DEER ISLE — The Island Nursing Home (INH) is making plans for a July reopening as a residential care facility thanks to new fiscal information from state officials, according to a press release issued by the board of directors Friday.
At a Dec. 7 meeting, the INH board had announced it would reopen as a residential care facility but first needed to raise $1.4 million by Jan. 14. That would cover six months of operating expenses, which was a requirement for renewing its conditional license set by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
However, the state has since informed the board that if it was only applying for residential care beds “we only need to show financial resources for one month’s operating costs, which amounts to $181,000,” the press release stated. “The reopening fund campaign has generated close to $300,000 in cash and pledges. So INH has already met that requirement of the conditional license regarding financial resources.”
“While fundraising is still ongoing, the board indicates that new information has been presented that allows the nursing home to prepare now for moving forward,” spokesperson Dan Cashman stated.
The board will begin drafting a renewal conditional license immediately and file it together with a letter explaining that once the conditional license is approved the board will hire an administrator who will hire the staff, Cashman said. The goal is still to reopen the facility by July 1.
The draft plan indicates that Island Nursing Home will reopen with 32 residential care beds, offering services to the island population in need. The residents will have private rooms, and the facility will employ about 20 people. Due to state funding challenges as a stand-alone residential care facility, financial support will become a necessity in order to ensure the viability of the organization, with a fundraising campaign being an integral part of the draft plan.
“I believe that it is essential that we have a solid financial base to rely on for reopening costs, minor repairs, and being able to pay for the shortfall of state reimbursement under the Medicaid program,” said INH Board Treasurer Skip Greenlaw.
The board has been working for months to determine next steps for the skilled nursing care facility, which had to close its doors late last year due to a lack of staff. In order to reopen in any capacity, a plan must be presented to the state in January in order to receive a license to reopen.
Reopening will require an inspection by the Fire Marshal’s Office and an inspection by the Department by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The board is working with Governor Janet Mills and local legislators to demonstrate the need for increased reimbursement for all nursing homes in the state. The board plans to invite area legislators to a meeting at the nursing home to share with them their plan and ask for their support in asking the Maine Legislature to increase the reimbursement funding.
A full board report and Frequently Asked Questions about this situation can also be found at www.IslandNursingHome.org.
Jennifer Osborn is a St. Louis, Mo. native and has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
She has a husband and a 19-year-old son.