Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Possible Pineview Move Protested

A battle is looming in the area of the Pineview Nursing Home.

At Monday night's meeting of the Gurdon City Council, Rick Donovan, with the Rose Law Firm of Little Rock, voiced opposition to a potential move by the nursing home from Gurdon to Arkadelphia.

Donovan, who represents Beverly Enterprises, a nursing home conglomerate, said the nursing home is important for Gurdon residents to keep loved ones nearby.

In addition, with several nursing homes already in Arkadelphia, Donovan said another one could cause a "glut of beds" thereby driving the price of care up because all nursing homes in the area would have fewer patients.

"Profits would go down and prices would go up," he told the council. "The people of Gurdon need a nursing home here."

However, during his talk to the panel, Donovan primarily addressed the profit-loss aspect of such a move and seldom talked about improved care for residents.

He said the owners of Pineview have applied for the move through the Arkansas Health Service Commission. The Rose Firm, he added, has filed a protest against the move.

According to Donovan, the commission "rubber stamps" moves unless there is a protest from people in the community.

Eddie Arnold, one of the owners of Pineview, said he didn't want to comment on whether or not Pineview is moving at this time.

"There is another side to this story," he said. "Things happen in this industry which necessitate we may have to move. I'm not saying we're going to move."

However, Arnold did not say Pineview would remain in Gurdon either.

Donovan said the Rose Firm needs people to protest the petition to move, and if the commission still grants it, then the decision can be appealed. At the appeal hearing, he said, evidence can be presented showing why the move shouldn't be granted.

"It's important you know what's going on," he said, "and have the opportunity to protest.

"We think the reason (for the proposed move) is to get 12 extra beds."

Donovan said there is a law which states a nursing home can get up to 12 extra beds if it moves within the county. "The owners (of Pineview) want to maximize their profits," he said. "They have an 86.7 percent occupancy rate in Gurdon.

"We think they want the extra beds. If they move, they get them. We disagree with it, and think they will pull people from other nursing homes, the rates will rise and there will be a glut of beds."

Arnold said there have been times there were only 45 people in Pineview. "We can't make a living that way," he told the board.

"If the level drops, we can't make a living or meet payroll and would have to move."

Arnold told the council the owners of Pineview are simply doing the necessary paperwork in advance should they decide to move from Gurdon to Arkadelphia.

Should the commission approve the application, the owners would then decide whether or not to move.

"We're not saying we're moving," Arnold said. "We're just doing the paperwork. Then, if we decide to move we won't have to wait and get approval.

"If the occupancy fell we could be forced to close."

Arnold objected to Donovan's statements about the move being nothing more than an attempt to get more beds. "We object to what Beverly's doing. They have said nothing about the residents."

According to Arnold, should Pineview move the residents could have larger rooms and better care.

"They care about dollars and cents," he said of Beverly Enterprises. "We care about the people and will do what's best for them.

"We will decide if we can stay or not. If we can stay, we will."

The council did not further discuss the issue.