WASHINGTON, Ind. — An ongoing row between a nursing home operator and Daviess County officials has left residents in limbo.

Washington Nursing Center began loading residents onto buses Monday morning so its parent company, Chosen Healthcare, could house COVID patients from other facilities there, Washington Mayor David Rhoads said.

The buses were destined for Hanover and Vincennes, where Chosen Healthcare also runs nursing homes. Families and community leaders hadn't been officially notified of the move only finding out via social media over the weekend.

Rhoads said he spoke with a company representative, letting him know he opposed the move.

"I expressed my displeasure with (COVID-19) coming into our community and without our community knowing what's going on," he said. "Some of these people's got some serious health problems that by moving them out to another facility, even in adjoining counties, it was a big danger for them to be moved."

At 9:10 a.m. Monday, Daviess County Health Officer Dr. Merle Holsopple signed an order barring nursing homes and assisted living centers from accepting residents from facilities in other counties.

One bus had already left but came back after the order was issued, protesters on the scene said. A witness said another bus crashed into a vehicle as it tried to leave quickly to avoid being served.

The nursing home temporarily halted the transfer of additional residents but then decided to go ahead with the plan as buses headed back out of the facility's parking lot.

"We thought we had this thing kind of under control," Rhoads said. "Then they found a loophole."

Protesters tried to block the buses from leaving with parked cars and their own bodies.

“What gives them the right to move people out of their homes? There’s no reason for it," said Jesse Martindale, who said he was shoved out of the way so the buses could leave. "They’re not doing anything wrong. I have every right to stop it; so I stopped it."

The buses returned a short time later.

Rhoads confirmed that a second order was issued, forcing the buses to come back, but said the company is still trying to find a way around it.

He said he was told by a company representative that Chosen Healthcare is following directives from state officials.

In response to questions from the Courier & Press, the state released a statement that said the Indiana State Department of Health "has not ordered any changes at this facility."

"ISDH has had preliminary discussions with a number of long-term care facilities around the state to determine whether they would have capacity and a willingness to create dedicated COVID-19 buildings," the statement from the state's Joint Information Center said. "Those decisions must be made in conjunction with feedback from the local provider and hospital community and the ISDH. Those conversations are ongoing, and the decision ultimately will be made by the facility in consultation with ISDH."

Rhoads said he's now working to get lawyers involved.

"These poor patients have been in and out twice now, maybe a third time," he said.

Protesters have demonstrated outside the nursing home since Sunday.

"It’s not fair to the employees, and it's not fair to the residents," protester Haven Lunsford said.

Some workers joined the protesters, and one even quit her job.

"I had heard what (the company) had to say, and it just didn’t make sense to me," Kassidy Donaldson, a former dietary cook, said. "I saw how upset the residents were and how heartbroken they were from being removed from their homes. Some of them have been here years and years. This is what they know."

"I just didn’t think it was right. I don’t want to be a part of this company any more," she added.

Chosen Healthcare runs 14 nursing homes in Indiana, as well as a handful in Iowa and Texas.

The company operates the Indiana facilities under agreements with Daviess Community Hospital, which holds the licenses. The arrangement allows the public county hospital to draw additional Medicaid dollars intended for nursing homes owned by local governments.

The complex arrangement led to some confusion Monday regarding the hospital’s authority over the nursing home’s decision to begin transferring residents. The hospital was exempt from the county's order.

“We’re looking into that now,” said Tracy Conroy, CEO of Daviess Community Hospital. “It’s very complicated.”

She said the hospital learned of the company’s plans on Saturday and “did not play a role” in the decision to move patients and make way for a COVID-19 unit.

“We thought we had something in place to where they weren't going to move the patients, but it's my understanding that they are now moving them again,” she said Monday. “We certainly don't want it. That's what I'm going to tell you. We wanted a well-developed plan. And I can tell you we have not agreed upon a well-developed plan. We wanted to do what was right for the residents. And we feel like it was done very suddenly without our knowledge.”

The ISDH has urged nursing homes to continue housing residents who test positive but don’t have severe symptoms.

In response, some nursing home operators are creating regional COVID-19 units. Magnolia Health System, for example, has created a dedicated regional unit at Columbus Transitional Care in Bartholomew County.

The move drew praise last week from Indiana Health Commissioner Kristina Box.

Conroy said the state’s efforts can help mitigate the spread of the virus among vulnerable nursing home residents, but better planning and coordination is needed.

“I think it's a great initiative,” she said. “I think we have to do that to protect our residents in long-term care facilities. But I think we have to look at strategically where is the best location and make sure they have resources, and that a plan has been developed with the hospital working together collaboratively, making sure that we can meet the needs of the community and all of the residents in long-term care.”

C&P reached out to Chosen Healthcare seeking comment. The message wasn't returned.