WEST WARWICK — On Tuesday night the R.I. Department of Health’s Health Services Council approved the sale of West View Nursing & Rehabilitation Center (West View Nursing Home Inc.) to 239 Legris Avenue Operations LLC of Delaware, which shares an owner with Eden Healthcare LLC, clearing the way for the $10.5 million sale to take place and establishing a succession plan for the family-owned nursing care center.
The sale of the Rhode Island-owned 120-bed licensed nursing facility at 239 Legris Ave. was expected to close Wednesday afternoon and is effective Feb. 1, said Jennifer Campbell, assistant director at the skilled nursing facility. Campbell said the sale of the facility, family owned since its founding in 1978, solves the owners’ pressing dilemma in the lack of a succession plan for the business.
Campbell said the sale marks 239 Legris Avenue Operation’s first location in New England. She said Westview’s owners put out feelers to see if there was interest in purchasing the business, and the owners of 239 Legris Avenue Operations were willing to talk.
The facility provides nursing care and social services. It also provides specialty programs including rehabilitation therapy programs (physical, occupational and speech language), health management (nutrition, diabetes care, wound care), recreational therapy and support services. The facility plans to continue to provide the health care services and programs currently offered at the facility, according to the application for a change in effective control with the Health Services Council.
Campbell said staffing at the facility won’t significantly change. “There’s no cuts in staffing in terms of direct care to our residents,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the security of their current staffers, some of whom have been working at West View since it opened its doors in 1978, should provide reassurance to anyone worried about the change in ownership. She said the name also will remain unchanged.
Campbell said the logo may eventually change, and some changes in how it purchases supplies are likely, but, given the uncertain nature of the health care industry and insurance reimbursement rates, those changes might have happened even without a shift in ownership.
West View Nursing Home Inc., d/b/a West View Health Care Center, is a Rhode Island corporation owned by Thomas Guerra, according to R.I. Secretary of State records.
The real estate of the facility is currently owned by QCA LLC. The current operator and landlord share a common ownership interest.
The application for change of control was submitted by 239 Legris Avenue Operations. According to the council’s review of the proposal, 239 Legris Avenue Operations LLC is a Delaware limited liability company, a newly formed entity wholly-owned by Westview HoldCo LLC (“HoldCo”). HoldCo is owned by two separate LLCs: RI Skilled Care Center LLC and RI Skilled Investors LLC. HoldCo’s majority ultimate individual owners are Louis “Josh” Gellis, Daniel Wolfson and Daniel Safier.
Gellis, according to the council review, has experience with operating long-term care facilities with two facilities in New York and one facility in Delaware. 239 Legris Avenue Operations will have a consulting agreement with Eden Healthcare LLC (solely owned by Louis Gellis and based in the Worcester, Mass., area) to provide guidance to the facility in the areas of clinical services, operational oversight and to handle certain financial functions on its behalf.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer.
