ROCK ISLAND, Illinois-- The Hope Creek Care Center Advisory Board will stop meeting after the Rock Island County Board Chairman suspended the group Tuesday, February 5.
The suspension comes after two advisory board members resigned, including the president.
"With our current situation and the recent resignation of a number of the advisory board members, at this point, it was the best option for the home to suspend operation of the advisory board," Rock Island County Board Chairman Richard Brunk told News 8.
Hope Creek remains more than $4 million in debt from daily operations and expenses, as well as $12 million in debt for bonds used to build the facility, according to Brunk.
Brunk said, "all nursing home and related staff and financial reports will be presented to the Governance, Health, and Administration Committee."
Brunk says a proposal will be made at the next county board meeting to dissolve the advisory board.
In the past, critics have said the advisory board doesn't have enough authority and isn't efficient.
At its last meeting, the county board approved an assessment of the care center's finances and operations by an outside company. Brunk says that's how the county moves forward.
"I would want to ensure them that the long term stability of hope creek care center for its residents is the county board's top priority," he says. "At this point, moving forward involves the assessment moving forward, the county board making decisions regarding the home's future based on the data that that assessment brings us, some solid, unquestionable, undeniable information. And quite frankly, I think the residents of the home deserve that, our taxpayers deserve that."
The county board meets next on February 20.
