Hillcrest Nursing Home

McCOOK, Neb. – If the tempting culinary delights and captivating entertainment fail to pique your interest, The Hillcrest Foundation has introduced two auction items to enhance the appeal of their Night on the Hill event. Night on the Hill is scheduled for this upcoming Saturday at McCook Memorial Auditorium...

McCOOK, Neb. – Anyone going a bit stir-crazy from being cooped up at home should consider gathering their friends and enjoying a night of laughter, music, and food at The Hillcrest Foundation’s “Night on the Hill” fundraiser which will take place Saturday, February 10...

McCOOK, Neb. – Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Hillcrest Nursing Home is planning an open house on Friday, Oct. 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Hillcrest, 309 West 7th Street. Hillcrest Nursing Home opened in June 1963 with 23 private and semi-private rooms. Over the years, through the generous support of donors and leadership of administrators and trustees, Hillcrest has undergone several renovations and additions...

McCOOK, Neb. – “This is a neighbor helping a neighbor,” according to Ron Ross, President of Rural Health Development which is the organization that provides management services for both Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook and Wauneta Care Center in Wauneta, Neb...

McCOOK, Neb. – Planning a fun Valentine outing with your significant other just became a bit easier for residents of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas. The Hillcrest Foundation is once again hosting a “Night on the Hill” fundraiser which will take place Saturday, Feb. 12...

McCOOK, Neb. – Hillcrest’s Little Folks Childcare will be closing effective Feb. 28, 2022. The announcement was made to parents in a meeting Wednesday and in a letter signed by Hillcrest Administrator James Foster. “We are heartbroken over this very difficult decision, but we simply cannot staff the childcare adequately now and in future months to come.”...

You have noticed the incessant television advertising urging all to check in and get all the Medicare benefits possible. Now understand that as a retired veteran Grannie and I receive generous medical benefits due to my previous military service. For us it starts with Medicare but continues with a supplement, paid for with your tax dollars, that covers prescriptions. I too received a flier noting that vision and dental could also be included in our plan...

McCOOK, Neb. —The Hillcrest Board of Trustees approved about $66,000 to upgrade the facility’s HVAC system, at the regular meeting Wednesday morning. Out of the six bids submitted by Parde Electric Heating and Cooling LLC, the board decided to prioritize three. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Thanks to federal stimulus funding, Hillcrest Nursing Home is weathering the COVID-19 pandemic despite a drop in census. The nursing home received $1.3 million in federal CARES stimulus funding and in PPE (personal protective equipment) forgivable loans, said Randy Dean, Hillcrest Board of Trustee. Of that, $77,000 has been spent on PPE, such as testing kits, masks and gowns, he told the Gazette...

McCOOK, Neb. — Virtual reality games are not just for kids anymore. Since the beginning of October, Hillcrest Nursing Home residents are using new, simulated reality machines to help with speech, occupational and physical therapy. With the assistance and supervision of therapists from Southwest Nebraska Physical Therapy and Community Hospital, residents are using the leased equipment in a variety of ways to regain strength, mobility, endurance and memory...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Hillcrest Board of Trustees discussed shortfalls in July revenue Wednesday morning. The lack of new residents and additional expenses due to COVID-19 has taken a toll on the facility. The July budget for Hillcrest was projected to be $14,000 in the black but instead, was down by $82,000 for the month, said board president, Randy Dean. The drop was due to the facility’s decreased population and COVID-19-related expenses, he said...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home is slowly moving toward opening up, after being closed to visitors since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interim Hillcrest administrator, Shane Filipi, told the Board of Trustees Wednesday morning that a plan of action concerning re-opening to residents and visitors has been sent to the state board of health. Barring any outbreaks in the community and surrounding areas, he’s hopeful the facility can open by the end of July...

McCOOK, Neb. —The Hillcrest Board of Trustees has announced it will make a change in administrators at Hillcrest Nursing Home. The board, in consultation with Rural Health Development (RHD),announced Monday that Shane Filip, RHD’s Western Regional manager, will be the interim director in place of the current administrator, Brad Cheek. In a press release, the board and RHD “felt like it was time for someone else to help get Hillcrest to the next level.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — Requirements have been relaxed to become a certified nurses assistant, due to the COIVD-19 pandemic. During these unprecedented times, federal regulators have implemented new requirements, in conjunction with Gov. Pete Ricketts, related to becoming a CNA. Companies like Hillcrest can now train CNAs, said Brad Cheek, Hillcrest administrator...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home is restricting visitors to only those who absolutely need to be in the home, according to a release Thursday. “Any visitors/community members/vendors MUST enter and sign in at the front desk or nurses’ station. ...

lorri sughroue Associate Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home is in much better shape than it was five years ago, an auditor told the Hillcrest Board of Trustees Wednesday morning. Its net position stands at $84,134 for 2019, with revenue up for the year...

