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Sunny Hill report: board discusses occupancy, licensure limits and pending rate change
Summary
Sunny Hill administrators told the Will County board the facility is licensed for 156 beds and had a census of 153; members discussed empty beds, a waiting list, a rate increase set to take effect Feb. 1, and regulatory limits on converting private rooms to doubles because of IDPH licensure and staffing requirements.
Maggie McDowell, who delivered the Sunny Hill report, told the Will County Advisory Board that Sunny Hill's licensed capacity is 156 beds and that the census on the day of the meeting was 153. McDowell said temporary empty beds occur because of processing admissions and discharges and that the facility maintains a waiting list even when beds are briefly unoccupied.
Board members pressed on whether converting private rooms to double occupancy could raise census and revenue. McDowell said room types are determined by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) licensure and that changing room designations would require regulatory steps and could increase staffing and equipment costs. "Anything is possible, but there would be the associated cost that would go with that," she said, noting that families often prefer private rooms and that converting existing space could reduce demand.
McDowell confirmed the board-approved rate increase will take effect Feb. 1 and that families and powers of attorney were notified with 30 days' notice. She said finance staff are pursuing reimbursement and managed-care strategies to improve revenue and that the facility is closely reviewing overtime and agency staffing expenses. McDowell offered to bring the finance director to a future meeting to present more detailed options.
No formal policy change or licensure action was taken during this meeting. Board members asked staff to return with more detailed financial options and potential impacts of any physical changes to rooms or licensure.
