JOHNSTOWN - Nathan Littauer Hospital is one of four entities interested in taking over the 176-bed Fulton County Residential Health Care Facility, according to requests for proposals opened by county government officials.
Officials today said Gloversville-based Mountain Valley Hospice was the only entity interested in taking over the Fulton County Nursing Service.
Five responses to more than 80 RFPs forwarded late last year to public and private entities interested in possibly taking over or privatizing the infirmary and/or the county nursing service were opened at the County Office Building just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. Results were made public this morning by county Administrative Officer Jon Stead and Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Fagan.
According to the RFP, the assessed full-market value of the Residential Health Care Facility and its land in 2009 was $4.77 million.
The four entities interested in purchasing the Fulton County Residential Health Care Facility are: Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, Centers for Specialty Care of the Bronx, Leatherstocking Healthcare of Herkimer, and the Pharney Group of Tarrytown.
Neither Nathan Littauer Hospital Chief Executive Officer Laurence Kelly nor Fulton County Residential Health Care Facility Administrator Jennifer Gilston could be reached this morning.
"Change can be a scary thing," Fagan wrote in a prepared statement issued today. "Employees at the RHCF and nursing service are understandably apprehensive about studying privatization. Nursing home residents and their families are concerned about how a different approach could affect their lives. Taxpayers fear more taxes coming their way.
"In the months ahead, the Board of Supervisors will be undertaking the difficult task of trying to balance and satisfy all these concerns. Closure is not being considered," he wrote. "County leaders will be working to identify the best nursing home model and the best home care model that can survive into the future in our little corner of New York state."
Fagan said this morning the county isn't necessarily disappointed by receiving only five responses because sending out that many RFPs was a "crapshoot."
"In that type of process, how would you know?" Fagan said.
Dr. Donald Pryor, the Center for Governmental Research's project director, said this morning he will contact county officials today to determine the next step in his company's involvement in the RFP process.
"We're doing the initial review and summarizing the responses," he said.
Pryor said he wasn't sure if the county wants him to attend the next Board of Supervisors' Health Services Committee meeting at 10 a.m. March 30 or whether a special meeting about the infirmary will be set up. He also said he doesn't believe the county has asked the Center for Governmental Research to pick a certain number of finalists to do interviews with.
"We will review all of them and make a recommendation to the committee," Pryor said. "There is no magic number."
Health Services Committee Chairman David Howard couldn't be reached this morning.
The RFP submitted by the county asked potential vendors to specify whether they wanted to purchase the Residential Health Care Facility or nursing service together, or only the facility or only the nursing service.
The RFP indicates the county won't act as a lender.
The county has received considerable public backlash about the possibility of privatizing the county nursing home and/or its nursing service. County supervisors have insisted no decision has been made yet.
Ron Briggs, president of Local 818, Civil Service Employees Association - the county's 480-member union - declined comment until he has a chance to review the proposals.