McCOOK, Neb. — The dwindling numbers of Medicare residents is concerning to the administrator at Hillcrest Nursing Home. If numbers continue to decrease, it may necessitate a reduction in staff, said Hillcrest administrator Brad Cheek at the Hillcrest Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday morning. However, if Medicare numbers then start to increase, staff members may not be able to be recruited back, he added...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home will garner $105,000 in revenue over expenses for the fiscal year. While not an astounding number, it’s still better than losing money, said Hillcrest Board of Trustee president Randy Dean at the board meeting Wednesday morning...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees took note of the facility holding down costs and making a profit last month. Hillcrest is in the black for year-to-date costs and is on track for a positive number at the end of the year, cited board trustee present, Randy Dean, at the regular trustee meeting Wednesday morning...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The state has set Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes that will result in an average 6.1% increase, and while grateful to lawmakers for the added funding, the firm that manages Hillcrest Nursing Home still has concerns. Rural Health Development said it was disappointed a negative inflation factor was still being applied and feared funding may continue to be channeled into other Medicaid uses...

McCOOK, Neb. —Retired McCook dentist Bill Graves presented a preliminary "plan of action" to Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning regarding the inadequate reimbursement of Medicaid costs to nursing homes. Graves, a member of the Hillcrest Foundation, wants to address the situation through an "action committee" of himself; a county representative; Jared Muehlenkamp, McCook City Council member; Andy Long, McCook Economic Development Corp.; and bankers Mark Graff and Van Korell...

McCOOK, Neb. — On Wednesday, while in executive session, Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees authorized Hillcrest administrator Brad Cheek to sign an agreement with a recruiting firm to hire an international nurse. The board has been discussing hiring international nurses since last year, as a way to offset the steep costs of agency pool nursing and the nationwide shortage of registered nurses...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees took the next step Wednesday morning in hiring international nurses. The board voted unanimously at its regular meeting to start the process with an agency that provides international registered nurses, by completing a filing fee. The cost of the fee was not presented at the meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest "A Caring Center,” along with the Board of Directors, Rural Health Development President Ron Ross and RHD Nursing Consultant Sue Booe has announced that Tammi Simpson, the assistant director of nursing, has been promoted to the Director of Nursing and Joe Benson has been promoted to the Assistant Director of Nursing...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted unanimously to start the process of hiring international nurses for the facility. It’s an idea the board has been discussing for almost a year now, due to the state-wide scarcity of registered and licensed practical nurses, as well as for certified nursing assistants...

McCOOK, Neb. — More than $7,000 was raised at the Hillcrest Nursing Home Foundation’s “Night on the Hill” on Oct. 27, all of which will be used locally. The annual fundraising event netted $7,656, organizers said. The proceeds will fund scholarships for Hillcrest employees who want to further their nursing education and necessary needs for Hillcrest residents. The Foundation recently funded roof repairs at Hillcrest...

McCOOK, Neb. — Even employees at Hillcrest Nursing Home are investing into the future of the facility. An additional 20 employees have recently signed up to designate a portion of their paychecks to go toward Hillcrest Foundation, with employees earmarking their contributions for a chapel, scholarships, or “other,” said Don Harpst, former Hillcrest administrator and long-time volunteer...

McCOOK, Neb. — The nursing home industry in Nebraska is facing a “perfect storm” if state senators don’t take action, said the president of a healthcare management company. Speaking to members of the Hillcrest Board of Trustees Tuesday morning at their regular meeting, Ron Ross of RHD, the healthcare management company at Hillcrest, said it’s not just a rural issue but also urban, with the state Appropriations Committee reducing Medicaid reimbursements to nursing homes by 7.5 percent. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Citing increasing costs for food, shipping and maintenance, the Hillcrest Board of Trustees Tuesday morning unanimously approved a three percent hike in room rates The increase will take effect in 60 days, in February, said Ron Ross, Rural Health Development (RHD) president and the healthcare management team hired at Hillcrest...

