Investigation: Dickinson's Evergreen director faces serious allegations

Nov. 9—UPDATE — Nov. 9, 5:38 p.m.: Following the publication of this article, a spokesperson with Agemark confirmed that "Tessa Van Doorne is currently out of the building pending the the results of an internal investigation."

DICKINSON — Tessa Van Doorne, the executive director of Kensington-Evergreen Senior Living in Dickinson and former president of North Dakota Nurses Association, received significant accolades just a year ago for her commitment to patient care. In a then interview, upon receiving the North Dakota Nurses Hall of Fame Award, she stated, "I'm committed to treating all of our residents like they're family, and to creating moments of joy for them every day."

A year later and a string of serious allegations have surfaced from resident families, along with both current and former employees, that paint the facility as a hostile workplace, rife with serious patient care concerns.

In response to these complaints, Agemark Senior Living, the parent company of Evergreen, confirmed that they promptly launched an investigation into the allegations — a process that remains ongoing.

Van Doorne now faces a barrage of serious accusations, ranging from improper staff treatment and neglect of patients to financial misuse. These claims, received from multiple sources over a span of months, have raised concerns about the well-being of residents and the overall management of the facility.

The string of complaints paint both broad and specific allegations against Van Doorne.

According to complaints received by The Dickinson Press, allegations levied against Van Doorne include not following the correct procedures to thoroughly assess incoming residents' medical conditions and overall suitability for care, neglecting important best practices in the process.

Furthermore, reviewing care plans that outline how residents are taken care of are supposed to be conducted every 90 days to ensure that changing health needs are met for every resident. Van Doorne is alleged to have not ensured thorough examinations to form updated treatment plans necessary to meet the standards, potentially compromising the quality of care provided to the residents.

Additionally, she is being accused of misrepresentation with regard to fired employees. The allegations are that these employees were wrongfully noted as if they voluntarily resigned from their jobs.

Possible legal concerns have also arisen, including concerns with Van Doorne allegedly using a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) as a Director of Nursing, without providing proper oversight in accordance with the law. In addition, legal concerns stemming from allegations of misappropriation of company funds for personal expenses — including getting manicures, hair styling and more — are part of an ongoing investigation.

Over the past year, it is alleged by current and former employees that some residents' families have reportedly opted to remove their family member from the center's care, citing "neglect" and concerns about the quality of care. However, these allegations were unable to be confirmed by Agemark, who declined to comment on the assertion that doing so would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Complicating matters were some additional allegations that Van Doorne fostered a confrontational attitude when addressing employees and patient concerns, creating a hostile work and living environment and fostering a perceived lack of dedication to providing quality care for residents. Grievances outlined both broad and specific concerns related to staffing, training and overall management within the senior living community.

In total, The Dickinson Press was informed of 22 serious complaints relating to Van Doorne. These were raised by current and former employees, as well a resident's family and were shared with Agemark by The Press.

On Thursday morning, The Press was notified of similar concerns, already outlined, by a family of an active resident who said they "were frustrated" with the lack of action and wanted the media to know. According to the individual, the family had reached out to Governor Doug Burgum's office with their concerns, marking the second resident family to contact The Press this week.

In response to these allegations, The Dickinson Press sought a direct response from Van Doorne, who forwarded the media inquiry to Agemark Senior Living corporate offices.

Ashley Gloystein-Klatt, vice president of marketing & communications at Agemark Senior Living in Omaha, Nebraska, in a phone interview with The Dickinson Press, confirmed that the company was aware of the allegations and issued a statement acknowledging their concerns and on-going investigation into the matter.

Gloystein-Klatt noted that prior to The Press reaching out with questions related to the litany of concerns, the company had already initiated an investigation into the matter.

A statement released following a phone interview laid out what Agemark is doing to address the concerns.

"We have received concerns from both former and current employees, as well as families of residents at Evergreen Dickinson. Agemark Senior Living, the parent company of Evergreen Dickinson, is taking all concerns seriously and is currently in the process of investigating all claims," she wrote. "We're having conversations with former and current employees, residents and families; and reviewing processes and documentation."

The issued statement concluded with, "The health, safety and happiness of the residents of our community as well as the health, safety and happiness of our staff is our highest priority."

Gloystein-Klatt confirmed that representatives from Agemark have arrived in Dickinson, and additional personnel are providing oversight during the final stages of the investigation.

"We've reallocated company resources to provide additional support and oversight to this community at this time," she said, confirming that should the conclusion of the investigation determine the allegations to be substantiated, they would "implement immediate corrective action."

The ongoing investigation into the serious allegations, while numerous and serious, do not inherently establish Van Doorne's guilt. The Dickinson Press will report on the findings of the investigation by Agemark as information becomes available.

The Press extended an opportunity for Van Doorne to address the allegations directly, but as of publication there has been no direct response to our request.