Plan to sell parts of Yaphank nursing home

The $36-million sale of the Suffolk nursing home may have been voted down Tuesday, but the Levy administration is planning what amounts to a municipal garage sale to separately sell the nursing home license, the building and all the equipment down to bedpans.

Aides to County Executive Steve Levy said they expect to file a legislative resolution by year's end to declare as surplus the five story, 264-bed John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility in Yaphank and the surrounding 14 acres, so it can be put out for public bid. They also said the executive office on its own will seek proposals early next year to sell the county's state nursing home license. A public auction to sell beds, furniture and medical equipment will be held after the last patient leaves by March 31, aides added.

Len Marchese, health department director of management research, said 60-day layoff notices will be mailed Thursday to 230 nursing home employees and 36 other health department workers who may lose their jobs to more senior nursing home workers. He also said that the number of patients at the facility dropped to 230 Wednesday and 15 to 20 patients have also sought paperwork to permit them to move to other nursing homes.

Levy spokesman Dan Aug said a closure plan was filed with the state, but said it was "premature" to say how quickly the nursing home can actually close until the plan is approved. State health department spokesman Peter Constantakes said he could not comment on the county's plan, but added, "Our main thing is to make sure patients receive the care they need and a seamless transition."

Levy assailed lawmakers for "abdicating their fiduciary responsibility" in walking away from the multimillion-dollar deal to sell the facility, but moved ahead with plans to dismantle the facility to bring in $17 million in net revenue included in the 2011 budget after $16 million in bonds is paid off.

Christopher Kent, Levy's chief deputy, said the separate sales are unlikely to bring in as much as the $36-million price to private operator Kenneth Rozenberg. But Rozenberg said he would have "no interest" in acquiring Foley assets piecemeal.

Nursing home backers say the battle is not over. "Now it's wide open," said Legis. John Kennedy (R-Nesconset). "If a hospital has an interest in acquiring space there is a brand new opportunity to look at the full range of possible uses."

Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) said a bill will be introduced shortly to solicit proposals for a public-private partnership to run the home, a compromise that he said "makes sense."