McCOOK, Neb. — Two long-term volunteers at Hillcrest have notified board members of their imminent departure. Jim Howard, a member of the Hillcrest Board of Trustees for 17 1/2 years and Don Harpst, former Hillcrest administrator and after that, de facto landscaper for the facility, both announced via a letter their intent to step down from their roles, at the Hillcrest board meeting Friday...

McCOOK, Neb. — There was good news and bad news at the Hillcrest Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday morning. The good news: Hillcrest Nursing Home recorded a profit for May, the fourth straight month in a row. The bad news: room rates will probably increase due to a more-than-anticipated 7.1 percent reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates. The decreased rates begin July 1. Last year, Medicaid reimbursement rates were decreased 2.65 percent...

McCOOK, Neb. – Pine View is the new name for the special care unit at Hillcrest. The unit is a special area for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It was chosen by a committee at Hillcrest from dozens of names dropped in a nomination box. Seven names were chosen at final contenders and from that, residents and staff voted on their favorite name...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Hillcrest Foundation will provide $10,000 for a new whirlpool at Hillcrest Nursing Home. The former whirlpool was shut down several years ago due to leaking and couldn’t be repaired, said Brad Cheek, Hillcrest administrator, at the regular board of trustees meeting Tuesday morning...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home turned a profit last month to the tune of about $45,000. That’s good news for the facility, compared to 2012 when the county-owned nursing home had to ask the Red Willow County Commissioners for money to pay expenses. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The majority of roofing repairs at Hillcrest Nursing Home are completed. The repairs consisted of replacing the membrane on a portion of the facility’s roof. Contractors will return to finish up a small area, according to Brad Cheek, Hillcrest administrator. There are no major leaks in this area, he clarified, as the remainder of the work is preventative maintenance...

McCOOK, Neb. - A roofing project at Hillcrest Nursing Home will be funded through the Hillcrest Foundation. The roofing membrane on the northwest side of the building has seen better days, been patched several times already and needs to be replaced, said Hillcrest Board of Trustees president, Randy Dean. He told the board at its regular meeting Tuesday morning that the Hillcrest Foundation has offered to pay for repairs...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home is accepting additional bids to be the prescription provider for the facility. At Tuesday’s Board of Trustee meeting, the board voted to authorize interim administrator Janet Lytton to review a contract that is anticipated to be submitted by U-Save Pharmacy...

McCOOK, Neb. — Room rates will go up at Hillcrest Nursing Home, beginning Nov. 1. Hillcrest Board of Trustees unanimously approved the increase at its regular meeting Tuesday. The increase will include the cost of supplies previously charged separately, said Janet Lytton, interim administrator, and affect those in special care units, private rooms or suites, she said...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted Tuesday morning to hire the healthcare management firm, Rural Health Development Inc., of Lincoln, Neb., for $14,500 per month. The contract is open-ended with a 60-day out clause, beginning Aug. 1, to be reviewed in one year. Another health management firm also submitted a proposal, Klaasmeyer and Associates of Omaha, Neb...

McCOOK, Neb. — After the recent resignation of Hillcrest Nursing Homes’s administrator, the Board of Trustees began moving forward Wednesday on hiring a new one and checking up on financial concerns. And with cheers and applause, the board also decided to make the final payment sooner rather than later on the remaining balance of the $1 million Red Willow County borrowed for the facility in 2012...

McCOOK, Neb. — The search will begin for a new administrator at Hillcrest Nursing Home, with the resignation Tuesday of Colinda Nappa. During a closed session at the regular Hillcrest Board of Trustees meeting, Nappa, current administrator, tendered her resignation effective by the end of the day, said Randy Dean, board president. Dean made the announcement after the board reconvened as an open meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home will make the last payment in September on the $1 million loan it utilized to pay expenses in 2012. The $220,000 payment will be in September, said Renee Wright, business manager at Hillcrest, at the regular Hillcrest Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home trustees accepted the resignation of administrator Colinda Nappa, effective immediately, during a closed session this morning at the nursing home. Former administrator Don Harpst, 83, was appointed as interim administrator. A special meeting will be next week...

