West Virginia locals expressing worry following sale of state nursing homes to private corporation
In a move that has sparked controversy, Governor Patrick Morrisey announced the sale of Hopemont Hospital and three other state-owned nursing homes to the private company, Majestic Care. The sale, which includes Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley, Lakin Hospital in West Columbia in Mason County, and John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center in Fairmont, has raised concerns among residents and their families about the potential impact on care quality.
Residents at Majestic Care's nursing homes in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana receive around an hour less nursing care per day on average than residents at the state's hospitals. This concern is echoed by Mary Stein-Johnson, a nurse at Lakin Hospital, who predicts that a private provider may release patients, potentially leading them to end up in jails or homeless shelters.
Mark Dorsey, the son of a resident at the John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center, shares this apprehension. He notes that private companies are motivated by profit and may cut staff, potentially leading to reduced quality of care. Dorsey's father, Andrew Dorsey, a coal miner and Purple Heart veteran, lived out the last years of his life at the John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center after developing black lung through years of inhaling coal dust.
Gailyn Markham, spokesperson for the Department of Health Facilities, however, believes that Majestic Care is well-equipped to provide patients with better care amid a nationwide nursing shortage. Majestic Care officials have said that the facilities being sold have outlived their lifespans. The company also offers jobs with no pay cuts to all employees, as well as insurance, retirement, paid time off, and other perks like a relief fund, leadership development, sign-on bonuses, and tuition reimbursement.
The John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center in Rivesville, one of the state-owned nursing homes being sold, has a strong reputation among families in the area. Residents of the center have regularly protested the potential sale in the past. LaRanda Schoolcraft, who moved her grandpa, Carl Schoolcraft, who has dementia and a fatal brain disease, to Hopemont Hospital when he could no longer be cared for at home, visits him daily. Pastor Leah Starkey finds patients at Lakin Hospital to be deeply engaged and appreciative, with some even drawing her pictures and praying for her.
However, the sale of these nursing homes raises questions that remain unanswered. The search results do not provide information about which health insurance company conducted the sales. Lower staffing levels increase the risk of falls, bedsores, missed medications, infections, behavioral health crises, and emergency room visits. With the sale of these state-owned nursing homes, the future of care for many West Virginia residents hangs in the balance.
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