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Friday, August 21, 2015

Many LV Legislators Ignoring Gracedale, Cedarbrook Crisis

Gracedale and Cedarbrook are two of just 23 publicly owned nursing homes that still exist in Pennsylvania. Most have a Medicaid occupancy rate of over 75%. Unlike private homes, they must accept Medicaid patients from the onset, and they thus provide an important safety net for some of the state's most vulnerable citizens. But unlike private homes, the counties are required to pay ten per cent of this Medicaid cost. In the case of a place like Gracedale, that's about $2.5 million per year. State Representative Tom Killion, a Republican from Newtown Square, has proposed legislation that will eliminate this requirement and make it easier to keep Gracedale and Cedarbrook county-owned. Though this bill is supported by some members of the Lehigh Valley delegation to the state house, and is endorsed by the state county commissioners association,  I am astonished to see that many of the people's supposed representatives don't give a shit.

The Good

Members of the LV delegation to the state house who support Killions's bill are Joe Emrick, Bob Freeman, Marcia Hahn, Julie Harhart and Danny McNeill. That's three Republicans and two Democrats.

The Bad

Members of the LV delegation who have ignored this bill are Gary Day, Ryan Mackenzie, Steve Samuelson, Mike Schlossberg, Pete Schweyer and Justin Simmons. That's three Republicans and three Democrats who can't be bothered.

The Ugly

Mike Schlossberg's failure to sponsor this legislation is totally irresponsible. He apparently thinks he's in office to foster the desires of J.B. Reilly and Fed Ed instead of the many people in his district who fall between the cracks. What is especially appalling about this lapse is that one of his aides, Geoff Brace, is a Lehigh County Commissioner.

Don't you guys talk?

Lehigh County Commissioners are blown' oil right now over the financial crisis at Cedarbrook. What they should do is adopt a resolution calling on State representatives in Lehigh County to start helping Cedarbrook, instead of ignoring it.
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19 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 12:22 AM

    Don't understand the Schloss and Sweeyer not supporting this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. michael molovinskyAugust 21, 2015 at 4:35 AM

    the responsibility to keep the county nursing homes operating has historically rested with the county commissioners. although some relief from the state by the proposal mentioned in this post would be welcome news, we must be careful not to shift the blame from the commissioners to the state representatives, which this post seems to do. the current crisis at cedarbrook is being created by the commissioners, with their continuous and lack of real commitment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. michael molovinskyAugust 21, 2015 at 4:38 AM

    last line of previous comment should read "with their continuous studies and lack of real commitment."

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 7:16 AM

    enabling the poor. turn the white elephants over to real businesses and save millions for taxpayers

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 7:18 AM

    Where are Senators Browne and Boscola? They cut back room deals divvying up the funding spoils for the LV all the time. This year they propped up the only local PA 911 centers in Allentown and Bethlehem with millions of dollars. Certainly the least they could do is introduce a companion bill in the other chamber.

    ReplyDelete
  6. michael molovinskyAugust 21, 2015 at 7:41 AM

    bernie is the one who used the word crisisin this post. there is no crisis, this is a spin to divert attention away from mazziotos's stalling on implementing strategies to make cedarbrook more self-sufficient. between bernie's support for selling gracedale, and his esteem for vic, we have this post. i'd like to see or hear the back channel calls and emails yesterday. when was the vote or discussion on this bill in the state house?

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 8:09 AM

    The elderly don't Tweet so Schlossberg (the twit) could care less...

    ReplyDelete
  8. michael molovinskyAugust 21, 2015 at 9:20 AM

    apparently this bill was just introduced this past spring. although mcneill and harhart did co-sponsor, it's a long way from coming to a vote. so, the implication that schlossberg and schweyer are against it, does appear to be a smokescreen to divert attention away from those who really have the vote to more cedarbrook forward, maziotti and the county commissioners.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bernie O'HareAugust 21, 2015 at 1:47 PM

    MM, the state has been aware for years that counties are struggling with keeping their nursing homes. They used to make money, but have become a huge drain on resources. There are just 23 of them left. I advocated the sale of Gracedale, but the people spoke, and I am enough of a believer in democracy that I will honor the will of the people. I have since seen the employees of Gracedale in action. They sometimes take residents who have no family home with them on holidays. They are good people. D Freeman, who is there for Premier, has instituted many changes to make the place more cost efficient, and plans to make more. Census has maxed out. It is, however, still losing money. I am not as familiar with Cedarbrook, except that I know it has many of the same problems as Gracedale.

