Down River

By John Lipez

Ever Evolving:
All you have to do is take a drive up Cree Drive in Lock Haven’s hill district to get some sense on the ever evolving health care picture in Clinton County

First up on the left is the Susque-View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. But check the signage on the building and guess what? It’s now Lock Haven Rehabilitation and Senior Living. And while the parking stall signs and a nearby parked van still make reference to Susque-View, effective in December of last year Susque-View transferred from county ownership to that of New Jersey-based Allaire Health Services.

Down River, perhaps like many of you, missed the December word that Allaire had taken over operations at what we used to call the county home. We knew Clinton County government had announced in January of 2022 that the sale to Allaire would be occurring and the sale price would be $12 million.

We also later learned that sale hit a snag, what with the federal government raising concerns about the need for fire safety improvements, what officials said would cost between $3-5 million. The snag was later smoothed out and the sale consummated, but the price paid to the county dropped to $10.25 million, according to information provided by the county commissioners in a sit-down last week with Down River.

The commissioners expressed some exasperation with the federal government’s role in this, the applicable federal health department agency never sending someone to actually view the site and then ultimately dropping its fire code issues (which the county and Allaire had maintained were not necessary, given the building’s brick and steel construction).

In the meantime, as explained by the commissioners, the county and Allaire had little choice but to negotiate the new price of $10.25 million, splitting the difference in the anticipated cost of carrying out the upgrades (ultimately no longer needed). The two parties were under a federal timeline deadline of completing the work by the end of this year, so they moved ahead with the lowered price, the county ending up out more than a few bucks while the feds dawdled.

So the county is out of the county home business, as are most other counties across the state at this point. Commissioner Jeff Snyder, point man in the transfer project, said now the county does not have to spend a couple million dollars or so on a no longer required upgrade.

Snyder pointed out the property is back on the tax rolls, benefitting the taxing entities of the county, the City of Lock Haven and the Keystone Central School District. He also noted no county dollars were expended in the sale process and also said the cost of the county maintaining the home had been increasing and as a result of the county divestiture, the home “will not become a burden to the taxpayers” in the future.

Meanwhile, the commissioners said, Allaire has plans to do additional improvements on its own. As for the $10.25 million the county is receiving, the commissioners said it will be invested short term and some of the money could be utilized towards planned HVAC upgrades at several county buildings, rather than taking out a bond issue.

The commissioners also said the new ownership group was keeping the bulk of the present employees and that longtime home manager Jamie Aurand is continuing in that capacity. Board chairman Miles Kessinger said, “I am confident (Allaire) will do right by the residents and the community; we chose the right company.”

As for the new owners, Allaire has posted information on the website for Lock Haven Rehabilitation and Senior Living. A portion of that posting:

For close to four decades, Lock Haven Rehabilitation and Senior Living, formerly known as Susque-View Home Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, has been an integral part of the community and takes pride in delivering a full continuum of care imbued with warmth and compassion. Here, everyone is family.

Why choose us? We are a 146-bed nursing home and senior living community conveniently connected to UPMC-Lock Haven Hospital. Our high caliber of assisted living and patient-centered care is recognized throughout the area. Whether you require skilled nursing care or just assistance with everyday life – you can trust us with your care! In an emergency when time is of essence, you can be transported to the hospital in a matter of seconds, and our convenient location provides our residents with access to the best medical care in the region!

Today, under the leadership of Allaire Health Services, many exciting new initiatives are taking place at Lock Haven Rehabilitation and Senior Living! We are expanding our post acute and long term care programming in collaboration with area specialists, allowing us to offer every patient a higher level of care tailored to their needs while reducing rehospitalization.

Allaire Health Services has a strong track record of transforming healthcare centers – building on their strengths and providing the resources needed to flourish. As we enter a new era, community and family will continue to be integral in our care and we look forward to launching our expanded clinical programs under the leadership of area specialists to better meet the needs of our residents.

As Down River had written when the sale was first announced in January of 2022, the ownership transfer looks to be a win-win for the county and its taxpayers. Now that the ownership transfer has occurred, that still appears to be the case.