McLean County says nursing home construction is complete; officials warn staffing shortages could delay reoccupancy

Mr. Wy told the committee that final cleanup of the nursing home's construction project will begin the coming Monday and that the facility's reoccupation depends on an Illinois Department of Public Health reoccupancy visit.

"A week from yesterday, this coming Monday, the final cleanup will begin on the final phase of our construction project and then it's a matter of waiting for IDPH to come out to award the reoccupancy of it," Mr. Wy said. He added that census management has been difficult and that the county has seen a recent uptick in agency utilization driven entirely by nurse vacancies, especially registered nurses.

Wy said the starting wage range in the county's payroll structure is challenging relative to the market and asked the committee for help with recruitment. Committee members asked whether the county has working relationships with local nursing programs; Wy said the facility hosts clinical rotations for multiple CNA and nursing programs and that physician residencies have used the site for geriatric clinicals. Members also asked whether the IDPH approval process could be expedited; Wy said he would reach out to his contacts to encourage a timely inspection.

The discussion emphasized staffing as the main barrier to fully filling the facility even after construction completion; the committee did not take a formal vote on reopening timing but approved a separate item authorizing nursing homes to offer above‑starting salaries to address recruitment.