Sunnycrest report cites employee benefit levels
By ALICIA YAGER | |
Proquest LLC |
While
"Over time, (government facilities) couldn't recruit people, so they started raising the wages to be competitive, and the benefits kept going up," she said.
Because of those benefits, Peters said many employees who have been at the facility for a number of years are accruing more vacation time. She said some employees receive up to five weeks of vacation time, and with a 24/7 facility, that increases the costs for covering absences.
Peters and other HDG staff have been examining the operations at Sunnycrest since February, after the
The majority of the savings found, totaling
"Those are services that can be done by people who are proficient in those areas," she said.
Supervisor Chairman
"That was a very big chunk of what we anticipated saving,' he said.
"(Contractors) are more worried about making a buck," Homan said.
One part of HDG's report that stood out to Demmer was the recommended changes for management and scheduling. Peters said Sunnycrest has a lot of autonomy in its departments, and the management structure is higher than industry standards for similar facilities. She said by coordinating programs and care, those management positions can be pared down into fewer people.
"It would entail elimination of some management positions and combining jobs," Peters said.
Another staffing change the report suggests is cutting the hours per resident day for staff in the ICF unit, which cares for adults with mental disabilities. Peters said the current average is 15 hours per resident day (total staff hours in a day divided by the number of residents served), and the accepted benchmark for superior care is at least 10 hours per resident day.
"We can cut down some while still maintaining a high level of care," Peters said.
Peters declined to give an estimate of positions that might be cut under the recommendations, as it is a personnel issue the county would have to discuss.
One change that is already underway at Sunnycrest is training staff to better use the existing record keeping and financial software. Peters said most departments were not properly trained on how to use the new system, which will cut down on redundant paperwork and help provide easier access to records for physicians and pharmacies.
Demmer said HDG's report will be discussed in detail at the next Sunnycrest Operational Board meeting. He and the other supervisors already have copies of the report, but Demmer said they will rely on the expertise of the operational board members for recommendations on what HDG items to implement and when.
"It probably all can't happen overnight, but they can start a game plan," he said of the operational board. "We'll see what they come up with."
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