BHHM Articles - Baptist Homes Healthcare Ministries

Baptist Homes of Ashland – A Brief History

By Dr. Ron Mackey, Vice President, Community Engagement

A few days ago, we celebrated the opening of the assisted living campus at our Ashland location. These are the thoughts I shared on that day……

It had long been a whispered dream that The Baptist Home might one day develop a campus in the central Missouri area. In 2013, former trustee Gayle Bunch informed The Home of a parcel of land south of Columbia. Investigation of this land found it to be unsatisfactory for a senior adult community. This initial investigation was followed by an 18-month search involving over 30 properties in the central Missouri area. On a snowy, very cold day in February 2014, after yet another disappointing tour of yet another property, Paul Bunch and I stumbled upon this property, a quiet horse ranch laid out on a picturesque 74 acres. The problem? It was maybe 20 degrees, and the ground was covered by a foot of snow – we had no appointment to tour the property.

Long story short, the former Marvin & Wanda Bennet home has become the physical fulfillment to a long-held dream to establish a Baptist Homes ministry location in central Missouri.

The journey to this day lasted over a decade and involved multiple design modifications while enduring a global pandemic. Today, we celebrate the initial fulfillment of this vision with the opening of the nursing care building on this campus, fulfilling the continuum of care focus for this ministry location. With independent living cottages, congregate living, and now a 40-bed assisted living unit, and a soon-to-follow 54-bed skilled nursing unit, the dream is finally accomplished.

Just last week, we received our first residents, and more are coming virtually as we speak. Soon these halls will reverberate with the sounds of aging seniors who are safe, secure, well cared for, and loved with the tenacious love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those sounds will include tears and laughter, joys and sorrows, hope and confusion—because that is the nature of growing old.

Our job is to see to it that the folks who call The Baptist Homes of Ashland home will never travel their journey alone – we, specifically Patty Hineman and her staff, will walk, care, nurse, and minister alongside these folks until they make their final journey to their heavenly home.

In closing, hear the words of a great hymn written by Matt Redmon:

“Never Once”

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Employee Spotlight: Denise Roff

Fueled by Kindness and KC Spirit!

Denise has been part of the Baptist Homes family for 14 months, and in that time, she’s made a lasting impact through her dedication, compassion, and team spirit.

When asked about her favorite part of the job, Denise shared, “Getting to know my residents and their families—listening to their stories. I love being a team player and helping whenever I can.” That caring attitude shines through in everything she does.

Outside of work, Denise enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Jeff, and their family, which includes two children and two grandsons who bring her endless joy. She’s a proud Kansas City Chiefs fan and loves taking long drives, exploring new places, fishing, and boating. Summer is her favorite season—perfect for all her favorite outdoor adventures!

We are truly blessed to have Denise as part of our Vandalia team. Her positivity, heart for others, and dedication to our mission make her a valued member of the Baptist Homes family. Thank you, Denise, for all you do!

Stewardship As We Age

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Enter his gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:1, 4).

As we come to the end of 2025, Baptist Homes joins the psalmist in making a joyful noise of thanksgiving to the Lord! Here are a few of the things that God’s faithfulness has brought us to celebrate.

Celebrating God’s Provision

Baptist Homes of Ashland is now open for assisted living. Final steps for skilled nursing care are underway. There are financial needs for this campus that might fit your end-of-the-year charitable giving. Please contact Nick Davis to learn more.
Critical needs are being met on all our campuses. The biggest are roofing needs on all our campuses.
Baptist Homes of Smithville prepares to provide assisted living care to veterans in early 2026.

