New board of directors appointed to oversee River Bluff nursing facility

February 24, 2023|By Kevin Haas|In Local, Rockford, Trending
River Bluff is located at 4401 N. Main St. in Rockford. The 140,000-square-foot building was built on 22 acres in 1967, but its history dates back to the 1850s. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Winnebago County Board has appointed the first members of a new board of directors designed to give more oversight to River Bluff Health & Rehabilitation.

Board members voted to form the new panel in late October in order to provide oversight of business operations and create a strategic plan for the long-term success of the county-owned nursing facility. That decision came in response to an operational budget deficit that had members weighing a possible tax raise. The first nine members, who will serve until March 2027, were appointed Thursday by a unanimous vote of the board.

“Above all else the goal is to ensure that River Bluff becomes self-sustaining and does not need to rely on our general fund budget,” County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli said in a news release. “We hired Baker Tilly to conduct a financial audit of River Bluff, which will provide valuable information to the board of directors on what practices are taking place and also identify areas of improvement.”

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The new board consists of eight community members and one County Board member. They’re appointed by Chiarelli with the approval of the majority of the County Board.

There is no compensation for the members of the new board. Each holds a four-year term and cannot serve for more than three consecutive terms.

The board is intended to be filled with members who have expertise in a variety of roles ranging from health care to finance, human resources, legal service and marketing.

“It was important for us to assemble a diverse board of directors including a lawyer, an accountant, a nurse, a firefighter; qualified candidates who could bring new perspectives,” said County Board Member John Butitta, who will serve as the County Board liaison for the new board. “It has been a long year and a half journey to get to this point, but we are far from the finish line. We are just getting started and there is much work to be done.”

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The previous River Bluff Nursing Home Advisory Board conducted its final meeting earlier this month and will disband.

River Bluff board of directors

  • Trent Brass, Rockford Fire Department
  • John Butitta, County Board liaison
  • Jay Ferraro, former union staff representative
  • Teresa Gobeli, nursing, Northern Illinois Hospice
  • Jim Knutson, human resources, Aircraft Gear Corporation
  • Bernice Marinelli, registered nurse, Anam Care
  • Bob Nieman, Crosby Starck Real Estate
  • Frank Perrecone, attorney, Ferolie & Perrecone
  • Steve Schultz, CPA and former County Board members

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.