McCOOK, Neb. — A health care management specialist told Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning that the county-owned Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook “has lots of potential,” and that operating and financial problems “can be corrected.” Ken Klaasmeyer and his wife, Linda, of Klaasmeyer & Associates of Omaha, presented their assessment of Hillcrest, after being hired to do so by commissioners in May. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest, the county-owned nursing home in McCook, is a 1-2 star facility. A surveyor hired to look into the operations and financial struggles of Hillcrest told Red Willow County commissioners this morning that nursing homes want to be 5-star facilities...

McCOOK, Neb — The Veteran’s Administration contract is still in place at Hillcrest Nursing Home.
The VA contract with Hillcrest is for five years, with Hillcrest in year three. Based on inaccurate information, board president Randy Dean said, the Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted last month to discontinue the VA contract...

McCOOK, Neb. — At their weekly meeting Monday morning, Red Willow County commissioners hired an Omaha health care management and consulting firm to study operations at the county-owned Hillcrest Nursing Home. Hillcrest has struggled financially for about five to six years, to a point where, in mid-2012, commissioners borrowed $1.1 million from McCook National Bank to pay construction and bond payments. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest Nursing Home will no longer be a contracted Veteran’s Administration facility. The Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted Tuesday at its regular meeting not to renew the contract with the VA, citing increased wage requirements mandated in the contract that reimbursement payments would not fully cover...

McCOOK, Neb. — A new committee was created by the Hillcrest Board of Trustees in an effort to check more closely into financial matters. Suggested Tuesday at the regular board meeting by board member Randy Dean, the committee will delve into financial aspects of the nursing home, specifically the reason behind the hold-up of the annual audit. Mike Skolout and Mike Eklund will comprise the committee...

McCOOK, Neb. -- In an effort to drum up revenue, Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees voted unanimously on two measures Tuesday morning. At the regular board meeting, trustees voted unanimously to allow Hillcrest Nursing Home to make a bid to the county on providing meals to the Red Willow County Correctional Center. ...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. -- Randy Dean likened it to a football coach yanking his two most experienced players during a championship game and putting in a couple rookies, when Red Willow County commissioners considered Monday morning removing him and Jim Howard from their positions on the Hillcrest Nursing Home board of trustees...

McCOOK, Neb. -- After nearly 1 1/2 hours in open and closed sessions this morning, the Red Willow County board of commissioners declined to make any changes to the membership of the board of trustees of the county-owned Hillcrest Nursing Home. The agenda of the commissioners' weekly meeting included an item to consider the removal of trustees, identified during open discussion as Randy Dean and Jim Howard...

McCOOK, Neb. -- At some point back in the late 1970s, someone miscounted and members of the board of trustees at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook started serving four-year terms instead of six-year terms. Red Willow County commission chairman Earl McNutt said this morning that county attorney Paul Wood has discovered the discrepancy and the two trustees whose terms were thought to have expired Dec. 31, 2016, Randy Dean and Jim Howard, are actually trustees through Dec. 31, 2018...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Red Willow County commission chairman Earl McNutt said this morning he thinks that the rejection of the Hillcrest Nursing Home ballot question is more a vote against more taxes than against the home. The 1,296-1,136 failure of the request to raise $254,480 for roof repairs at the county-owned nursing home surprised McNutt, but it also didn't, he said. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Voters have rejected a ballot question to allow Red Willow County Commissioners to raise additional tax funds to aid Hillcrest Nursing Home. Through a mail-in ballot counted today, voters turned down the plan 1,296-1,136. Hillcrest officials said they would have used the $254,480 raised to repair the roof. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- If a Sept. 27 special election is successful, Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook will use the $254,480 raised to repair a roof plagued by roaming leaks and migrating drips, officials said. "When it's not raining, we don't have a problem with the roof," nursing home administrator Colinda Nappa told a crowd of about 40 at the senior center Monday afternoon...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Hillcrest Nursing Home will host a Town Hall meeting Thursday night, Sept. 8, to discuss the reasons for the nursing home's request for an increase in budgeted funds. Colinda Nappa, the executive director of Hillcrest, said the purpose of the Town Hall session will be to explain to voters why additional funding is needed for the nursing home's upcoming fiscal year. "One of the major reasons is the need for a new roof," she said...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Red Willow County commissioners worked with the county attorney and the county's budget clerk Monday morning to figure out how to ask voters to help Hillcrest Nursing Home with its budget problems. Commissioners decided to ask voters to allow the county to increase its restricted funds (its "spending limit") of $4.2 million by 6 percent, thereby raising about $254,000 in taxes a year that commissioners could earmark for Hillcrest...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Outstanding bills due Hillcrest Nursing Home are being whittled down. About 10 percent, or $40,000 of the approximate $400,000 due the facility from private-pay patients, has been recovered, said Hillcrest administrator Colinda Nappa. At the Hillcrest Board of Trustee meeting Tuesday, Nappa said the funds were collected, thanks in part to the attorney Hillcrest has hired, and that Medicare has paid on some old claims...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Hillcrest Nursing Home will get another pair of eyes assessing its operations. The Hillcrest Board of Trustees, at its regular meeting Tuesday, overwhelming supported the idea of Community Hospital lending its expertise to Hillcrest in certain areas, beginning with billing and finance...