Join Our Thanksgiving

Your year-end gifts can amplify our joyful noise to the Lord. You might consider giving a gift in the following ways:

Cash – For charitable gift recognition in 2025, donations must be received on or before December 31, 2025.
IRA Charitable Rollovers – These often have specific timing requirements to be completed before the end of the year. Check with your financial advisor for details.
Employer Matching Gifts – Many companies offer matching gifts for an employee’s monetary donation to a nonprofit organization. Companies design these programs to support charities that their employees are passionate about.
Appreciated Securities – By donating your stocks or securities directly to Baptist Homes, you avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation. If you were to sell the stock first and then donate the cash proceeds, you would have to pay taxes on the profit and there would be less of a gift for Baptist Homes.
Gifts of Donor-Advised Funds

To discuss how you can partner in our ministry of care or for explanation of the above gifts, please contact Nick Davis at ndavis@bhhm.org or 573-822-4319.

By Nick Davis, Director of Advancement

Employee Spotlight: Jennifer Buttell

Bringing Joy Through Service & Song

This month, we are proud to shine the spotlight on Jennifer Buttell, a cherished member of our housekeeping team at Baptist Homes of Ozark. Jennifer has been with BHHM for four years, and she says her favorite part of the job is connecting with residents while handling their laundry. She explains, “When I deliver the clothes at the end of the day, I get to talk to some of the residents and help them with little things along the way. It’s such a joy to be a blessing to them.”

Jennifer’s heart for serving others extends far beyond her daily work. A passionate performer since age 14, she volunteers at the Stain Glass Theatre and the Historic Owen Theatre in Branson, MO. She also organizes concerts for residents, sings during Wednesday and Sunday services, performs with the praise team at Ozark Highland’s Church, and even leads music every other Sunday at Victory Baptist—always using her gifts to uplift those around her.

A widow, Jennifer lost her husband, John, to bone marrow cancer and leukemia in 2019. Though she has faced challenges in building a family of her own, she pours her love into the residents, her church family, and her community, leaving a lasting impact wherever she goes.

Jennifer’s warmth, dedication, and heart for serving others make her a true blessing to everyone at Baptist Homes of Ozark.

How to Pay for Long-Term Care

Often, I am asked, “How can I possibly pay for long-term care costs?” It is a question laced with as much fear as it is seeking answers. Issues surrounding long-term care are confusing, complicated, and costly. I would like to briefly explore some of the ways most people will be paying for long-term care costs. The source of revenue for these costs comes from a variety of sources both personal and external.

The first source of payment for long-term care costs are your personal assets – income, investments, and property. There is a myth in America that somehow Medicare will pay for long-term care. This is simply a mistaken idea. Medicare is a health insurance program designed to pay for healthcare costs. Medicare will cover brief rehabilitation stays in a long-term care facility after an illness or surgery but does not cover extended or permanent stays in a long-term care facility.

A second source of payment for long-term care is long-term care insurance. This is a private insurance program purchased by an individual for the future costs of long-term care. There are multiple companies which sell these products, but they are all privately owned. A very few employers offer long-term care insurance as an add-on benefit which can be purchased by the employee.

Third, for those who are veterans or the spouse of a veteran, there are benefits which can cover a portion of the long-term care costs. These benefits are referred to as Aid & Attendance benefits and generally are available for active-duty veterans who served in a combat zone during their period of service.

Fourth, for assisted living care, Medicaid may provide what is called Home Care Based Services. These income-qualified services are now available for those living in an assisted living facility and can cover a portion of the costs.

Fifth, Medicaid covers the majority of long-term care costs for those who qualify financially for Medicaid services. Medicaid is available for skilled care costs in a long-term care facility.

Also, for those who have served in a Southern Baptist ministry, have a Guidestone retirement account, and meet certain income limitations, Guidestone offers a financial supplement called Mission Dignity.

There may be other sources of revenue available for covering the cost of long-term care, but these are the ones we encounter most often. Our staff at each of our campuses are experienced in applying for and helping you understand these various revenue streams and we are available to assist you in finding the answers you are looking for.

A Fresh View from 30,000′

A Fresh View from 30,000’

While the phrase “A view from 30,000’” has long been a part of the western dialect, it has been adopted metaphorically, particularly in business and ministry, to describe a big-picture overview that is free from minor, distracting details. This is often contrasted with a more granular view, sometimes called being “down in the weeds.”

