LAWRENCE COUNTY Consulting company to audit nursing home

County commissioners say they want try to sell land near the nursing home.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County commissioners have hired Z.A. Consulting of Harrisburg to review finances at the county nursing home.
They expect to get the results of the audit in about three weeks.
The company will be paid $12,500 for its initial assessment expected to take two to three days. An additional $15,000 to $20,000 will be paid for the second phase of work that should include a detailed audit and testing of specific transactions.
The finances came under scrutiny when the Pennsylvania Department of Health halted the sale of the nursing home to a private group.
The state contends that money had possibly been transferred from a private pay patient account, and there were questions about the relationship between one of the new owners and the nursing home management company. One of the new owners is also affiliated with the management company.
Commissioners said Z.A. Consulting will also make management recommendations and could be hired after the audit to implement those recommendations. That cost has not been discussed yet, officials said.
Wooded land
In other business, Commissioner Brian Burick suggested the county continue to try to sell the 21 acres of wooded land next to the nursing home.
The property was slated to be part of the failed sale, and commissioners had anticipated about $470,000 in this year's budget from the sale.
Burick suggested county officials also gather soon to check on the status of the county budget since the sale failed, and that revenue is not expected.