Rockingham County's long-term care leadership reported a marked improvement in staffing and a reduction in contracted nursing agency costs during the Jan. 8 Board of Commissioners meeting.

Long-term care director Chantelle said the nursing home census is 133 and assisted living census 49. She reported a recent increase in staff illnesses but said new hires and orientation sessions scheduled this month will ease reliance on agency nurses. The department's financial accounting shows agency spend has declined and that, compared with last year, the facility has more in-house staff; leadership characterized the change as a substantial turnaround that has produced hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings.

Finance staff explained that large statewide and benefit-related bills contributed to the accounts-payable total reviewed at the meeting, but that long-term care has reduced contracted nursing bills and expects additional full-time LNAs and an RN to start in the coming weeks. The director said a new director of nursing (DON) begins at the end of the month and that the department will continue recruiting to fill remaining vacancies.

The nursing facility is operating under a temporary masking mandate after a small respiratory outbreak on one unit and one resident testing positive for COVID-19; management said staff are returning and infection-control measures are in place.

Commissioners praised the turnaround and asked HR and finance to continue tracking agency spend versus in-house staffing in weekly reports.