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Management company retained to bring nursing home into compliance

Anniston Star (AL) - 7/30/2014

July 30--HEFLIN -- The Cleburne County Hospital Board voted 6-1 Tuesday to hire Preferred Health Services to help bring the Cleburne County Nursing Home into compliance with state and federal standards.

The nursing home had two inspections, a recertification inspection in May and one in June generated by a complaint, in which inspectors found a total 14 deficiencies. Based on May's recertification inspection, which found 10 deficiencies, the Alabama Medicaid Agency banned the nursing home from billing Medicaid for new admissions until it came back into compliance.

Preferred Health Services President and Chief Executive Officer Jerry Culberson approached the board at a special meeting last Thursday with a proposal from his company to help the nursing home achieve that goal. The Centre-based company manages Piedmont Health Care, Cherokee Health and Rehabilitation and Cherokee Village Assisted Living Facility. The board postponed a decision on the proposal until Tuesday's meeting to allow the board members and the board attorney to review the proposal.

Board Chairwoman Sandy Weston opened Tuesday's meeting saying that the Cleburne County Nursing Home made $376,241 last fiscal year. So, why would the board want to hire a management company for the nursing home? she asked.

Board member Dan Hopkins said Preferred Health Services would be coming in solely to bring the nursing home back into compliance.

"I think we need help," Hopkins said.

Hopkins and Patrick Nolen, another board member, visited the Piedmont facility to get a feel for what the company can do, he said.

"We've got a good nursing home," Hopkins said. "They've got a great one."

Board member Clarence Duckworth wasn't so sure the company could do any more than the existing staff at the nursing home.

"I, for one, don't think this nursing home is falling apart," Duckworth said.

Board member Landon Brown, though, said the board needed to do something.

"The fact of the matter is we have failed," Brown said.

Culberson addressed the board's concerns. Regardless of whether the nursing home made money last year, it needs to remain in compliance with state and federal standards, he said. That is what his company would help the nursing home do, Culberson said. The nursing home can be reimbursed later from Medicare and Medicaid to pay the company's $1,000-a-day fee, Culberson said. In addition, the company would provide assistance to the existing staff to allow them to focus on the patients, he said.

"Our main goal is just to help you," Culberson said. "Bottom line, we'll improve your bottom line."

Duckworth asked Eura Harrell, administrator of the nursing home, what she thought. Harrell said she'd work with anybody the board wanted her to work with.

"But, I just hate that you don't have confidence in us," Harrell said.

The board voted 6-1 to hire Preferred Health Services as a consultant for up to 30 days, with services to begin immediately. Duckworth voted no. Board members Brown, Hopkins, Nolen, Pam Richardson, Beverly Owens and Coker Cleveland voted yes. Weston, as board chair, votes only in case of a tie.

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(c)2014 The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.)

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