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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, February 17, 2012

Sweeping Changes Proposed at Gracedale

Premiere Healthcare Resources, which assumed management at Gracedale on September 26, has concluded an operational assessment. In a presentation to Council's Human Services Committee last night, President Joanne Jones proposed sweeping changes, from a reduction in beds to a reduction in staff. Here's a summary of the recommendations:

* Reduce the number of licensed beds by 33 to 688 licensed beds. This will make it easier to obtain a 90% occupancy, which for some reason results in higher reimbursements. This could lead to a $300,000-500,000 increase in revenue.

* Open a 26-bed short-term rehab unit, complete with therapy gym. This could increase revenue by $1.1 million.

* Establish and streamline an Admissions Department to achieve that 90% occupancy rate.

* Reduce fringe benefits for union and nonunion employees, which currently average 65% of salary and are well above other county-owned nursing homes.

* Establish new policies regarding overtime and comp time.

* Eliminate the Risk manager and three nurses in the Wound care team, which will save $315,000.

* Privatize Housekeeping, Laudry and Dietary Departments.

* Revamp the scheduling, which could reduce overtime and agency costs by $500,000.

* Eliminate Nurse Aide II and Housekeeping II slots via attrition, which will save $213,000 per year.

* Reschedule security to reduce costs by $39,000.

* Modernize inventory control so supplies don't walk out the door.

39 comments:

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Issac Touro said...

nice strat but i've got a bigger savings for you. eliminate the whole thing

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

It sounds good

Abe can

do the

Security
Housekeeping
Dietary
Wound care
Nurse aide work
Operate Short term rehab


What are we waiting for?

Anonymous said...

Did they detail the fringe benefits?

You know like A piece of pie OR cake at Christmas

Give us the list.

Anonymous said...

Wow, the same list that the consultants gave back in 2004. It's a shame we had to wait seven years and a disaster later to implement suggestions we already had.

leadership in action. These guys are a joke.

Admit it O'Hare, Stoffa wants to destroy the place. Either that or he is a flat out incompetent boob.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Or perhaps you are irrational.

Anonymous said...

Sounds reasonable. What's the next step?

Anonymous said...

Cut, cut, cut. Let the layoffs begin! Yahooooooooooo! Finally, some progress against the goldbrick lobby. When do they start getting pink slips? Let's party!

Zorn said...

cut the union pukes until they bleed like the greedy pigs they are

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Sounds reasonable. What's the next step?"

Implementation. They can do much of this on their own, without the involvement of Council.

Anonymous said...

I ask again did they detail the benefits?

You know they have a plethora of them, if they cut cake and pie that would be window dressing.

Any areas they can make real savings with?

Anonymous said...

conservatively, this brings the deficit to approx $4 million (of the 6.5 million mentioned earlier this week) just by tackling some management issues (to increase occupancy, revamp scheduling and eliminate through attrition). I didn't have the costs on the benefits so that's not included in the number, but it looks like a start and one that won't destroy quality or mindlessly eliminate jobs.

It's disappointing that it took this long to get to this point in better management, but it's good to see progress.

Anonymous said...

Cut, cut, cut. Let the layoffs begin! Yahooooooooooo! Finally, some progress against the goldbrick lobby. When do they start getting pink slips? Let's party!



There wasn't a mention of layoffs....atrition was the word used.

You do realize that the content of your statement is a symptom of being a sociopath?

If your employer would find the need to eliminate your job would you think it was appropriate to have others laugh and hold a party celebrating your misfortune?

Sometimes I just don't understand peoples rational...in particular on these blogs....

then I think, you know, it could be a child making these comments a child that doesn't know any better. One that might hear mom and dad using profanity then going to his friends and repeating it getting a feeling of superiority and self importance....

Anonymous said...

This is a hate blog. What do you expect? You get hate!

Bernie O'Hare said...

The Gracedale Goons are out of their cages again.

Anonymous said...

Laughing at laid off goons is appropriate and understandable, as they cause unnecessarily high taxes. They'll be fine with their saviour's unemployment hammock. Hell, it's stimulus after all! Taxpayers get a break. The greater good is served. Let's start firing the lazy bloated slobs. They're used to not working, anyway. It' s a logical, win-win.

Anonymous said...

See what I mean.
Picking wings off flys,
another one of your hobbies?
Thanks for the confirmation.

Anonymous said...

You're welcome! Now shine my shoes before I tire of your stench.

Anonymous said...

Bernie nice hate baiting on you and Stoffa's part.

Anonymous said...

Its the following mentality,I've got mine,to heck with you.

And the people doing the most complaining are on Pensions(government) social security or SSI.

