Specific information is sparse about the reasons for closing the long term care facility that has operated as part of Greene County Medical Center since 1965.
The elected medical center board of trustees voted unanimously at its July 28 to close the facility at the recommendation of medical center chief executive officer Chad Butterfield and others. Residents and their families, and the 58 long term care employees, were given 60 days notice of the closure. The facility will close Sept. 28.
Butterfield, along with board of trustees president Jim Schleisman and trustee Bill Raney, held a conference call with the local news media Thursday afternoon.
Butterfield reiterated information provided in a press release earlier that day. The press release stated there are now only 34 residents. In the past two years, 45 is the highest number of residents. Over the past nine months occupancy has steadily declined.
The long term care facility operates at a net loss financially. Butterfield told the media the reimbursement calculations for Medicare, Medicaid and other payment methods are “incredibly complex.”
“It’s to safe to say that the negative impact the medical center has had over the last few years has been significant operating long term care,” he said. “We believe it’s in the best interest of the taxpayers that we move this direction. And the medical center – we’re trying to ensure we’ll be here in years to come.”
“Financially, our goal at the medical center continues to be to ensure that we’re here in 5, 10, 15, 25 years. Ultimately, this is the unfortunate decision we decided upon,” Butterfield said.
He was unable to say during the conference call what the actual dollar loss has been, either monthly or annually. He did not answer a follow-up question from GreeneCountyNewsOnline following the call.
Schleisman has served on the medical center’s board of trustees since being appointed in 1995 to fill a vacancy, and then being elected in November 1996. He has been board chair for 25 years.
Schleisman said the decision to close long term care was “extremely difficult. I waffled between yes and no, but in the interest of the hospital, I had to agree that it’s time to do it. I’m very saddened by the decision, but with all the factors considered, I believe it was the best option of the residents to place them in the facility of their choice. It’s the most difficult decision I’ve had to make.”
The medical center has hired AccuraHealth to assist families in finding other facilities and transitioning their loved ones to them.
Butterfield said the board has no plans at this time for the space long term care occupies on the second floor. He said the primary goal in the short term is to assist families in placing the current residents in other facilities.
Of the 58 long term care employees, 39 are either fulltime or part-time, and another 19 work as needed (PRN). The total includes employees in nutritional services and facility services/maintenance. Butterfield was not able to provide the total payroll for those employees.
The employees were given the same 60-day notice as residents. Those who do not find other employment may receive severance pay.
Although there are long term care employees with many years of service to the medical center, they will not be able to “bump” other medical center employees based on seniority. Butterfield said long term care employees are encouraged to apply for open positions at the medical center.
There are currently openings for five fulltime LPN/RNs and one as-needed position. There is one position open for a fulltime CNA and one as-needed position. There are no open nutritional services or facility services positions.