McCOOK, Neb. -- How and why residents fall was discussed by the Hillcrest Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday. Falls, moderate/severe pain, incontinence and 14 other measures from June-November 2015 at Hillcrest were compared percentage-wise with the state and national level, on the "CASPER Quality Measure Monthly Comparison Report." The report includes short and long stays of residents...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Helping the image of Hillcrest Nursing Home was discussed by Hillcrest Board of Trustees Tuesday. At their regular meeting, the board addressed recent talk about the facility and dismissed rumors that it would close. Administrator Colina Nappa told the board that a North Platte television station recently interviewed Hillcrest staff and residents about the possibility of it closing...

McCOOK, Neb. -- With one voting against it, the Hillcrest Board of Trustees reluctantly approved an additional payment to a software company for the training and set up of electronic records. Board member Mike Eklund cast the lone dissenting vote against the payment to Carevoyant, saying he was happy to be "the fly in the ointment."...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Sometimes an idea is right there in front of you or - more precisely - right there on your wrist. Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook has developed a new enhanced Alzheimer's care program which involves the use of a Fitbit, the fitness bracelet that can track activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Ongoing financial problems at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook have county officials considering asking voters for funds to help operate the 52-year-old county-owned nursing home. The nursing home has improved its financial standing over the past several years, but circumstances beyond its control are making it difficult to stay above water and gain some breathing room at the same time...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Hillcrest Nursing Home plans a job fair from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. Officials will be doing on-site interviews that day, and a human resources representative will be available to discuss benefits. The Hillcrest Nursing Home Foundation also will be on hand to discuss scholarships to further your medical career...

McCOOK, Neb. -- About a half million dollars of payments due to Hillcrest Nursing Home have been turned over to an attorney for collection. Hillcrest administrator Colina Nappa told the Hillcrest Board of Trustees Tuesday morning that an agreement has been signed with Nate Mustion, who also serves as the McCook City attorney, at $150 per hour, for help in collecting the outstanding payments. A total of $507,386.84 is currently due the facility...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A convicted felon arrested while hunting geese south of McCook in December was sentenced to probation on a felony weapons charge last week in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 32-year-old Tyler Craig Graham of 38503 Road 714, was sentenced to 12 months probation on a Class IV felony for attempted possession of a deadly weapon by a felon. ...

After an unusually mild and wet spring -- McCook is .9 of an inch ahead of normal precip -- we've moved right into summer-type weather, hitting 96 degrees about 7 p.m. Tuesday. There are alternatives to sweating through the summer or eating peanut butter sandwiches to be able afford paying your electric bill, according to the Nebraska Public Power District...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Citing nearly a half million in past-due balances, along with rising vendor costs and payments due to Medicare, Hillcrest Nursing Home will raise room costs in July. The Hillcrest Board of Trustees unanimously voted recently to increase room rates by $12 per day at the beginning of the fiscal year that starts in July, with the potential of another $12 increase in six months. Hillcrest is owned by the county but operates on its own revenue...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook has been notified that it has satisfied its probation requirements and is no longer on probation. The facility's license was placed on probation by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Sept. 23, after the state found violations following an investigation done on Sept. 15...

