[Peace] Save the Champaign County Nursing Home

Sat Apr 19 15:47:51 CDT 2008

Our presence is requested.
-Ricky

--- Tara McCauley <TARAM at afscmeillinois.org> wrote:

> Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:10:55 -0500
> From: "Tara McCauley" <TARAM at afscmeillinois.org>
> To: "Tara McCauley" <TARAM at afscmeillinois.org>
> Subject: Save the Champaign County Nursing Home
> 
> SAVE THE CHAMPAIGN COUNTY NURSING HOME
> 
>  
>  
> The Champaign County Nursing Home, beloved by the Champaign-Urbana community, is in
> danger of being shut down.  
>  
>  
> Will the County close its Nursing Home?
> The Champaign County Nursing Home is operating at a financial deficit due to reduced
> public funding and poor administration. Despite widespread public support for the
> home, the Champaign County Board will consider shutting the doors to the Nursing Home
> at its next meeting.   
> Come to the County Board meeting to tell them to keep the Nursing Home open.  
> The solution to the Nursing Home's problems is increased funding, not pushing our
> seniors out onto the streets.
>  
>  
> CHAMPAIGN COUNTY BOARD MEETING
> Thursday April 24th, 7:00 p.m.
> Brookens Administrative Center
> 1776 E. Washington, Urbana
>  
>  
> Can't attend the Board meeting?  Call your County Board representatives or write a
> letter to the editor.
>  
> 
> For more information, contact AFSCME at 217-328-4336. 
>  
> Please forward this message and circulate the attached flyer.
>  
>  
>  
>
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
>  
>  
> County board ponders what to do with nursing home
>  
> By Paul Wood 
> News Gazette
> Sunday April 13, 2008
>  
>  
> The Champaign County Board meets Tuesday to hold a study session on the future of its
> nursing home. As it stands now, many Republicans favor considering divesting the
> county of the home if fiscal conditions don't improve, and Democrats mostly want to
> keep it running. Here's what some of the made to say to The News-Gazette's Paul Wood:
> 
> * * *
>  
> "At this point, there's going to have to be some awful serious changes made for the
> nursing home to be successful. (Divesting) has got to be at the back of a guy's mind.
> We need to look at outsourcing, among other ideas to keep expenses down. Our expenses
> seem to be higher than at other (nursing) homes." * Chris Doenitz, R-District 1
>  
> * * *
>  
> "I would be in favor of setting a target date of no longer than a year and a half for
> the home to be operating in the black. If after that time it was still in the red, I
> would hope other options such as selling it would be on the table for serious
> consideration. I will no longer vote to give more money to sustain operations. It is
> unfair to taxpayers and other departments to continue with draining funds that are
> needed by all. I would also not object to placing a ballot question for the public to
> respond to on how they would like to have the board approach the operations." * Stan
> James, R-District 2
> 
> * * *
>  
> "It's a critical time for the nursing home. We can't continue to subsidize it out of
> the General Fund. I haven't voted in favor of any of the 'loans,' nor will I. I was
> hopeful that putting a board of directors together to run the (nursing home) like
> DeKalb County could help to turn things around, but instead we put together an
> 'advisory board' that has no teeth, in my opinion. So, I'm not as optimistic." *
> Kevin Hunt, R-District 2
> 
> * * *
>  
> "Our first priority with the Champaign County Nursing Home should be to immediately
> take advantage of opportunities to reduce operational expenses that would not
> sacrifice patient care. We should not contemplate other options until operational
> changes are implemented." * Brad Jones, R-District 3
> 
> * * *
>  
> "The Republican Caucus is deeply concerned about the continued financial difficulties
> of the Champaign County Nursing Home. This situation has reached a critical point,
> where if decisions are not made immediately in the best interest of the home,
> residents and employees, the ability for the county to conduct other critical county
> functions could potentially be impaired. All realistic options for stabilizing the
> situation at the home need to be discussed by all 27 county board members at the
> April 15 special meeting." * Greg Knott, R-District 4, on behalf of the caucus
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I am in support of a county-run and administrated nursing home. The current
> condition of the nursing home has at least two major issues; however, a third area
> could help with the lack of resources that need real attention: (1) ending the
> contract nursing issue; (2) work with the state more assertively to address the
> Medicaid crisis; and (3) fill the nursing home's open rooms for long-term care." *
> Carol Ammons, D-District 5
> 
> * * *
>  
> "We have a responsibility to keep our word and take care of our people." * Lloyd
> Carter, D-District 5
> 
> * * *
>  
> "Continuing to fund the nursing home is core to the county's mission. There are
> counties in Illinois that are not having the problems we are. Despite what Mr.
> Buffenbarger told us at the last board meeting, Peoria County's nursing home ran
> ahead last year. This is not a problem of the feasibility of running a public nursing
> home. For whatever reason, this nursing home administration and this county board has
> been unable to cope with the nursing home's challenges. This is not a question of
> privatization; this is a question of competence." * Michael Richards, D-District 6
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I don't advocate lending the nursing home money; however, if the facility needs a
> loan in order to see it through difficult times, then I'm not against that, as long
> as the source of the loan isn't contrary to how we have promised taxpayers their tax
> dollars would be used. It should be noted that the best way to let the nursing home
> live within its budget would be to keep a more stringent eye on it, its
> administration and its finances, so that in future it doesn't have to ask for loans
> in order to function." * Matthew Gladney, D-District 6
> 
> * * *
>  
