by James C. Sherlock
Nursing homes are businesses.
Seventy percent of those in Virginia are for profit. They are run not by doctors but registered nurses with physicians on call.
Nursing facilities very widely in size in Virginia, from the 300-bed Mulberry Creek Nursing and Rehab center in Martinsville to facilities of less than 30 beds, especially the long-term care units of a few mostly rural hospitals.
They include facilities designated as skilled nursing facilities (SNF), often post-op care and rehabilitation, and others designated as long-term-care nursing facilities (NF). Most nursing homes in Virginia have facilities and certified beds for each.
Insurer mix and staffing costs are keys to profitability.
Many of these businesses are worth what they get paid, but many are not. Continue reading