Despite an over saturation of beds in Illinois, Accolade Healthcare, which recently acquired a 213- bed skilled nursing facility in Champaign County, said the acquisition takes into account a changing occupancy situation and links to a local hospital.
“About six years ago, I probably wouldn’t have ever gone into Champaign County because it was oversaturated with beds to a level that really was squeezing operators,” Accolade Healthcare President and CEO Moe Freedman told Skilled Nursing News. “But over the past six years, they’ve all closed. There’s only I think two left in the Champaign County area, and none in Champaign.”
Accolade is a provider of skilled nursing care across six skilled nursing facilities in Central Illinois.
Moreover, since the company has a strong relationship with the local Carle Foundation Hospital, the transition made sense, Freedman said.
“It was always comforting to know that you had a partner in the hospital system that was pleased with your quality of care,” he said. “That just made it one less thing that we needed to overcome when coming into a distressed property like the one that we just took over.”
The building currently has a lot of compliance issues, and his team will prioritize addressing these immediately, Freedman added.
Freedman also noted Accolade Healthcare’s approach to focusing on employee care and training.
“We firmly believe that if we equip our staff with the right tools and resources, they’ll excel in their roles and provide exceptional care,” he said. “It’s like a domino effect.”
This is in contrast to how many distressed properties neglect their skilled employees, who’ve grown accustomed to making do with limited resources or makeshift solutions, like using duct tape on a pipe..
He said that the Accolade approach involves placing administrators in these properties who understand the need to break from the traditional mindset of avoiding expenses or attempting to solve everything in-house.
“For instance, if there’s a broken bed, we don’t resort to makeshift fixes. Instead, we ensure that certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and nurses have the proper equipment to perform at their best,” he said. “But it’s not just about handing out devices; it’s about entering each property, understanding what they consider essential resources, and taking action accordingly.”
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