The Willow Point Nursing home has served the community for more than 40 years, but its future is in question. Dozens of concerned citizens and union workers from the Central New York Area's Labor Federation spoke out Tuesday, saying it should remain in the hands of the county. Vince Briga reports.
VESTAL, N.Y. -- Broome County residents were speaking out Tuesday about the possible privatization of Willow Point Nursing home in Vestal.
The county-run nursing home currently holds 300 beds, but is projected to reach a $5 million deficit through 2017.
If bought out by a private company, many current residents woudl need to move miles away to other facilities, but current and former county leaders say they are fighting to make sure that doesn't happen.
"Many people in our community don't have a lot of money to be able to buy into a nursing home and we really think Willow Point needs to stay so that people that don't have a lot of money have an option to stay in their community and close to their family," said Mary Clark, a Binghamton resident.
Nurses and aids at Willow Point Nursing Home always took the time to get to know their loved ones, and treated them with the best care possible, families said.
"I was saying 'Where's my mother?' And they said, 'Oh she's up at the nurses desk, she likes hanging out with the nurses,' and I'm thinking wow, what care that they took time to figure out that she was a nurse, and that she liked hanging out with the nurses. They do everything to make the residents happy," said Clark.
But the concern isn't only for families, it's also a financial battle, as privatization would impact workers, officials with the Central New York Area Labor Federation said.
Former Broome County Executive Barbara Fiala said opposition in the past has criticized Willow Point for giving out "larger than average" employee benefits, much higher than private-owned homes.
"I think if they get better benefits and a better salary you're going to get a better quality worker that's going to stay there. When my family was there, I would go visit different times and I could always tell you she was well taken care of," said Barbara Fiala.