Maple Lawn accepts $250,000 from county

Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter
·2 min read

BRANCH COUNTY — The county-owned nursing home and rehabilitation facility's board approved borrowing $250,000 from Branch County Thursday.

“Our cash on hand (Thursday) is $187,000. To get through May payrolls into June we will need that," said Jayne Sabaitis, Maple Lawn's director.

The county commission authorized the loan last week.

Jayne Sabaitis, Maple Lawn's director, explained changes made at the county-owned nursing facility at the Thursday board meeting.
Jayne Sabaitis, Maple Lawn's director, explained changes made at the county-owned nursing facility at the Thursday board meeting.

Board member Steve Weigt discussed whether the repayment should be tied to Maple Lawn receiving $3.6 million in Employee Retention Credits from COVID-19 funds.

Maple Lawn will owe the county the money taken from its American Rescue Plan Act federal grant whether or not ERC funds are paid. Repayment was left at 12 months with no conditions.

The county facility applied for the ERC money in October when Sabaitis learned a county-owned facility was eligible.

She is working through Congressman Tim Walberg to learn when the the grant may be approved. 

Prior story County approves Maple Lawn loan with conditions

Sabaitis went to county commissioners for financial help in August after the state required payback of $874,976 for three years of Medicaid overpayments.

“June ends the payback of what we owe the state. They’ve been taking $147,000 a month. That will come back to us, and we should be okay,” Sabaitis said.

This month Michigan increased Medicaid reimbursement by $6.48 per patient per day. According to controller Jessica Worden, that will increase Maple Lawn’s monthly income by approximately $20,000 per month.

The average patient census in February was 94 or 89% of capacity.

Maple Lawn
Maple Lawn

Sabaitis said only two patients were turned away “because we could not handle them medically.”

To increase staff to handle more patients, the nursing facility continues to look for certified nursing assistants through community colleges. Soon it hopes to be permitted for an online certification program. Once approved, Maple Lawn will train CNAs in-house.

Assistant nursing director Ashley Zierle took over as nursing director. Her former position will not be filled.

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The facility director continues looking for cost savings and ways to increase income.

Sabaitis will review the possibility of providing dialysis services in the facility. Currently, Maple Lawn is limited to three dialysis patients because of transportation issues to treatment. The in-house treatment could increase patient counts.

Sabaitis said she would have a five-year financial plan ready for her board next month. County Commissioners required one as part of the loan agreement.

---Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Maple Lawn accepts $250,000 from county