FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Despite efforts to stop the sale in court, the $60 million sale of four state-run long-term care facilities has closed, paving the way for Marx Development Group (MDG) to take ownership and their subsidiary Majestic Care to take over operations.
State Senator and Fairmont attorney Joey Garcia, D-Marion, filed a suit on behalf of a 94-year-old resident of the John Manchin Senior Health Care Center in Fairmont that requires 24-hour care.
Garcia said their next best course of action is to monitor the business arrangement and make sure MDG and Majestic Care maintain the level of care expected by the patients and families.
“The courts have let him continue with this sale even though we didn’t think he had the authority to do so through statute,” Garcia said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “Now, there’s less we can do as state legislators, but we have to keep a watchful eye.”
Garcia said the focus now shifts to the two state psychiatric care facilities—Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington and the William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital in Weston. Legislative action to prevent the governor from selling those facilities will be his next priority.
“I would like to clarify that with legislation saying the governor does not have that authority, particularly with the facilities,” Garcia said. “Make sure that if he does want to sell them or change the operation of them, he has to work with the legislature to do so.”
Moving the facilities away from state control shifts day-to-day decisions and operational concerns to the staff of Majestic Care. Garcia said it will be up to Majestic Care to establish care standards and the lines of communication with the families.
“I think it’s in the interest of Majestic Care, who’s running the facility, to be a good neighbor, but they actually don’t have to do that,” Garcia said.
Garcia is preparing for the differences with the state facilities under private control in situations like a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that he said they are not bound to respond to in most cases. Many of those differences are yet to be determined.
“If they are providing a document or communication with state government in some way that is not deemed exempt, there are certain situations where you might be able to get information from state government about them,” Garcia said.
As part of the sale, MDG will also assume operation of the Meals on Wheels program in Marion County. The kitchen at the John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center in Fairmont prepares meals for about 200 seniors in Marion County who expect the program to continue to reliably distribute much-needed nutrition.
“That program has provided thousands of meals, and they’ve made a promise to continue to do that,” Garcia said. “I plan to inquire to find out how they plan to do that.”