Back to Business

With Labor Day behind us and cooler weather before us, thus starts the unofficial end of Summer. Time to re-focus our minds on the business at hand. Not that the last few months have not had their fill of work and accomplishments, but vacations do make it difficult to get everyone together or to initiate team-driven projects.

The next few months will include the following major corporate initiatives:

• Engineering & other inspections, zoning investigation and approvals associated with the proposed new site for Kirkhaven.


• Final design strategies, cost estimates & financial analysis associated with the Kirkhaven Replacement Project.


• Action plans & financial analysis for the Valley Manor Repositioning Project associated with the Greystone recommendations.


• Governance Committee board member recruitment & board structure evaluation.


• Annual Lobster Bisque fund-raiser (September 19).


• Annual Seniorsfirst Gala fund-raiser (October 25).


• Development of marketing, sales and fund-raiser video productions.


• Upgrade & modifications to websites.


• Employee Opinion (satisfaction) survey.


• Physician group/Medical Director recruitment for Kirkhaven.


• 2009 operating budget preparation.


• Medicaid rate audit settlement.


• Major Capital Campaign strategy & planning to support Kirkhaven Replacement Project.


• Peer Review (dispute resolution) program development.


• Compensation system review.


• Pathways (culture change) soil warming at Kirkhaven.


• Leadership & conversity training.

This is an impressive "to-do list" and will certainly keep us all active and focused on our organizational goals and objectives.

In other news................we did reach a final agreement on the purchase and sale agreement for the land on South Clinton Avenue targeted for the Kirkhaven Replacement Project. We have nearly two years built into the purchase offer contingencies to accomplish the many inspections, details, approvals and financing requirements necessary for this project.

...........we still await specifics on the newly adopted State Budget revisions. As usual, we were spared many of the devastating proposed cuts but did take a "hit" with other cuts that were passed. Ironically, the State is currently finalizing Medicaid rate add-ons that represent the initial phase-in of the promised new nursing home reimbursement (re-basing) methodology which will release over 300 million in long-awaited funds for 2007 and 2008 reimbursement. It will be interesting to see the net result when the cuts and add-ons are both factored into the new rates. I'm guessing that in the final analysis it will be a case of "a promise made is a promise not kept".

So hold on tight as we enter into this hectic, yet exciting, phase of 2008. Our goals are lofty and the challenges are stiff, but the rewards are priceless from the perspective of the mission we serve.

Be sure to visit my Blog each week for updates on the progress of these initiatives and anything new that comes along. Thanks for visiting!

(picture 1- ripening grapes on our arbor as Fall approaches)

(picture 2- Fall flowers blooming in our gardens)