County receives infirmary petition

JOHNSTOWN - Fulton County received a petition signed by 212 of its employees to keep the Residential Health Care Facility and Nursing Service public instead of private.

Civil Service Employees Association Local 818 President Ron Briggs said Tuesday some of those employees will speak about the privatization issue at the county Board of Supervisors' monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday at the County Office Building.

"We'll have a roomful Thursday," the Briggs said.

The county hired Rochester-based Center for Governmental Research in August for $63,000 to evaluate whether the county should sell the infirmary or nursing service. Supervisors decided Dec. 10 to send about 90 requests for proposals to health care institutions and have them returned by March 3 to explain whether they would want to take over those services.

"We've gone into this process with a totally open mind," board Chairman Greg Fagan said today. "Our main concern is three groups - the residents, the employees and the taxpayers paying the bill. I hope people aren't jumping to conclusions."

Dr. Donald Pryor, CGR's project director, said the county received "several" initial letters of intent from vendors showing interest in buying either the county nursing home or its nursing service.

The county administration has declined to make those documents available to the public until March 3 because officials fear it might corrupt any potential purchasing process.

Local 818 was also denied the information in a state Freedom of Information Law request to the county, although Briggs said the union is appealing.

The Board of Supervisors' agenda for Thursday indicates 212 county employees signed a petition supporting two letters of intent submitted to CGR from the infirmary and nursing service, which want to keep the entities public.

"By Jan. 16, they [potential vendors] had to have letters of intent in," Briggs said. "In that spirit, the employees submitted their own letters of intent to keep the facility public."

In one of the letters of intent, infirmary Director of Nursing Phyllis Rosenberger wrote, "The time is here to consider all options, one of which should be to expand the existing facility, keep present employees working and continue to improve the excellent care that our citizens deserve."

Michael Anich can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.

Member Comments

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Discobulous
02-11-10 9:47 AM »Report Abuse	The care of the elderly should be a partnership between the infirmary who do the daily care and the family who hopefully come in continually and give the patient and the infirmary people their support and cooperation.
elgibson
02-11-10 9:42 AM »Report Abuse	People are willing to have 3.5million spent on a low income housing unit for people down on there luck BUT we don't want to care for the elderly whom worked so hard to make Gloversville a respectable place to live. People whom have never had a sick elderly parent don't understand the financial issues that arise. The infirmary give elder the care and respect they deserve without destroying the families trying to care for them.
bustercasey
02-11-10 8:51 AM »Report Abuse	I never said that taking care of the family was an alien idea. I'm saying that taking care of a medically frail parent can bankrupt even the most well-to-do families. Last time I checked, health insurance plans didn't cover elderly parents, and Medicare only pays for minimum care and only partially. Perhaps we're not all swimming in cash these days, Mikegville. It's up to you to figure out the rest- you child's college or your father's quality of life in his '70s. Sure, it's the way life goes sometimes, but we should not assume the cynical, "I've had it tough so should everyone else" path with being the best for taxpayers or citizens of this County. The other issue that has not been raised is the fact that if the infirmary closes, the elderly will have to go somewhere. In most of those cases, Medicaid/Medicare will pick up the bill. So, the issue I think is do we want local taxpayer dollars going to Fulton County coffers, or to bank accounts for some corporation in NYC?
mikegville
02-11-10 7:35 AM »Report Abuse	"or be a financial burden to their families" Duh!!! they are SUPPOSED to be the financial responsibility of their family.. Am I supposed to raise and take care of your kids and your parents?? I have no idea how you people walk and talk at the same time.. How can taking care of your family be an alien idea to you??
bustercasey
02-10-10 10:08 PM »Report Abuse	Not designed to do? It's been in the business of the County for decades, and quite well if you ask the thousands who have received it services! That comment is just nonsense. The alternative is that without the County beds, the elderly citizens who cannot get placement or pay for a private facility will die alone in their houses, or be a financial burden to their families. At least in the RHCF, they can hospice and rehab with dignity. Keep it open!
MiddleIncome
02-10-10 8:12 PM »Report Abuse	The real answer is what is best for the residents of Fulton County. And the answer to that is to allow the facility to be operated by a private concern, to get the county out of residential health care which it was not designed to do.
elgibson
02-10-10 3:32 PM »Report Abuse	If the private sector has staff of there own YES. How can you be ok with "Losing Some Wages" - they get paid low now for the work they do. Do the Job and you will understand. I spend 2 years there when they had no air conditioning - working with limited staff. People don't understand all that happens there. Before judgement is pass on cushy job and carefree loss of wages - walk a mile in a staff members shoes.
Scarecrow57
02-10-10 3:22 PM »Report Abuse	****!!!! Do you think a private contractor will just fire everyone and hire new? No hey will keep the same people. They may lose some wages, and seniority (which is a joke anyway). They won't lose their retirement. Seniority is a way of saying I've already done my time so I don't have to work. Must anti-productive thing going.
elgibson
02-10-10 1:52 PM »Report Abuse	Scarecrow - Have you ever worked or been to the Infirmary. That is not a "cushy" job. 8 to 12 hours of patient care is diffult mentally and physically. There are employees that will lose time/retirement/wages. That staff does an amazing job that most people cannot and will not do.
Scarecrow57
02-10-10 1:21 PM »Report Abuse	Gee, Imagine loosing that cushy government job and having to actually work in a privately held corporation. I can understand why the employees are against saving the tax payer some money.

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