Ennis begins exit process of Texas nursing facilities program

ENNIS – Last week, The Ellis County Press published an article concerning the City of Ennis’ involvement with owning the operating licenses for 20-plus nursing facilities in Texas.

It indicated Ennis Mayor Kameron Raburn did not respond to questions regarding the article. 

A situation he inherited when he took his mayoral seat in May.

Through communication with Mayor Raburn earlier this week, the paper would like to clear up the fact there was a lack of communication through all parties involved, and Raburn was not ignoring the paper’s attempt to contact him.

Since then, Raburn has been in touch with the ECP and has been very open and forthcoming about the state directed program called the Quality Incentive Payment Program. 

The program was designed to encourage nursing facilities to improve patient care through payment for meeting quality metrics that are adopted by the state annually. 

Raburn asked several questions since taking his seat as Ennis’s Mayor in May about QIPP. 

“Last week, the Ennis City Commission took unanimous action to begin the process of exiting the QIPP program and to sell the operating licenses for the city’s 24 nursing homes by Aug, 31, 2025. 

“The City’s primary responsibility is to provide essential municipal services to the taxpayers of Ennis, not running nursing homes across the state of Texas.

“This decision allows us to refocus on the core services our residents expect and deserve while ensuring nursing home operations are managed by those best equipped for the task.”

Ennis and the city of West, north of Waco, are the only two cities involved in this state program, which involves many moving parts.

The program has been managed through a consulting company working with both cities in Texas involved in this type of operating license.