Lehigh County commissioners plan meeting on proposed Cedarbrook nursing home upgrades

Aug. 02--The Lehigh County commissioners will hold a special meeting Wednesday to consider renovating or rebuilding Cedarbrook, but don't expect a decision to be made on the nursing home's future.

County Executive Tom Muller and Director of General Services Rick Molchany have been pitching plans about updating the South Whitehall Township facility since last year. The first $1.5 million proposal called for refurbishing a unit of the nursing home's largest tower. The plans would have reduced the number of rooms with four patients and converted dormitory-style bathrooms into semi-private ones.

This year, the administration went bigger by proposing the same type of changes across the entire wing, which would cost the county $16.5 million. In each instance, commissioners rejected the proposal, saying it did not dive deep enough into cost analyses or alternative options. Muller said it's been a frustrating experience to watch the board of commissioners repeatedly punt on making a decision.

"We've been sitting on our thumbs too long," he said.

Commissioner Vic Mazziotti contended the board has attempted to take an in-depth look at the operations of the nursing home in an effort to solve long-ignored matters. The facility didn't become outdated overnight, he said, and commissioners want to make sure they don't throw money at a short-term patch.

For example, he said, it's unclear whether the county would save or lose money if four-resident rooms are converted into two-resident rooms. Reducing the number of beds would limit the county's revenue stream, but it could introduce efficiencies that don't otherwise exist. Mazziotti said he's been working with the administration to make clear what type of information the commissioners want.

"This is not an easy decision to make.[(Molchany] wants to make sure we make a good decision, not just a quick decision," Mazziotti said.

Commissioner David Jones has publicly endorsed building a smaller, modern facility to replace the South Whitehall facility, but no cost estimates exist on what that would cost the county.

"As we start to hone in on the options we find more appealing, then we'll have to make more detailed analysis," Mazziotti said.

Molchany was not available for comment. Regardless of which plans he presents, Mazziotti said it's unlikely the commissioners will be prepared to make a decision.

The board of commissioners will hold its special meeting on Cedarbrook's physical plant at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown. While commissioners have discussed holding other special meetings on Cedarbrook's other needs, such as its organizational structure, no dates have been set.

IF YOU GO

Who: Lehigh County commissioners

What: Public meeting on proposed changes to Cedarbrook nursing home

When: 6 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Lehigh County Government Center, Seventh and Hamilton streets, Allentown

___

(c)2015 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

Visit The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) at www.mcall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.