Valley View Home Discusses Recent Planning Session

In a press release provided to the Courier, Valley View Home’s Karly Kruckenberg, administrator, outlined discussions from a retreat/strategic planning meeting held Sept. 17. The attendees included VVH board members and “key management staff” at the facility. The release focused on the attendees review of VVH history and reduced funding, which was caused, according to Kruckenberg, by reduced state Medicaid reimbursement.

Kruckenberg discussed the recent state survey of VVH without mentioning the three immediate jeopardies reported on previously in the pages of the Courier. The release reads, “Recent problems in the state survey process gave rise to a discussion about the work culture and challenges of constructing a work force that was oriented toward quality of care.”

In addition to employee concerns, the need to address maintenance and building improvements that had been deferred for a number of years was also discussed. The release did not specify what the maintenance and improvements would be, what they would cost, or how this was affecting operations at VVH.

Kruckenberg also discussed VVH’s intent to limit further admission to the facility. The limit was needed, according to the release, “while the current staff are being trained and become focused on quality of care,” and while VVH seeks to limit its use of traveling staff members. Kruckenberg stated, “The Board and administration have set long term goals to recruit and train local staff to increase the resident census with less reliance on traveling staff and without compromising Valley View’s reputation for quality care.”

In recent weeks, Malta’s Hi-Line Retirement Center, which is also managed by HMS, has been facing similar problems. Among other concerns, recent attendees of a hastily scheduled public meeting in Malta on Sept. 19 cited a lack of ability to recruit and retain local nurses as a cause contributing to HLRC’s woes. According to former HLRC Director of Nursing Becky Ewing and other former employees of HLRC, the loss of local nurses has been due in part to an allegedly hostile working environment purportedly fostered by HMS staff members and HMS’ Vice President Karl Rude. Previous VVH employees have made similar assertions about Rude’s management style in previous articles published in the Courier.

Attempts to clarify HMS positions on these and other subjects via follow-up email were unsuccessful at press time.