State-of-the-art long-term care facility to open in Barbourville Monday

Workers put the finishing touches on the library at the Barbourville Health and Rehabilitation Center this week. It is slated to officially open Monday.

Following two years of planning and breakneck construction, the area’s newest, most state of the art long-term care facility will officially open next week.

Barbourville Health and Rehabilitation Center (BHRC) will move from its currently building on Shelby Street to a nearly 50,000 square feet facility on KY 225. 

BHRC Administrator Janna Partin said all 119 residents would be transported during the early morning hours of Dec. 2 with the help of ambulance services in Knox, Laurel and Whitley Counties.

“They are excited bout it, but they are also a little bit nervous,” Partin said. “They know it’s new and they are anxious to see it, but the current facility is home to them. They know they are coming to a new home.”

To help ease the transition, Partin said staff have been taking regular photographs and posting them on bulletin boards at the current facility to satisfy the curiosity of residents.

Any trepidation about moving will likely be overcome by the sheer opportunities the new facility offers.

Besides being larger — the new BHRC will have 135 beds total, as opposed to 119, and nine private rooms instead of just 4 — the improvements are almost too many to count.

The new BHRC will have a shopping mall style ice cream parlor, beauty salon, larger rooms, each with their own bathrooms, more spacious recreation areas, a breathtaking courtyard, library, bigger, more well-equipped rehab areas, all new equipment … the list goes on. There are even special spas that include large whirlpool tubs, each with their own dedicated flat screen television mounted at the perfect viewing angle.

No detail has gone unnoticed. No effort or expense spared.

The facility is owned and operated by First Corbin Long Term Care, Inc., a subsidiary of Forcht Group of Kentucky. It owns a total of nine nursing homes statewide. Forcht Group founder and CEO Terry Forcht said the new BHRC is the result of years of experience in the long-term care industry.

“This is kind of the culmination of what we’ve seen and observed over the years and what we feel like would be a very substantial upgrade for what is basically a Medicare and Medicaid health care facility,” Forcht said. “It’s something we built with our own money. I think it’s worked out well for us.”

The current Barbourville Health and Rehabilitation Center is 40 years old. Forcht said he purchased the facility about 32 years ago using private funds.

Forcht said building a new BHRC became a priority for several reasons. For one, the current facility is multi-level, which presented its own difficulties with elevators and maintenance. Also, Knox County Hospital had a certificate of need for 16 nursing home beds, but wasn’t able to make a profit off of them. Forcht said he was able to acquire those beds, allowing BHRC to expand.

Forcht said about $12 million has been invested in BHRC all told. And, despite a fire that damaged part of the newly constructed facility this past spring, it will be finished on time. It is being built by a construction company owned and managed by Forcht Group of Kentucky as well.

“We have a short chain of command. We know what we want and our people are able to do it very quickly, Forcht said. “It eliminates things like bidding out to subcontractors. There’s a minimum of overhead. We know what our people can do, what it costs. It’s worked out very well for us.”

“We work hard and do whatever it takes,” he added. “We are not confined to an eight-hour work day. Our people work nights and weekends … whatever needs to be done.”

Workers were busy putting the finishes touches on the new facility this week. Principal construction is finished, but decorating, organizing and stocking continue at a fever pitch.

Partin, a Registered Nurse who has been administrator since 2005 and started at BHRC in 2001 as a floor manager, said the excitement of the move has caused “many sleepless nights.”

“I am just overwhelmed thinking about working in this facility,” she said. “I’m very excited. I feel blessed. Everyone on the staff here is really proud of it and we are ready to show it off.”

Forcht said he’s planning a public grand opening ceremony some time in early 2014.

“Everyone will be invited,” he said. “We want everyone to see it.”