35 Beeghly Oaks employees learn they are out of jobs

Those affected are nurses,
nursing assistants, kitchen and housekeeping workers.

BOARDMAN — When Sherrie Kocher pulled into the parking lot at Beeghly Oaks to report for work Saturday, she never expected to hear these words: You no longer have a job.

Kocher was among the 35 employees at the nursing home, formerly under the auspices of Forum Health, who found out they were suddenly unemployed.

Forum Health sold the Market Street long-term care facility in September to Columbus-based Vrable Healthcare Companies.

The sale of the 140-bed Beeghly Oaks was the first transaction to receive board approval after Forum placed all of its assets on the market earlier this year.

Allan K. Vrable, a Youngstown area native, is owner, president and chief executive officer of Vrable Healthcare Companies.

Repeated messages left at Beeghly Oaks and at Vrable corporate offices weren’t returned. Forum Health offices were closed Saturday.

“A Vrable representative told us, ‘I’m sorry, you no longer have a job here. You no longer have a position here,” said Kocher, of Youngstown, a nurse practitioner who has worked at the facility for nearly 19 years.

The news affected licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, housekeeping and kitchen employees.

The Vrable representative told the employees that they had been fired as of 11 p.m. Friday by Forum Health, Kocher said.

“How can they fire us without just cause?” Kocher asked.

Those who lost their jobs are members of Service Employees International Union Local 1199. Union officials also weren’t available Saturday.

“They have agency nurses in there working, so how can they say they don’t have positions for us?” Kocher said.

She said residents of the facility also are upset.

“The employees all know the residents,” Kocher said. “It’s like a family there.”

Sandy Shelton of Boardman has worked as an LPN at the facility for eight years. She says she was told to come to work Saturday morning, but when she reported, her name wasn’t on that day’s work schedule.

“A payroll clerk came out and told us, ‘None of you can come near the time clock. Unfortunately, you are all terminated. You have no job,’ ” Shelton said.

Like Kocher, she also wonders how they can be fired when they haven’t been accused of wrongdoing. There’s a procedure that’s supposed to be followed including warnings and discipline that proceed someone’s termination, she said.

“When you want to quit a place, you have to give notice,” Shelton said. “When they want you to leave, they just get rid of you.”

Now she wonders how she’ll support her 15-year-old granddaughter and pay bills and prepare for Christmas.

“Will I find another job?” the 64-year-old worries.

Vrable Healthcare’s six other retirement and long-term care facilities in Ohio have a total of 600 beds and 1,000 employees, and include Pembrooke Place, a long-term facility in Youngstown, which Vrabel bought in February. Other Vrable facilities are in Berea, Columbus, Upper Arlington, Gallipolis and Minster.