Peoria County is looking for guidance to better operate its Heddington Oaks Nursing Home. The county is in negotiations with OSF Healthcare for a study that will give an objective view of the future operation of the county-owned home. That study does not include a hospital purchase of the facility.
Outgoing County Board member Brad Harding says a lack of county nursing home expertise, shortage of staff, low occupancy and slow Medicaid reimbursements are responsible for the county-owned home losing as much as $6 million a year.
Harding claims there has been no transparency in the negotiations because OSF is the only provider being considered. He blames county board chair Andrew Rand for not allowing Health Dimensions of Minneapolis to enter negotiations.
Harding believes Rand has a conflict of interest because he is the CEO of Advanced Medical Transport. AMT is the ambulance company formed in 1991 by the then-three Peoria hospitals.
The staff county staff has previously said Rand's involvement is not a legal conflict of interest.
No contracts for the study have been signed. Harding, who leaves the county board in December, says he wants Heddington Oaks to be successful, but also wants transparency in achieving that goal.
WCBU was unable to reach Andrew Rand for comment.