As we prepare for the final quarter of 2025, Baptist Homes is emerging from a season of austerity and entering a season of ministry impact. This new season is punctuated by faithful stewardship and reinvestment into the ministry. The Baptist Homes of 2025 provides more assisted living and skilled nursing care than at any time in our history. These levels of care will continue to expand with the opening of the new Ashland facility, turning what has been an independent-living-only community to a continuum of care campus offering independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. This age-in-place model of care is now available at our Arcadia Valley, Ashland, and Ozark campuses.

Quality care requires quality people, and the view from 30,000’ includes some significant recognitions. In 2025, seven team members were honored by LeadingAge Missouri for making Ripples of Impact for their service to the aging. The ministry also received the National Heritage Award from the National Deer Association for the outdoor initiative that connects residents with volunteers from local churches by mentoring relationships outdoors in God’s creation.

The view from 30,000’ reveals some changes as well. The former Chillicothe and Independence campuses continue serving the needs of seniors, but under new ownership. The additions of Adrian, Shelbina, and Vandalia have made the quality of care Baptist Homes is known for accessible to folks in Kansas City and northeast Missouri.

As we expand our campuses, we also continue to expand access to Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid services. Licensed memory care services are provided at Shelbina and Vandalia. Several locations currently offer outpatient therapy and short-term rehabilitation service, and renovations are underway to expand these offerings.

From 30,000’, we are exploring several possibilities for the future. These include stroke rehabilitation certification and utilization of non-invasive monitoring that weaves AI-powered technologies with human expertise to deliver quality care and peace of mind to residents and their families.

At the heart of all we do are the administrators at each campus. These men and women are committed to the mission of providing Christlike care for the aging. Each is a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. These leaders guide their teams with knowledge and understanding that supports the Baptist Homes purpose of pleasing God and helping others do the same.

This new season is an exciting time for Baptist Homes, and we look forward to continuing our mission of providing exceptional care and support to our communities. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

Together in His service,

Rodney Harrison

Neighbor Spotlight: Ramona Harpending

Faithful Hands, Loving Heart

This month, we are delighted to feature Ramona Harpending, a beloved resident at Baptist Homes of Arcadia Valley.

Ramona was born on March 29, 1936, at her family home in Kentucky. In 1940, when she was just four years old, her family moved to Missouri, where she has lived ever since. Ramona never married but lovingly devoted her life to caring for her mother until her passing. Afterward, she lived independently for 16 years before joining Baptist Homes in 2018.

Though she had no children of her own, Ramona helped raise two children for a single parent and loved them as if they were her own. She also placed a high value on education, attending Harris Stowe Teachers College in 1975. She studied art, psychology, drama, and general studies—graduating with honors on May 23, 1980. The school has since become Harris Stowe State University.

Faith has been a guiding part of Ramona’s life. In September 1945, she accepted Jesus into her heart at Tower Grove Baptist Church. Her love for serving others led her to sign for deaf members of the church and even teach a sign language class.

Today, Ramona enjoys reading, writing letters to friends, attending chapel services, and playing games with fellow residents, thanks to our Activity Director.

We are so thankful for Ramona’s gentle spirit, love of learning, and faithful service. She is a true blessing to our Baptist Homes family.

Preparing for Year-End Giving

Part One

Michael Altshuler is a successful motivational speaker and entrepreneur. A recent quote of his got me thinking about year-end giving. He said, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” This is a good reminder that even though it’s October, it’s worth our time, attention, and prayer to strategize for year-end giving.

For most nonprofit organizations, year-end gifts are crucial for operational expenses, programs, and achieving annual financial goals. It’s also about building future momentum. For Baptist Homes, we seek to build a culture of generosity that sustains our mission – “to joyfully serve in a Christlike manner by educating, advocating, and caring for the aging for the glory of God.” For over 112 years, Baptist Homes’ mission has been to care for the aged. It is still the calling from God that drives what we do today and tomorrow.

Here are things to consider for your year-end giving.

