Nursing Home Committee Meets

The committee reviewing the single bid for the Nursing Home seems to be letting the reality of the situation sink in. The single minimum bid is viewed as sufficient and well funded by Republicans and with underwhelming minimum bid reception by Democrats. From the News-Gazette today:

Nursing home sale review panel underwhelmed by bidder's first proposal
Members of the special committee reviewing the sole offer to buy the Champaign County Nursing Home say they're impressed with the bidder's financial stability but are less inspired by other parts of its proposal.

After putting out a request for proposals to buy the home, the county got just one response — jointly from Extended Care Clinical and Altitude Health Services, both of Evanston. The $11 million offer, however, met the county's minimum request.

The nine-member evaluation committee decided Tuesday night that the proposal was responsive and worth reviewing. And it agreed to tour three of the companies' homes in south suburban Chicago later this month.

But some members of the panel, particularly those with backgrounds in health care, admitted they weren't bowled over by Extended Care's proposal and the detail in some of its answers to the county about operations and programs at its other nursing homes. It operates about 18 facilities in the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin area...

Details of the companies' proposal, including supporting documents, have not been made public by the county.

The timetable for the review of the proposal includes more meetings this month, plus a tour of Extended Care nursing homes in Willowbrook, Crete and Beecher.

After the Extended Care/Altitude Health Service presentation to the county board May 1, the evaluation committee will make its recommendation on whether to accept or reject the offer no later than May 17.

A county board vote is tentatively scheduled for May 24.

Accepting the offer would require a "yes" vote by at least 15 of the 22 county board members.

Full article with more reactions and information here.