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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, August 08, 2025

Gracedale "Strategic Plan" Unveiled

At a lengthy and sometimes heated meeting of Northampton County Council's Human Services Committee on Thursday afternoon, Gracedale was the sole topic of discussion. I'll have a complete report for you on Monday. 

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can hardly wait for the next episode of "As NORCO Fails".

Anonymous said...

Fool's errand

Anonymous said...

Point out please that Gracedale is three stars and one for Quality Measures, not four stars as quoted by Ms. Keegan. Please also include her tantrum at the end and highlight her obvious hatred of agency and traveling nurses by referring to them as “cash cows”.

Anonymous said...

but they are cash cows who should be limited as she said. 3 month rotation is perfectly acceptable, not given preference on their shifts by the old admin so he can make "friends" with all of them

Anonymous said...

Keegan's outburst was embarrassing to see, and did not reflect well on the county government.

Anonymous said...

Although during these times agency staff are appreciated. In fairness agency nursing businesses have hurt nurses and the industry so they may make lots of money on the backs on the nurses they employ and the facilities who have to use them. Greed started agency nursing and ultimately took staff from hospitals and nursing homes. Nurses went for a small increase in dollars and flexibility. However many nurses went to agency to avoid the ultimate responsibilities associated with a full time job in one place. Continuity of care suffers as agency staff don't know the routines the policies the patients and frankly many do less on their shift than the regular staff.. I know many who like the job because they can come make money and leave without any attachment or responsibility.. I know their are exceptions to this and devoted nurses can be agency as well but I have found it is few in comparison to staff devoted and proud of the place they work. I'm blaming the owners of agencies who created this mess so to make money!

Anonymous said...

What's the matter Brown, your lies fell flat and now the cat has your tongue??

Anonymous said...

Keegan is correct. Those agency nurses are parasitic opportunists! You do the same job I do and take advantage of the county. CASH COWS IS CORRECT. I LOVE HER!!!

Anonymous said...

She is a disgrace and has no idea how nursing homes operate. She refers to a fellow councilman as a liar. Unbelievable, Kellie.

Anonymous said...

Shapiro wants to raise taxes big time that is why he is holding up the budget

Anonymous said...

Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes!!!! Try to pull that 3 months limit. You won't have any nurses..lol. maybe if the county paid a wages anywhere near livable they would have staffing. Lucky they aren't the jail where we just mandated the hell out of the employees. And even then we don't have the staff to open up the jail.
And maybe Kellie should tell the whole story when she got out of nursing school. Gracedale was paying a livable wage. That's why people went there. The whole county workforce is so under paid.
Maybe time to stop buying farms and pay your employees. You want to blame someone for what happened at gracedale with that resident and the agency nurse blame LAMONT McCLURE!!!!! He refuses to pay his employees a livable wage. I'm happy if the lawsuits start coming in.
Maybe then somebody will start listening.

Anonymous said...

A man with insider information
Lol

Anonymous said...

Keegan constantly lies. But she certainly knows cows. Gracedale is being privatized, incrementally. That's a good thing. Most residents would never sentence their loved ones to Gracedale. It's a long-standing rib among my family and friends that if you don't save your pennies and behave, the kids will put you in Gracedale.

Anonymous said...

Agree 100%Mclure never wanted to give Gracedale the pay there Union fought for every penny they got

Anonymous said...

I need to speak plainly about the situation with agency nurses at Gracedale Nursing Home. I work the same job as they do—side by side, carrying the same responsibilities—yet they are paid far more, have the luxury of picking and choosing their shifts, and enjoy far more flexibility than I or any other permanent staff member. This is not only unfair; it is demoralizing.

While I show up for my assigned shifts and commit myself fully to my work, some agency nurses exploit their position, taking every advantage of the system without regard for the strain it puts on the rest of us. They know exactly what they are doing. Their behavior, paired with the current pay and scheduling gap, creates tension and resentment among permanent staff who actually keep this facility running day in and day out.

I take pride in my job, in serving this community, and in working hard without gaming the system. It’s frustrating to watch others come in, do the same work, and walk away with a bigger paycheck and fewer obligations—especially when their choices make things harder for the rest of us. This situation breeds animosity, and unless it is addressed, morale will continue to suffer.

I strongly urge leadership to take a serious look at this imbalance and implement changes that ensure fairness for those of us who are committed to Gracedale long-term.
Kudos to Kelly. Where was she all along to speak the truth?
Vargo-Heffner should not allow anecdotal evidence to be discussed without validating it.

Anonymous said...

Sorry but Keegan’s attitude and ego have not helped her win friends and voters. She just has a nasty way even better than you demeanor that puts people off. Desired to be a commissioner, acting more like a bad politician.

Anonymous said...

Simply stated: good people that are compensated well….stay and help others and are dedicated to doing the job that they are being paid well for. Summary: good people ..good pay …they stay…

Anonymous said...

Yes I am a leaker

Anonymous said...

Ms. Keegan's idea to rotate agency nurses every three months shoots a gigantic hole in the "resident centered care" concept that definitely is part of the regulations quoted by the administrator. Again, Kelli is clueless and just imagine what it must have been like as an agency nurse working with her in the hospital with her "I'm not going to show you anything" attitude because "you make three times more than I do". Residents need continuity of care and I'm certain it is hard enough to provide that now at Gracedale, especially if there's this apparent division in nursing staff between"agency" and "Gracedale staff". Yes, it is apparently up to "leadership" (administration) to correct any inequity in the way the facility is staffed and how all staff are "treated" overall. The strategic plan seemed to identify the problems facing Gracedale (didn't need SWAT to figure out what they are)but it did not seem to specify any action plans to meet the goals. Gracedale appears to be hemorrhaging money no matter what the screaming Miss Keegan seems to believe.

Anonymous said...

Remember the Soviet Unions 5-year plans? Yeah.

Anonymous said...

Keegan is an idiot, who has no idea of anything!

Anonymous said...

I wish both Keegan and Jeff Warren would go away- anything that comes out of their mouths is complete nonsense!

Anonymous said...

Mcclure and the unions are tight. You are fooling yourself if you think the unions fought for you. All a game to keep you in a union. Unions make the money on your back

Anonymous said...

lol ok Kelly

Anonymous said...

The nastiest and most hateful individual ever to sit on council. She is a disgrace to this county and she sits in McClure’s lap. She will be a huge embarrassment for McClure when he runs for Congress. She’s a huge anchor that will sink him. All the people around McCkure can’t stand her. She should take her nastiness and hate to the bar.

Anonymous said...

So Kellie is the bullie in the statement about bullies at the work place. Thanks for clearing that up kellie.