Valley View reports staffing shortages and mixed payer census; new rehab unit opens

Valley View Center finance and operations staff presented updated December 2025 and January 2026 financials and census figures to the Health and Mental Health Committee on Feb. 18. Donna Strecker, Valley View director of finance, reported IGT funding and other revenue totals and outlined personal services and benefits spending.

"For January 2026, Other revenues were at $2.763 million...their census for January was 61.51% based on 360 beds and 82.01% based on 270 beds," Strecker said, while Commissioner Laurence LaDue added payer-mix data: Medicaid utilization 76.35%, Medicare 13.04%, private pay 7.75%. LaDue told the committee the facility's primary staffing gap is LPN positions and said he would provide vacancy counts at a later date. The discussion also noted that a second rehab unit opened Feb. 2, 2026, offering private rooms and a maximum rehab capacity of 36 patients, and that a Feb. 4 nursing job fair led to several hires and per-diem appointments.

Nut graf: Committee members pressed on recruitment and transportation barriers for staff traveling to Valley View in Goshen; legislators and staff discussed outreach to high schools and other training partners to boost the pipeline.