News Local/State

Watchdog Group Says Applicant To Buy County Nursing Home Switched Companies

By Jim Meadows
 
Champaign County Health Care Consumers Executive Director Claudia Lennhoff.

Champaign County Health Care Consumers Executive Director Claudia Lennhoff, at a news conference held Monday in the CCHCC offices in Champaign, IL. Jim Meadows/Illinois Public Media

UPDATE: The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted Tuesday to approve an application for a Certificate of Need, required by the state for the sale of the Champaign County Nursing Home to companies controlled by William "Avi" Rothner. Champaign County Health Care Consumers executive director Claudia Lennhoff, who spoke against the sale, said the Review Board approved the application without asking wuestions.

ORIGINAL STORY: A local healthcare watchdog group is pointing out an unexpected change in the companies slated to buy the Champaign County Nursing Home.

The Champaign County Board approved the sale of the financially strapped nursing home last spring, to Extended Care Clinical, LLC and Altitude Health Services, Inc. The companies linked to nursing home owner Bill Rothner agreed to pay the county $11 million.

But Claudia Lennhoff with Champaign County Healthcare Consumers says the names of Extended Care Clinical and Altitude Health Services are missing from paperwork filed with state agencies over the summer. In their place are newly formed companies: University Rehabilitation Center of CU, LLC and University Rehab Real Estate, LLC. The names of the newly formed companies reflect the new name planned for the Champaign County Nursing Home once its new owners take over.

And Lennoff says the owners of the two companies are listed as Bill Rothner and Atied Associates. Online listings show Atied Associates shares the same Evanston address as Extended Care Clinical and Altitude Health Services. But Atied is listed as the operator of several nursing homes in Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Arizona. And Lennhoff says Atied has a troubled track record.

 “Like, 80% of their homes have below average or much below average staffing, compared to nursing homes in the rest of the state,” said Lennhoff. “So, one of the things that we can expect, if they become the owner of our nursing home, is that staffing will be significantly reduced.”

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board is scheduled to vote on the proposed sale at its meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 9 AM at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook. Lennhoff says she will be there to ask the review board to postpone action.