McCOOK, Neb. --Hillcrest Board of Trustees reluctantly approved writing off nearly a quarter of a million dollars in outstanding debt the facility is unable to collect. A total of $227,000 from insurance companies and Medicare are due Hillcrest, but because of the lack of consistent follow-up the past few years, it was not collected, said Renee Wright, Hillcrest business manager, at the regular Board of Trustee meeting Monday morning. The billing snafu occurred before Wright was hired...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The American Health Care Association has announced that Hillcrest Nursing Home has earned the tier one recognition as part of the AHCA Quality Initiative Recognition Program for achieving the Quality Initiative goal of "Safely reducing hospital readmission."...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Of the $3.4 million Hillcrest Nursing Home spends on nursing services, $600,000 of that is spent on pool, or contracted out, agency nurses. That number is too high, according to an accountant who presented the year-end 2013-14 audit for the facility at the regular Hillcrest Board of Trustee meeting Oct. 28...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Hillcrest Nursing Home has been placed on probation by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, after the state found violations following an investigation done on Sept. 15. The violations cited included: the facility's failure to provide ongoing and follow-up assessments and to seek medical attention for a patient with ongoing pain symptoms and bruising; and to immediately notify required agencies of a resident with a fracture of unknown origin...

Cody Jeffers said that as soon as he struck the golf ball with his club off Heritage Hills Golf Course's 16th tee Saturday, he thought he had a chance at a hole-in-one.

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees approved rate increases for assisted living and for non-employees using the on-site childcare center. Citing the fact that there hasn't been a rate increase in assisted living for at least two years, plus rising costs of staffing and vendors, the board approved increasing the per-day amount for private pay patients from $89 to $94 at the regular board meeting Tuesday morning. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A new director of nursing has been hired at Hillcrest Nursing Home. The Hillcrest Board of Trustees met Rebecca "Becky" Tate, of Decatur County, at its regular board meeting Tuesday. Tate has been hired as the director of nursing and started Tuesday, said Colinda Nappa, Hillcrest administrator. Tate recently was the director of nursing in Hoxie, Kansas...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted to change the number of hours that define a full-time employee, in response to the Affordable Care Act. The board changed the definition of full-time employees from 38 hours per week to 30 at its regular meeting Tuesday, to match the guidelines set forth in the Affordable Care Act, said Hillcrest administrator, Colinda Nappa...

