BEDFORD, Va. — Local officials are citing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers among reasons for selling a county-owned nursing home in southwestern Virginia.
The Bedford County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a special meeting to consider selling the nursing home.
The nursing home was established as the County Poor Farm in 1831.
The News & Advance reports that county officials are considering selling the facility to Roanoke-based American HealthCare LLC.
County officials released a statement saying that with an increasing regulatory environment surrounding nursing homes, industry experts who specialize in healthcare compliance, rather than local government officials with no such expertise, are in a better position to make decisions.
The statement also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic further prompted local officials to explore their options, and that the vaccine mandate for healthcare employees is “contrary to the positions of all board members” and has complicated uniformity in how county employees are treated.
