A Cedarbrook Nursing Homes Advisory Team will be given three months to prioritize up to three courses of action to create a long-term plan for the future of the homes.
The team formally was created by a resolution unanimously passed by eight Lehigh County commissioners Wednesday night.
The team won’t get to work until late March, after its members are selected.
“I am really looking forward to the success of this team,” said Brad Osborne, chairman of the commissioners.
“The bottom line is the hard decision still comes back to this board,” warned Commissioner Percy Dougherty. “We may not like the report that comes back to us.”
The team will consist of five to nine members who will consider options for the county-owned nursing homes over the next five to 10 years.
The commissioners soon will advertise, including on the county web site, to find people interested in volunteering to serve on the team.
That ad explains the advisory team will propose “a long-term plan for providing the care deemed necessary for county residents, in the most cost effective and appropriate manner.”
The three initial members of the team will be selected by Osborne by March 24, from applicants who respond to the ad.
Those three will select up to six more members “at their discretion.” Those additional members will be approved by the commissioners.
Members of the advisory team won’t be paid, but the commissioners will allocate up to $1,000 for incidental expenses.
At least one team member will have experience in the health care industry and another will have general management or governing board experience.
Because Osborne has been adamant that politics be kept out of the process, no team member may be a current or former candidate or have held a publicly elected office in the past 10 years.
“Team members must be qualified, non-political and free from any financial or familial relationships that could create a conflict of interest,” states an overview of the mission that was attached to the resolution.
Based on a recommendation from Commissioner Geoff Brace, the team “will conduct its activity in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act.”
Osborne said the team will make monthly reports on its progress at public meetings of the county commissioners.
He said it also will develop its recommendations in public, at meetings that are advertised. “There will be an opportunity for the public to provide input,” said Osborne.
He added the team won’t necessarily do all its fact-finding and research in public.
Commissioner Amanda Holt said the team’s final written report and presentation also will be made to the commissioners during a public meeting.
The commissioners want those final recommendations no later than June 30, so they have ample time “for consideration of the options, capital and budget planning for 2016.”
“I hope we stay on a good time schedule [and] we get this done expeditiously,” said Dougherty.
Quoting “the wise words” of Commissioner Vic Mazziotti, Osborne said: “This is a plan that will have the strategy drive the budget, instead of budget driving strategy.”
Osborne said the team will help the commissioners develop “a community-based solution” in support of current and future residents of Cedarbrook.
“We really and truly do care about those in the county who are vulnerable and need these types of services,” said Commissioner Lisa Scheller, who first proposed creating some kind of team to look at the future of Cedarbrook.
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