Colinda Nappa, the administrator of Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, Nebraska, plants a smooch on the snoot of a piglet, borrowed from Jerry Kircher, fulfilling a promise she made to staff and residents. Nappa promised to kiss a pig if when the home reached a capacity 100 residents and 10 residents in the assisted living unit. "I'm kissing a pig at 11 a.m., and eating a BLT for lunch," Colinda laughed...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- After mulling over how the Affordable Care Act will affect insurance costs to the facility, Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees unanimously voted Jan. 28 to shop around for additonal coverage options. Board vice president Randy Dean outlined potential dilemmas in the mandates under the Affordable Care Act that could affect Hillcrest, including the definition of full time employees as those who work 30 hours and above.This differs from Hillcrest's classification of full time employees, at 38 hours a week.. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- As of Tuesday, Hillcrest Nursing Home is at total capacity with 100 residents and between 10 to 12 on a waiting list. The county-owned nursing home seems to have turned a corner from the precarious financial situation it found itself in in July 2012, when it received a $1 million loan from Red Willow County to cover expenses...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- As of Tuesday, Hillcrest Nursing Home is at total capacity with 100 residents and between 10 to 12 on a waiting list. The county-owned nursing home seems to have turned a corner from the precarious financial situation it found itself in in July 2012, when it received a $1 million loan from Red Willow County to cover expenses...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Board of Trustees voted unanimously to raise rates at Hillcrest Nursing home, citing the need to raise revenue and with current rates lower than other facilities. The $6 rate increase on rooms will begin Jan. 1 and include the elimination of charging for wheelchairs and the inclusion of charging for incontinence supplies. Personal care items such as combs, toothbrushes and other non-nursing supplies will be supplied by the facility...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees were told to keep an eye on cash flow and operations for the upcoming year, citing more than $3 million in long-term debt. Doug Kucera, CPA, of Schroeder and Schreiner PC accounting firm in Grand Island, told the board Tuesday at its regular meeting that "receivables are in bad shape" and that it's critical that it is monitored monthly...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Since being approved as a contracted nursing home by the Veteran's Administration, Hillcrest Nursing Home is already fielding calls about it from families. But vets must go through their local VA representative before they can come to Hillcrest, said Hillcrest Administrator Colinda Nappa on Tuesday...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home Foundation celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Hillcrest Nursing Home at the recent annual "Night On The Hill" event. Guests were entertained by Nashville recording artist, Cindy Boehler of Alma, Nebraska, who was sponsored by State Farm Insurance, Linda Maiden Agency. Abby Soncksen, daughter of Mike and Lynn Soncksen and a ninth grade student at Hayes Center Public Schools, opened the evening playing background music on the piano...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- As of Monday, Oct. 21, Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, Nebraska, is a contracted nursing facility for the U.S. Veterans Administration. This certification has been more than a year in coming, according to Hillcrest administrator Colinda Nappa...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home Foundation's 11th Annual "Night On The Hill" fundraising event is set Sunday at the nursing home, 309 West 7th Street. Funds raised through this special event will be used for "Hillcrest Homegrown" Scholarships to assist individuals with their careers at Hillcrest. The most recent scholarship recipient, Rebecca Holst, will be the featured speaker for the program which will begin at 7:30 p.m...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Providing psychiatric care for geriatric patients can be difficult to do in rural areas, when the nearest psychiatrist can be more than 100 miles away. That's where the Internet and webcams can make a huge difference. Hillcrest Nursing Home administrator Colina Nappa told the Board of Trustees at the regular meeting Tuesday morning of the opportunity of using telepsychiatry at the facility, where psychiatrists can communication and assess patients through video conferencing.. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home will end August with a positive cash flow. According to the financial records released at the regular Board of Trustee meeting Tuesday, total cash on hand is $578,704.92. The majority of that, $442,499.15, is in the sinking fund and used for annual payments back to Red Willow County on the $1 million loan Hillcrest borrowed in 2012. The first payment of $222,000 is due in September...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The annual state survey of Hillcrest Nursing Home turned up a total of 15 "no harm involved" deficiencies, according to a Hillcrest administrator. Colinda Nappa, Hillcrest administrator, told the Board of Trustees Tuesday morning at the regular meeting that almost all of the citations concerned paperwork, such as missing documentation and wrong wording. All of the citations were defined as "no actual harm" involved...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home is waiting to hear on the status of a grant that was submitted that will help pay for a bus for residents. The bus, estimated at $55,000, will transport more residents than the van currently used and also allow the facility to transport obese residents. The new bus will be able to transport 5 to 7 ambulatory patients and two wheelchairs...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Hillcrest Nursing Home 2014 preliminary budget proposes no room rate increases for next year, but instead will institute a fee for items that have been supplied free of charge. Colina Nappa, Hillcrest Administrator, presented the preliminary budget to the Hillcrest Board of Trustees Tuesday and explained that no room rate increases were included. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- It's now just a waiting game to see if Hillcrest Nursing Home is approved by the Veteran's Administration to provide services. The Hillcrest Board of Trustees heard an update about the VA contract from Hillcrest Administrator Colinda Nappa Tuesday morning at the regular meeting. Nappa told them that all the paperwork has been submitted and she is waiting for notification...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home is moving forward in obtaining funds to purchase a bus. Hillcrest was approved by the locally-funded REWARDS grant committee, Colinda Nappa, Hillcrest administrator, told the board at the regular Board of Trustee meeting Tuesday. A grant writer from the committee will be writing an application for a grant from the Department of Education, to purchase a bus estimated to cost about$55,000...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home appears to be in better financial shape than a year ago. To help with cash flow problems, in July 2012, Red Willow County Commissioners authorized a $1 million bank loan to Hillcrest, from McCook National Bank for five years at an interest rate of 3.55 percent. The nursing home will make annual payments to pay back the loan. The nursing home is owned by the county but is operated on its own revenue...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Hillcrest Board of Trustees will discuss the new software that will be used for electronic charting, at the regular meeting Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. at the lower conference room at Hillcrest. Hillcrest administrator Colinda Nappa will also display one of the new computers that staff will use at the facility for electronic charting. A total of 14 computers will be purchased...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Officials from Hillcrest Nursing Home will begin the process of securing a grant to buy a bus. The bus would help transport larger residents, with the van lift currently used not very suitable, said Colinda Nappa, Hillcrest Administrator, at the Board of Trustee meeting Tuesday...