    The notion that this falls squarely on the shoulders of the county is nonsense, pure and simple. The state and federal government have decided, in their infinite wisdom, that state mental institutions and county homes for the elderly are relics of the past. They have emptied state hospitals, imposing drains on local libraries and residential neighborhoods who are now besieged by group homes. County homes are less popular bc many people want to die in their own homes, so the state and feds have nickeled and dimed state hospitals on reimbursements while still giving them to private homes. They are telling counties that if you want nursing homes, you need to pay for them. They are giving private homes that may not offer Medicaid from Day One an edge. This is wrong.

    The reason that your former opponent, Julie Harhart, is a sponsor of this bill is bc she has been pressured by Northampton County Council members. The same is true of Bob Freeman, Danny McNeill and Marcia Hahn.

    Lehigh County Commissioners should be doing the same thing. I find it incredible that Geoff Brace, himself a Lehigh County Commissioner, has exerted no pressure on Schlossberg. if he wantsto save Cedarbrook, he should at least be able to persuade his boss to sponsor this bill.

    The financial situation at county-owned nursing homes is no spin. It is a very real crisis, and the proof of that is that so few of them are left. I understand you have accused Mazziotti and other Rs in Lehigh County of stalling. I read your posts and know you addressed them on this topic. This is a separate matter.

    This legislation is not by itself an answer. There is no silver bullet. But this certainly helps stop the money drain.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 3:04 PM

    "enabling the poor"

    The mantra of the teabagger. You guys do realize you are nothi8ng more than a new grubbier version of the John Birch Society. Read a real book by a real author and check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 6:02 PM

    Bernie as well as MM,
    I was going to mention that were is pat brown on this Hole matter¿!($ I havn't seen any carrots at my grocer lately and thought that was him and his wife depicted in the fermented blue juice guzzling contest about to embark on the infamous 78 drunken crash¿!($


    If I look close enough with my one eye I can see he too like MM are just another collusinary sackless subsect of the notorious hamilton street gang o thugs pontificating propgating profiteers and that all falls under RICO¿!($

    Men shake hands to greet one another not much can be said for the sackless¿!($


    redd
    patent pending

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bernie O'HareAugust 21, 2015 at 6:10 PM

    Gotta' be honest. I am having trouble following your comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousAugust 22, 2015 at 4:20 PM

      Bernie¿
      This is the idea of an idea out here in siberspace were the political hacks and there bobbleheaded sackless humans read¿!($ To be redd and to understand is to simple for these tinfoil cap wearing bunch of idiots in the town that is lame and has no shame in claiming ignorance¿!($

      To know the man is not just a simple handshake meet and greet¿!($ Don't feel bad though because that is the objective to keeping the bafoons thinking¿!($

      You da man Bern, a good gut busting belly laugh would have been good but than again good things allways seem to take time and the fat lady hasn't sung yet¿!($

      Cyawenicya

      redd
      patent pending

      Delete
  13. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 6:37 PM

    What is a "teabagger"?

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 7:07 PM

    anon 6:37, that would be you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousAugust 21, 2015 at 11:02 PM

    Schlossberg is a piece of shit.
    A phony sophomoric piece of shit.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousAugust 22, 2015 at 3:52 PM

    Schloss is a product of the Cunningham/Iannelli marriage of the marriage of business and politics.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousAugust 23, 2015 at 9:03 PM

    Have Schlossberg go home and do his politics there. That would be across the Delaware. FYI

    ReplyDelete
  18. Bernie O'HareAugust 23, 2015 at 11:45 PM

    11:20, I was forced to delete your comment bc of how it was typed. It was done in a way that prevents interactivity. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete

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