Boundary Waters Care Center Director Adam Masloski Steps Down, Relocates

Boundary Waters Care Center announced this week that Executive Director Adam Masloski has concluded nearly 18 years with the organization, stepping away from the role as he and his family relocate. The move ends a long tenure in Ely leadership at the 200 West Conan Street facility that serves the surrounding St. Louis County communities.

Masloski led the center through regulatory scrutiny, financial strain and legislative advocacy. In late 2017 a federal on-site standard survey was completed at the facility and identified widespread deficiencies described in the survey record; the record also notes a resident MDS entry dated 11/21/17 indicating the daily use of side rails for a resident. The care center is listed under provider number 245138 and facility ID 00587.

The center narrowly avoided closure in 2023 after a community fundraising effort that collected $60,000 to keep operations running. Masloski warned then that emergency private donations were not a long-term plan, saying, "I don’t anticipate each year raising to the tune of $60,000 – I can hope, but hope isn’t that great of a strategy." He had publicly raised concerns about staffing, reimbursement delays and the potential impact of federal staffing proposals on small rural nursing homes.

Masloski also took Boundary Waters' case to the state Capitol, testifying on a grant appropriation bill for the facility. House committee minutes from a March 18, 2025 meeting list him as a testifier on HF 1553, the Boundary Waters Care Center grant appropriation, and show the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the Human Services Finance and Policy committee omnibus bill.

Community coverage and local records also note Masloski received an outstanding leadership award during his time at the center, and community reporting recorded the death of an 86-year-old resident, Marjorie Hible, who was killed from injuries in a fire outside the nursing home. The center’s history of public challenges and community responses underscores how leadership transitions reverberate beyond administrative offices.

Board and staff have not yet named a successor in the materials available publicly. For residents, family members, employees and partner agencies, the immediate questions will be who will lead day-to-day operations, how leadership change will affect staffing and services, and whether legislative or grant avenues pursued earlier will continue.

Masloski’s departure closes a nearly 18-year chapter for a facility that has been both a community employer and a focal point for rural elder-care debates. Expect announcements from the center’s governing body about interim leadership and operational continuity in the coming days, and watch for any updates on funding or state support that could shape the center’s next chapter.