Dateline: November 29, 2007

Medical Center Nursing Home sale progressing   

The sale of the Medical Center Nursing Home is still on, but the process isn’t moving very fast.

More than one month has passed since the Donley County Hospital Board accepted a $1.25 million bid from Community Care Management of Denton, and still no contract has been signed on the sale.

Administrator Vicky Robertson says the matter is in the hands of attorneys for the district. A Dallas-based attorney is looking into how the sale pertains to the revenue bonds that financed the remodeling of the nursing home several years ago, and another law firm is handling the contract of sale.

According to conditions set when the board accepted the bid to buy the facility, the hospital district must receive approval for the deal from its financial advisor, bond counsel, and the company that sold the bonds before the sale can be finalized.

District officials hope to have a contract to sign by the end of the week, but a called meeting to do so has not been scheduled.

One project that is moving along, however, is the $373,000 expansion of the nursing home that will add four semi-private rooms to the west wing of MCNH.

Robertson reports that the slab is down, the sewer lines are laid, and the contractor expects to start laying block this week.

“They’re talking like it’s possible it could be in the dry by the year’s end, possibly even Christmas,” she said.

In other district news, the hospital board met in regular session November 20 with a busy agenda.

Robertson reported the census for the nursing home at 51 residents with one in the hospital, and she said the ambulance service had 76 calls in October.

The board directed chairman Alan Fletcher to contact the local banks regarding a line of credit to finance the construction at the nursing home.

The Ambulance Authority was reported to have received a grant that will be added to another grant to total $10,000 to purchase another power cot.

The board voted to purchase gift cards for all employees for the holidays.

The nursing home residents’ Christmas party will be on December 17.

In the indigent care report, Holly Eads said two new applications were denied, one client became ineligible, and no outstanding liabilities were reported. One large claim is expected, however, from Northwest Texas Hospital for a current client. Total indigent care expenses for October was $7,058.38.

The board considered and approved the contract for tax collection from the Donley Appraisal District.