CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the legislature say they were surprised to hear Gov. Patrick Morrisey announce at a news conference earlier this week that the state had sold four long-term care facilities to Marx Development Group.
The $60 million deal transfers Hopemont Hospital in Terra Alta (Preston County), Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley, the John Manchin Sr Healthcare Center in Fairmont, and Lakin Hospital in West Columbia (Mason County) to the private sector.
Marx owns and operates around 50 similar long-term care facilities in Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Kentucky.
Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, said the future of the homes has been discussed for several years. He said lawmakers rejected a bill to take them out of state control. He said the decision to sale them is the wrong decision.
Garcia said no one from the governor’s office contact him about what was going to happen. He said he wonders if there are requirements for Marx to continue to be a nursing home of last resort like the current homes are.
“Do that have to continue to take people who are difficult? That would cost more money,” Garcia said.
Morrisey said at Tuesday’s announcement it would take more than $100 million to renovate and address long-term issues at each facility.
“Even if the state invested this money, the long-term operating cost are only going to continue to rise, but they’d rise without substantially improving the level of care that’s provided to the patients. Not a good mix,” Morrisey said.
Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason, said he’s seeking more information from the governor’s office on several levels.
“Details are still continuing to emerge,” Pinson told MetroNews affiliate WMOV Radio in Ravenswood. “We’re going to do our very best that these concerns, these issues and others are addressed. I look forward to hearing from the governor’s office on these issues.”
Pinson said Thursday on MetroNews Midday that he’s now had a conversation with the governor’s office. He said he was told part of the deal is that everyone will keep their jobs.
Pinson said he was also told Marx officials met with Lakin employees Thursday.
Pinson said his top issues are the patients and the workers at Lakin and the other three hospitals. He said he wants to make sure Marx doesn’t move the patients to areas too far from where they are now.
“We’ve got to make sure that the residents who live in these facilities are ensured that they will not be moved across the country or another state–they can at home,” Pinson said.
He also said the workers at the hospitals have also chosen to work for the state when in some cases they could have gone to the private sector.
“We have to make sure that employees who have spent their careers working at these facilities, under the understanding that would be entitled to state insurance or state pensions, you have to make sure they are taken care of,” Pinson said.
Garcia said he wishes there was a relationship between Morrisey and lawmakers that this week’s announcement wouldn’t have come as a surprise.
“Unfortunately I think you’ve got personalities that are really becoming combative and aimed at individuals and there’s a lack of trust there,” Garcia said. “How do we build that trust? Communication.”