Andover: If Woodland nursing home is shut down township will suffer. Murphy asked to help

Andover leaders worry if the beleaguered Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center is shut down, the township will lose its largest taxpayer, an essential source of funding for its schools and municipal services.

Days after the state suspended the nursing home's license and federal regulators said they would no longer pay for Medicaid recipients to live there, legislators representing Sussex County sent a letter to Gov. Murphy asking for help.

The letter, sent by Rep. Josh Gottheimer and signed by 24th District's Sen. Steve Oroho and assemblymen Hal Wirths and Parker Space, seeks financial aid for the township if the facility, previously called Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation, is shut down.

The nursing home facility, which is in the process of relocating its 347 residents, paid $1.4 million in property taxes last year, said Mayor Tom Walsh. He said 27% of the $1.4 million goes into the $10 million municipal budget, 57% to help fund schools and 16% to county services.

Local officials became concerned last week after federal regulators said they would stop paying for Medicaid patients at the facility after June 25. The facility, officials said, is on 10 acres and cannot be sustained without the federal funds that amount to more than 90% of the facility's revenue.

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After New Jersey suspended the facility's license, a Superior Court judge appointed a team of restructuring experts to take control of the operation. All these steps are extremely rare.

Gottheimer's office declined to comment on the letter other than to say the letter speaks for itself.

Murphy's office declined to comment.

The letter addresses the history of the nursing home under the former owner, especially during the early stages of the pandemic when police discovered the bodies of 19 residents stored in a holding area. More than 80 residents died of COVID at the facility, according to reports.

The state and federal governments announced investigations of the facility and in March, appointed Atlantic Health Systems to serve as a monitor to "ensure compliance with health and safety requirements."

"Sadly, despite these state and federal actions, the facility has egregiously failed to provide adequate staffing and care for its residents," the letter to Murphy stated. The monitor reported "multiple instances of residents hospitalized" from a variety of ailments, including bowel blockages and infections, read the letter. There was also a report of a recent "altercation between residents, which resulted in bodily injury to one resident requiring surgery."

The letter from the four elected officials said while their "core concern"  is the health and well-being of the residents, "the economic impact of the facility’s closure on the Andover community would also be immense."

The mayor said there have been discussions about what to do with the facility in the future. Ideas include a state-funded rehabilitation site, an office park or an upscale hotel with wedding facilities.

"It would be a great place for future development," Walsh said.

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The mayor said he hopes the state won't let the facility "go into disrepair."

Walsh said he worries about the "ripple effect" that would be caused with the closing of the facility. He said 500 people would be out of a job, which would also hurt the local merchants who rely on them.

Last week at the Sussex County Board of Commissioners bi-monthly meeting, it was reported that 136 of the facility's residents are from the state of New York, which is involved in helping to relocate them.

The commissioners were told a job fair is planned to help the employees find new jobs.

"As has been true since the outset of the pandemic, we are all in this together, and we must act now to ensure Andover Township’s essential services can continue despite this economic disruption," stated the letter to the governor.

In the letter, the legislators ask the state to use some of the $6.2 billion it received from the American Rescue Plan to help out the township.

"Few uses of that economic assistance seem more justified than

ensuring Andover Township can continue to provide essential services for its residents despite a sudden, unfortunate, pandemic-related change in town revenue."

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Shutting down Woodland nursing home will hurt Andover: Officials