2nd Prairie Manor administrator out

Published 11:21 am Friday, June 29, 2012

Prairie Manor Care Center in Blooming Prairie is without an administrator for the second time this year.

Prairie Manor Administrator Sue Johnson left the Blooming Prairie nursing home Wednesday, but accounts differ on how she was released from her duties.

According to Jeff Kritzer, an attorney for Burke Management Company, which runs Prairie Manor Johnson tendered her resignation Tuesday. However, Johnson said she was forced to resign.

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At first, Kritzer said, it was uncertain when the resignation would go into effect, but management ultimately decided to put it into effect Wednesday so the nursing home could move forward.

“She said that she wanted to resign, and so that was accepted effective today,” Kritzer said Wednesday.

Johnson, however, said this wasn’t the case. She said she had expressed concerns about the lack of sway she was given as administrator.

“As administrator, the Minnesota statute states that I am responsible for the day to day operation and administration of the nursing home,” she said. “I had the responsibility of the facility but no authority to make any decisions.” Her abilities at Prairie Manor were well below what her license allows her to do, she added.

According to Johnson, Deidra Burke of Burke Management came into her office Wednesday morning and told her that authority at Prairie Manor was not going to change. She then said she was accepting Johnson’s resignation.

“At no time did I hand in any resignation,” Johnson said.

Johnson leaves months after Mark Robinson, the previous administrator, was fired in January. Robinson, who had worked at the nursing home for 14 years, was terminated at the same time as Assistant Director of Nursing Pam Fate and Assistant Administrator Jennifer Milton.

Burke will assume Johnson’s duties for now and Prairie Manor will continue operating as normal, Kritzer said.

“Ms. Burke is very good at what she does,” Kritzer said, adding that she has 25 years experience in the field. “Everything will continue to run smoothly.”

No one is lined up to take Johnson’s place at the moment, Kritzer said, adding he was not aware of a timeline for filling the position.