After prolonged public protest in 2012 over the possibility of privatizing the Pocopson Home, the Chester County Commissioners shifted gears, a change that culminated this past week in their tour of the renovated and expanded eight-bed, short-term rehabilitation facility in Pocopson Township.
The expanded service, offered in partnership with Apex Rehab Solutions, includes physiatrist care, which focuses on nerve, muscle and bone health, as well as the care of Pocopson’s nursing team, physicians and physical, occupational and speech therapists, according to a county press release.
The short-term rehab unit includes two private rooms and three semi-private rooms, and is equipped with a full range of physical therapy apparatus and occupational therapy settings, including a full kitchen. Additional services include 24-hour, registered nurse care, wound care specialists, and accommodations for bariatric patients. Transportation services to physician and hospital appointments are also available, the release said.
“The professional skills and resources already offered at Pocopson Home – from 24-hour nursing care to existing medical transportation services – made it a somewhat easy decision to add short-term rehabilitation services to our portfolio,” Jackie McKenna, administrator at Pocopson Home, said in the release. “This has been a good move for the community – not only are we helping to meet a need for more short-term rehabilitation options in Chester County, but we are also generating revenue that helps to offset the overall costs of running the largest skilled nursing facility in the county.”
The decision to develop a short-term rehabilitation unit at Pocopson Home was made by the Chester County Board of Commissioners in 2013, based on cost-saving and revenue-enhancing recommendations from the Pocopson Home’s administration.
The recommendations followed discussion about the possibility of privatizing the county-owned facility in 2012, a proposal that received a hostile reception from the public. Hundreds of supporters showed up during a series of public meetings, urging the commissioners to retain control of the 275-bed, long-term, health-care facility. They argued that its excellent quality of care would suffer if the county sold it.
The cost of renovation to develop the short-term rehabilitation facility was $270,000. First-quarter generated revenue provided a full return on the renovation investment, and total annual revenue is estimated conservatively to be between $650,000 and $980,000, the release said.
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