Anonymous said...

"You're welcome! Now shine my shoes before I tire of your stench."

I'll take you up on your offer to shine your shoes. You must provide the shinola though. You probaby don't know the difference between **** and shinola, so heres a hint shinola is in the SMALL can.

I'll be a nazareth park in the back by the playing fields Sunday morning between 10 and 10:15.
I have a black 2012 ford F-150 Crew Cab, with tinted side windows and 4x4 decal on the bed.

Let me know what you'll be driving so I can recognize you.

Also as far as the stench goes, since I am not at your house I can only assume it is your mother. Tell her Massengill is available over the counter, if your mothers stench persists tell her to ask the pharmacist for suggestions. Thats probably why your dad bolted. ....I can't blame him.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Whenever I post about Gracedale, the goons always use it as an excuse to attack anyone who disagrees, even to the point of threatening physical violence.

Bernie O'Hare said...

4:54, I'll be contacting the Nazareth police with the description you provided so you can discuss the situation with them.

I was busy all day, and only saw this series of exchanges just now, but am appalled by the ugliness that always comes from the Gracedale crowd.

Anonymous said...

Well I can say that there should be cuts there.too many people working there doing nothing.and its our tax money they all talk big at that council meeting know lets see something done......

Anonymous said...

Of course you are not at all offended by the names and threats towards those who support Gracedale, O'Hare. You are a hate baiting fraud and the Nazareth police know all about you.

Please stay away form children with you video cam.

Anonymous said...

Whenever I post about Gracedale, the goons always use it as an excuse to attack anyone who disagrees, even to the point of threatening physical violence.

that is a stretch
i think it was jousting
asshole

Anonymous said...

hmmm

Anonymous said...

That is odd.
That guy who was posting about unions, Who bernie said was being threatened , stopped posting.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Not odd at all. That was the reason for the threat. Childish behavior from childish goons.

Anonymous said...

Drove by the Park around 10:30
I guess Potsie Weber and the Fonz didn't rumble.
Thanks for calling it in Mr. C
As if the NPD could pull themselves away from the Judge Judy reruns on their TV.

Anonymous said...

So, in other words..the consultants we are paying for are suggesting to do the same things that would have happened had the COunty sold the place....

Anonymous said...

The consultants we are paying for now are suggesting the same things that were suggested seven years ago and ignored. Wonder why?

Anonymous said...

shame on of you! None of you understand Gracedale. We provide excellent care to the residents of Northampton county. We are hard working nurses aides and nurses, we are hard working making the food for 600 residents, we are cleaning the toilets, bathrooms, hallways where the elderly have "accidents", we wash their "poopie" clothes. You don't get it... we should make $5.00 an hour without benefits? We ALL deserve an honest days pay for an honest days work.. yes there are always someone milking the system, but I don't think you can count on 2 hands, of the general employees at Gracedale that don't do their job! Even working short, they contiune with the daily work. We are also tax payers of this county.. so if the taxes rise, our wages actually go down. What do you want, we have employees eligible for free school lunches, free daycare, food stamps.. so are we over paid??? you answer that! you make me sick! all of you haters.. maybe because we are working and you are not! thank you for allowing me to vent... its been a terrible year working under this extreme stress....

Anonymous said...

shame on of you! None of you understand Gracedale. We provide excellent care to the residents of Northampton county. We are hard working nurses aides and nurses, we are hard working making the food for 600 residents, we are cleaning the toilets, bathrooms, hallways where the elderly have "accidents", we wash their "poopie" clothes. You don't get it... we should make $5.00 an hour without benefits? We ALL deserve an honest days pay for an honest days work.. yes there are always someone milking the system, but I don't think you can count on 2 hands, of the general employees at Gracedale that don't do their job! Even working short, they contiune with the daily work. We are also tax payers of this county.. so if the taxes rise, our wages actually go down. What do you want, we have employees eligible for free school lunches, free daycare, food stamps.. so are we over paid??? you answer that! you make me sick! all of you haters.. maybe because we are working and you are not! thank you for allowing me to vent... its been a terrible year working under this extreme stress....

Anonymous said...

Bravo

Except the chief cook and bottle is appalled.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it true that the percentage of fringe benefits for all working for Northampton County the same?. Also the percentage may be lower for other counties but the hourly wage is higher

Bernie O'Hare said...

No. The percentage of benefits paid to Gracedale workers is higher than other Northampton County workers and higher than the percentage paid to public nursing home employees in other counties. It is about 30% higher than the benefits paid to private nursing home employees.

It is true that many entry level Gracedale employees have lower wages than other county workers.