Choosing Your Donation Method

There are various ways to donate to Baptist Homes, including cash, securities, stock, in-kind donations, NAP state tax credit donations, and IRA qualified charitable distributions.

Cash donations can be made by check, credit card, or electronic funds transfer.

Donating securities, including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, involves transferring these assets directly to BHHM instead of selling them and donating the cash. This “win-win” strategy allows the donor to avoid paying capital gains tax on appreciated stock and potentially receive a larger income tax deduction. Once received, BHHM sells the securities to support our mission.

In-kind donations are gifts of goods or services that help BHHM fulfill its mission and reduce operating costs. Examples include goods, services (e.g. legal advice, accounting, IT support, graphic design, or web development), intangible items: Donated advertising time or access to a resource or gift cards (though they have a dollar amount, they’re treated as in-kind donations because they aren’t direct cash).

NAP state tax credit donation -NAP tax credits offset an eligible donor’s state income tax liability, claimed when filing their Missouri tax return. The credit applies to taxes owed for the year of the donation plus five additional tax periods. These credits are issued at a 70% rate of the donation. For example, a $5000 donation will reduce a Missouri State Tax obligation of $5000 to $1500.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions – IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) allow individuals age 70½ or older to transfer funds from a traditional IRA directly to BHHM, up to a limit (e.g., $108,000 for 2025). This donation provides a tax benefit by excluding the distribution from taxable income and satisfies a donor’s Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). QCDs benefit donors who take the standard deduction, as they offer a tax advantage without itemizing.

For questions about the above information, contact BHHM’s Community Engagement office at 573-546-2709.

Next month we’ll explore ways to maximize your year-end giving impact!

Nick Davis, Director of Advancement

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” and Its Impact on Senior Care

Reactions to the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) vary widely. For senior care providers, some provisions appear helpful, others introduce additional administrative burdens, and still others carry consequences that remain uncertain.

What is clear, however, is that this new law will both directly and indirectly affect the operations and strategies of Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries. In many ways, how Missouri lawmakers respond to the federal Budget Reconciliation law over the next two years will shape our mission even more than the federal provisions themselves.

What We Know

The BBB reduces federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. According to the Congressional Budget Office, as many as 16 million Americans may lose Medicaid benefits—including approximately 170,000 Missourians. Most of those affected are under 65 and are individuals with limited or no disabilities, according to published reports.

Key changes in the current reading of the law include increasing the Medicaid requalification periods from annual to biannual redeterminations and reducing retroactive payments for new Medicaid eligibility from months to two months. These changes will increase administrative loads by requiring biannual verification of Medicaid qualifications and will reduce reimbursement for most new Medicaid residents by one month, which places an additional burden on families and facilities.

The majority of those at risk of Medicaid cuts live in the “Medicaid expansion states.” In 41 states, including Missouri, voters approved expanded eligibility beyond federal guidelines. As a result, Missouri is projected to receive $21.1 billion less in federal funding over the next ten years.

It is important to note that residents of assisted living homes and skilled care facilities who are 65 and older are not the target of these reductions and are generally exempt from these cuts.

What This Means for Baptist Homes

Despite headlines warning that “1,600 Nursing Homes Will Close Without Financial Support from Congress,” widespread closures are unlikely. Even so, Baptist Homes will face increased administrative costs and new layers of complexity in managing care, compliance, and financial planning. The new budget also shields skilled care providers such as Baptist Homes from a proposed increase in RN coverage, which is helpful given the nursing shortage across Missouri.

A Steadfast Hope

Psalm 112:6–7 reminds us: “The righteous will never be shaken; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” As we navigate these changes, we do so with confidence that the Lord will continue to provide for His people and sustain the mission of Baptist Homes.

Together in His service,

Rodney Harrison

The Big Beautiful Campus Tour

Earlier this year, our executive team and corporate staff began meeting virtually with our campus leadership staff as a part of the first fifteen minutes of their stand-up meetings. The reason for these meetings is to create better familiarity between our staff no matter where they work.

