Westmoreland Manor sweetens offer for nurses to fill staff vacancies
Westmoreland County will give out signing bonuses to new nurses hired at the government-owned nursing home in Hempfield as part of an incentive program to overcome staff shortages.
County commissioners this week approved a series of new policies that include increasing base pay for nursing supervisors and the waiver of the county's residency requirement, all expected to produce a spike in hiring at Westmoreland Manor, which officials said needs to fill 24 positions.
“We've had some people retire, and recently our applicants are not up to the quality we are looking for to take care of our residents at Westmoreland Manor,” said facility director John Austin.
The Manor has 393 residents, with space for up to 408. The nursing home has 33 registered nurses, 45 licensed practical nurses and 153 nurse aides on staff, Austin said. It needs an additional six registered nurses, three LPNs and 15 nurse aides.
To entice job applicants, commissioners approved an incentive program in which newly hired registered nurses and LPNs will receive $5,000 signing bonuses, paid out in multiple installments after two years of work. Newly hired nurse aides will receive a $1,000 signing bonus.
County employees can receive a $500 bonus for referring new nurses and aides hired at the Manor.
“We have to compete with other homes in Westmoreland County,” said Commissioner Gina Cerilli.
County employees are required to live in the county, but commissioners said that standard will be waived for nurse applicants to help the Manor attract more job candidates.
The incentives are designed to put the Manor on an equal footing for job applicants with private nursing homes, Commissioner Charles Anderson said.
“We have a nursing shortage, and the same places are bringing in people. We have to be competitive to fill those slots,” he said.
The Manor has been a focus for commissioners over the past three years after a critical 2015 state inspection resulted in citations and fines levied against the facility for issues involving patient care and structural deficiencies.
Many operational issues identified in the inspection have been corrected, including major repairs that are still ongoing, including upgrades to elevators in the facility, commissioners said.
Meanwhile, financial issues and annual losses that cost county taxpayers nearly $2 million and prompted commissioners to consider selling the Manor years ago have been reversed.
The Manor last year turned a $1 million profit, Austin said, due in large part to housing more residents. Those profits are being used to pay for the signing bonuses and raises.
“We owe it to the residents to provide the best care we can. We are hopeful this will help,” Commissioner Ted Kopas said.
The nurse shortage locally and nationally has resulted in more competition for employees with private nursing homes and hospitals, Austin said.
“It ebbs and flows, but we have to have a full complement of staff,” Austin said. “We need to make sure we can be as desirable as the private sector is.”
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer.
