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Premier takes over operation of county health center; sale of property delayed

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Operational control of Washington County Health Center changed hands at 12:01 a.m. Friday, but the sale of the facility and surrounding acreage in Arden, Chartiers Township, did not occur.

The real estate closing is now expected to take place on or before Dec. 1, according to a news release the county issued late Friday afternoon as rumors swirled about the transaction.

When the commissioners selected Premier Healthcare Management LLC of Philadelphia as the purchaser of the health center in June, they accepted an offer of $26.9 million for the sale of the 288-bed facility and approximately 19 acres at 36 Old Hickory Ridge Road.

Oct. 1, the target date for the transaction, came and went without a changeover, and Oct. 20 was substituted.

After a flurry of document signing Wednesday at the Courthouse Square office building, Commission Chairman Larry Maggi was asked if there had been any substantial changes in the county’s terms or expectations of a sale. Maggi described them as simply the latest in a series of revisions that lawyers had prepared over several months, so the postponement Friday came as a surprise.

Maggi, Commission Vice Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan, Commissioner Harlan Shober and Scott Fergus, director of administration, did not return calls Friday about the status of the health center. Their comments in the news release did not address the reason or reasons for the delay in the sale.

The news release cleared up one aspect of what was happening to public property in lieu of an outright sale.

“In the interim, Premier will operate the health center under a short-term lease, with the county receiving a multimillion-dollar non-refundable payment,” the release stated.

Lisa Sofia, president and chief executive officer of Premier Healthcare Management LLC of Philadelphia, said, “I’m not privy to anything but the operations. The transition of the operations went very well. We were on the phone with the facility last night. There were no complaints, I have to tell you. We expect nothing other than a smooth transition.”

The state Department of Health granted a license to Washington Operating LLC, Sofia said.

“We have a (Department of Health) approval as of last week,” Sofia said. “They will come in and they will do a change-of-ownership survey, typically 30 to 90 days after a transition. All of the appropriate approvals are in place, including the adult day care center. They go through a very rigorous process. We had no doubt we would be approved, because we’re an appropriate provider. We’ve done this a number of times in Pennsylvania. I’ve never had a license refused or had a license revoked.”

A inquiry about facility’s license resulted in this response via email from the state: “The Pennsylvania Department of Health will issue the license once the sale is complete and the department has documentation.”

Premier intends to do business under two names, neither of which include the word “county.” The names are Premier Washington Nursing and Health Center and Premier Washington Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

“I’ve been saying, ‘Washington County Health Center’ for 27 years,” said a phone attendant on Friday morning. “It’s going to take me awhile.”

Work on the website and development of a logo will take precedence over changes in signs.

Sofia said 91 percent of the county health center employees retained their jobs.

The word Thursday was that about a dozen employees of the 200-some employed at the 288-bed facility lost their jobs. Some received their termination notices via certified mail, and others were handed letters in person as they clocked out of shifts Thursday. Some reportedly were notified by both methods.

Among those out of a job was LeeAnn Howell, president of the Service Employees International Union Healthcare PA local at the health center, and a licensed practical nurse for 22 years in both the public and private sectors. She has been a health center employee since 2005.

“We regret to inform you we will not be offering you employment with Premier Washington,” was the message in her certified letter.

“It was very devastating,” she said Friday.

Since the commissioners first broached the possibility of a sale in November 2016 due to $9 million in operating losses since 2012, Howell had spoken out several times at public meetings, asking the board to reconsider.

“My work performance is good,” Howell said. “It wasn’t related to work performance, so I’m assuming it’s retaliation. Being outspoken against the county and Premier put a target on my back. It’s disappointing that Premier would not choose to have a good quality worker.

“It’s just hard,” she said tearfully. “Truthfully, we’ll be OK. I’m going to have to figure out what my future’s going to be.”

SEIU Healthcare PA expects to negotiate with Premier Nov. 14 and 15 in hopes of reaching a new contract. Premier has outsourced dietary, housekeeping and laundry jobs to Healthcare Services Group Inc. of Bensalem, Bucks County. An SEIU official said she expected HSG to enter into what’s known as a “me-too” contract when the union has an agreement with Premier.

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