A few weeks ago, the question was asked of our administrators during one such meeting, “If you could be CEO for a day, what would you do?” The consensus was that all the administrators would tour each campus together to better see what the daily life of each of our campuses is like.

Well, it only took Dr. Harrison a millisecond to decide that we (he and I) were going to take our administrators on a tour of our campuses together. A title was dreamed up – “The Big Beautiful Campus Tour”—t-shirts were created, and the seven of us piled into two company vehicles and set out on the journey. While driving, we all listened to a book by Chad Hodges, “Pray First”, with the intention of reminding us that praying first and foremost is not just a novel idea, but an essential priority for our ministry.

We began at our Ashland campus for a tour, dinner together, and time to get to know one another better, with the men bunking at the ranch house on the Ashland campus and the ladies staying with Susan and Andy Braams at their home nearby. The next morning, the odyssey began. We set out early driving to the Shelbina campus for breakfast, a tour, and a time of prayer for the campus. Next was the commute to the Vandalia campus, where the same process occurred. That evening was completed with a longer drive to the Arcadia Valley campus, with dinner hosted by the campus, a tour, and a worship service that evening led by Rev. John Canterberry, pastor of First Baptist Church, Iron Mountain, and Baptist Homes trustee. That night, we lodged at the Arcadia Valley campus, staying in rooms that have been used for over a century.

The next day, we finished the tour with the same itinerary at the Ozark and Adrian campuses, ending the day with dinner at the Harrisons’ home and a tour of the Smithville campus. We finished the tour with breakfast and a return trip to the Ashland campus.

You might be asking, what was the point of this three day, 15 hours in a car, 900-mile craziness? Well, in some ways that was the point—time together listening to a book on prayer and actually praying together for extended periods of time, visiting each other’s campuses and witnessing the blessings and the challenges unique to each campus and local culture, and creating a bond between our campus leaders. I had the privilege to listen to them laugh, joke, commiserate, and pray together. And I can honestly conclude, these leaders are serving Baptist Homes from a deep sense of calling. They are passionate in their leadership, committed to their tasks, and love their residents and staff deeply.

Sometimes you just need to do something off the cuff and a bit crazy to learn something new and understand the world around you better.

By Dr. Ron Mackey, Vice President, Community Engagement

Neighbor Spotlight: Betty Jackson

A life Crafted with Love & Joy

This month, we are delighted to introduce you to Betty Jackson, a cherished neighbor at our Tri-County campus in Vandalia.

Betty was born in Hartshorn, Missouri, in 1955. In February of 1974, she married her beloved husband, Jerry. That same year, in April of 1974, Betty accepted Jesus into her heart—a decision that continues to guide her life today. She and Jerry shared 43 wonderful years together until his passing.

Education has always been important to Betty. She attended Webster University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business accounting. Alongside her academic achievements, she has many hobbies that bring her joy, including sewing, diamond painting, and most of all, spending time with her family.

One Big Beautiful Bill Impact

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, has key tax provisions.

New Deduction

Effective 2025-2028, individuals aged 65 and older may claim an additional deduction of $6,000. This new deduction is in addition to the current standard deduction. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers). To qualify, a taxpayer must turn 65 by the last day of the taxable year. The deduction is available for both itemizing and non-itemizing taxpayers.[1]

Charitable Giving

Starting in 2026, the new legislation will impact charitable giving:

New deduction for nonitemizers. Nonitemizers can deduct up to $1,000 for gifts to qualified public charities, excluding donor-advised funds.
New cap on deductions for top earners. Itemizers in the 37% tax bracket will have deductions capped at 35%. Consider giving now instead of waiting.
New minimum giving threshold. Itemized gifts must exceed 0.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) before you can claim a deduction. Some advisors suggest bunching charitable gifts for multiple years into 2025 to avoid this giving floor.
Extended deduction limit for gifts of cash. The 60%-of-Adjusted Gross Income limit for cash gifts to public charities is now permanent.[2]

[1] https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-tax-deductions-for-working-americans-and-seniors

[2] Endowment Development Services, “Seven Strategies for Year-End Giving”