> "As a Democrat, I continue to support the nursing home. I believe that the voters
> overwhelmingly and in every precinct in the county voted yes twice to continue the
> nursing home. I do believe that we need to continue to support it financially,
> especially since there will be a change in Washington in 2009. The current
> administration has been starving the states, including Medicaid funding, and I
> believe that the new Medicaid rate which we have been given is heavily related to
> federal funding. Hopefully, that will change, and people will become a priority
> again." * Claudia Gross, D-District 6
> 
> * * *
>  
> "The nature of the nursing home business is a difficult one, with some things that
> cannot always be controlled. With changing some services, like expanding rehab and
> memory-loss services, the home had made strides in increasing revenue and cutting
> costs and had hoped for a balanced budget this year. Having the state cut the
> payments for each of our Medicaid patients by nearly $16 per day has been a blow and
> something we are trying to do something about. As the taxes are paid this summer the
> nursing home will be able to repay some of the loan. I think the people showed their
> support countywide in passing the referendum with 70 percent of the vote to build the
> new home and it was supported in every part of the county. It was the county nursing
> home which has often led the way in needed services within the community. It was the
> first to offer adult day care, respite care, and offered the first Alzheimer's
> services." * Jan Anderson, D-District 7 
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I think there are still other options available than for the county to divest itself
> of the nursing home. There are still some aspects of running the nursing home that
> can be tightened, so currently I am still in favor of the county running a nursing
> home. There will definitely have to be some tough decisions made very soon." * Carrie
> Melin, D-District 7
> 
> * * *
>  
> "This is not the time to privatize the nursing home. It is losing money and incurring
> debt. We would get pennies on the dollar for the $24 million facility." * Board
> chairman C. Pius Weibel, D-District 7
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I support lending money to the nursing home when necessary. I support operating the
> nursing home within its budget, but, unfortunately, we are not proof against cuts in
> payment of government obligations and from other external and largely unpredictable
> impositions on the home. I am a 'to the last ditch' supporter of continued county
> operation of the home. Our home is one of the very best in the state, as indicated by
> the extremely low level of reported incidents of failure to meet standards. My
> constituents, as I seek them out, almost universally support the nursing home, even
> in the face of our very serious financial problems. I believe that the county is
> obligated to provide essential services to citizens who are unable to obtain them
> elsewhere. The nursing home, and its predecessor County Farm, have been part of our
> response to that duty." * Ralph Langenheim, D-District 8
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I support continued funding ... both through the 0.03 percent rate voters approved
> in 2002 for maintaining the home, and as it pays off past loans from the General
> Corporate and other funds of the county's budget. I would argue with every power I
> possess against selling the assets of the home, and would support asking voters to
> increase the operating subsidy (approved 58 percent to 42 percent in 2002), should
> this become necessary. Although the county is not obligated to operate a nursing
> home, it is something we have done well for close to 100 years. In providing decent,
> professional care for the elderly * especially those who are less well off * we
> uphold a sacred trust that I am not about to violate. I'm most encouraged by the
> field of applicants who have applied to serve on its first board, and I am confident
> that this new leadership will find solutions to relieve our current financial
> stress." * Jennifer Putman, D-District 8
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I favor keeping a publicly funded public Champaign County nursing home that breaks
> even financially or even makes a profit. There will be times when state
> Medicaid/Medicare rules change payment unexpectedly and an infusion of money will be
> needed. We have unforeseen overtime in the sheriff's department, but nobody says
> privatize that; we have massive attorney bills for outside counsel in murder trials,
> etc. I favored a much higher operational levy when the issue was placed before the
> voters, as I knew the one adopted would be inadequate. I think we need to ask the
> voters in November to vote yes or no on a realistic operational levy. If they say no,
> then it is time to consider selling the 'business.'" * Tom Betz, D-District 8
> 
> * * *
>  
> "I support doing everything and anything possible to keep the nursing home a county
> nursing home, supporting Medicaid patients and others with superior care. It may not
> be possible to do so long-term because the home is currently depleting all county
> funds and resources. We are analyzing with great urgency everything that can be done
> to offset the reduction (by $600,000) in Medicaid reimbursement this year and to
> reduce (currently approximately $1 million a year) the rate we spend on contract
> nursing because of the challenge of a nationwide nursing shortage." * Brendan
> McGinty, D-District 9
>  
> http://www.news-gazette.com/
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> Tara McCauley
> Staff Representative
>  
> AFSCME Council 31
> 615 S. Second St., PO Box 2328
> Springfield, IL 62705
> Ph:  217-788-2800 ext. 3319
> Fax: 217-753-2005
> 
> 
> 
> 


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and 
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Save the Champaign County Nursing Home -
	Public.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 476672 bytes
Desc: pat1185933417
Url : http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace/attachments/20080419/d6136142/SavetheChampaignCountyNursingHome-Public.doc