Total Care Group (TCG), located in Port Washington, WI, was acquired by Beacon Specialized Living Services on October 16th, 2023.
“Since Beacon engaged with us about a potential merger, we’ve been nothing but impressed with their team every step of the way, from the approach to care to the professionalism they display in all aspects of the organization,” says Charlie Pfrang, president of Total Care Group (TCG).
They noted the similarities in Beacon’s approach to operations to their own, and that they were proactive in saying that they wouldn’t change TCG’s model but add to it. Taking a “common sense” angle to their care model.
“We really liked Beacon’s philosophy of ‘Keeping it small,’ meaning an all hands-on deck approach with employees helping each other when asked for help, no matter your title or role.”
With any new merger or acquisition comes growing pains and uncertainty of the future but the Pfrang’s are confident that their business is in good hands.
“We’re looking forward to growing and working with the various Beacon teams to enhance our operations” says Julie Pfrang.
As Beacon expands service and care across more markets, the promise remains the same. According to Chief Executive Officer Darren Hodgdon, “People ask why Beacon? In our organization, we offer a large organization feel at the local level. We never want to lose your legacy, your people, and the quality services you provide but we do want to offer you more options when it comes to things like training, scaling the business, and providing capital for infrastructure, improvements, and growth.”
Charlie and Julie Pfrang started together in real estate and didn’t feel it was their life’s calling and searched for a new mission. They went back to school in 2012 to help understand the intricacies of running their own home for specialized care and started their business. By 2013, they had successfully launched 28 Pines as Total Care Group’s first specialized adult care home.
The pair attribute their change in direction to a nurse they know that works in the mental health niche of the healthcare sector, who encouraged them to research opening a facility of their own. It was actually their friend who identified a gap in services in the Port Washington, WI area. She discovered that patients who were long overdue for discharge were not getting the help they needed whether that be rehabilitation, post in-treatment care, or otherwise. From there, the rest was simple. Develop a care model that tailors to those patients in need.
Today Total Care Group, now Beacon Specialized Living – Wisconsin, offers adult family homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities with an emphasis on behavioral health.
When asked what has impacted the Pfrangs the most about working in the mental health field, they simply said “A sense of humor is key.”
As the years passed and more homes were added to their line of service, they developed what they coined as the “Wheel of Health.” This simple mechanism drives success for those they serve by looking at the person holistically.
“It was very eye opening to see how everyone has been touched by someone they know with [intellectual and developmental disabilities] IDD, and the discussion on how they could help and the need there was,” said Julie.
According to the pair, socialization between the homes has helped expand many individuals’ social skills. They may socially get along with someone at different homes but live better with someone else. In addition to creating a society unique to TCG, a mixed dynamic approach has been key for successful placement of those they serve, with factors like age range, personality, and interests taken into consideration.
The Beacon team is eager to start off the new year with our new partnership in Wisconsin and to bring evidence-based, high quality care to local communities in Southeast Wisconsin.
To learn more about our services in Wisconsin and beyond, check out our “Locations” tab at Beaconspecialized.org. For any questions about our services, how to start services, or joining the Beacon Team, please reach out to our Executive Director of Marketing, Alexander Furman, at alexander.furman@beaconspecialized.org.
