple to commit to an area they both loved.
“Door County always felt like home,” said Pete. His first visits to the peninsula began with his father, whose company built our familiar blue water towers. Pete’s father passed on the legacy of giving to his son, instilling first and foremost a sense of humility. “We’re just lucky enough that we can do it,” says Pete, “We all do what we can with what we have.”
Pete’s mother was in her early 90s and living in hospice in Indiana; the family knew her life was nearing its end. Those final moments of comfort, remarkable in their similarity to everyday life, meant the world to the Horton family. “End of life means living until the end,” says Jelaine, “we felt so thankful. That’s a major reason we decided to contribute to the new Skilled Nursing Facility at Door County Medical Center.”
The Pete and Jelaine Horton Center is one of only three federally certified and Wisconsin Licensed Skilled Nursing Facilities in all of Door County.
Mail-in Donation Form