The head of the state-run veterans nursing home in North Little Rock, who was credited with stabilizing the facility, plans to resign next week -- just shy of seven months after taking the job.
David Barker, administrator of the Arkansas State Veterans Home at North Little Rock, said in a Sept. 26 resignation letter obtained through a public records request that his final day at the home would be Oct. 11.
Barker was hired in March to lead the long-term-care facility after a series of missteps that led to financial troubles, quality-of-care concerns and high employee turnover.
Under Barker, the home, which opened in January 2017, finally reached capacity and eliminated its monthly deficit.
Barker declined an interview request Tuesday, but a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said Barker was leaving for a position in the private sector.
Finance Department officials and Gov. Asa Hutchinson have praised Barker for his work at the home in recent months. Scott Hardin, a Finance Department spokesman, said Barker will leave the home in good hands.
"Mr. Barker implemented numerous innovative programs while leading the home," Hardin said. "He is a key reason the home now remains at capacity with a waiting list of more than 10. While he will be missed, the director of nursing and assistant director of nursing are well-prepared to lead the home pending the hire of a new administrator."
WEDNESDAY UPDATE
Gov. Asa Hutchinson released this statement on Barker's resignation:
"I was disappointed to learn of David’s resignation. David has done a terrific job putting the home on solid financial footing along with improved service. The home has been at full occupancy since July. And David is leaving us with an excellent operational plan that will allow us to continue his success. Thanks to his leadership,the standard of service will remain without disruption to residents."
Hardin also said officials will soon decide whether to conduct a search for the new administrator or advertise the position.
The North Little Rock veterans home is one of two nursing homes for military veterans operated by the state (the other is in Fayetteville), but it was the first built from the ground up for that sole purpose.
The 96-bed facility employs a "small-home design," meant to make the space feel more homelike and less like a traditional long-term-care facility. Instead of one large building, veterans are spread across the campus in eight individual cottages.
This new approach carried with it staffing and economic challenges that resulted in a $120,000 monthly deficit when Barker took command earlier this year.
The home eliminated the deficit primarily through changes in the nursing staff structure and admitting new residents. Hardin said this week that the home remains in the black and that a detailed financial statement would be released later this month at the end of the quarter.
Asked whether there had been additional staff turnover, Hardin said there had not been among home leadership.
"While the home experienced normal recent turnover, this does not include any members of the management team other than Mr. Barker," he said.
Barker went to the North Little Rock home after working for nearly nine years as chief compliance officer and vice president of risk management for Reliance Health Care -- one of the state's largest nursing home chains. His work in nursing homes began in 1990 as a health care analyst in the state Department of Human Services Office of Long Term Care, which regulates Arkansas nursing homes. In addition to Reliance, he worked for several other private nursing home companies, according to his resume.
When he arrived at the North Little Rock home, he replaced former administrator Lindsey Clyburn, who was asked to resign Dec. 31 after clashing with the agency's former deputy director Chris Tafner.
The North Little Rock home falls under the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, but Hutchinson asked Finance Department officials to oversee the facility's operations and finances last year because of its financial hardships.
The facility still has an unfavorable rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which gave it a one-star rating after a series of poor inspections by state regulators.
The federal agency's ratings are based on facilities' performances on their most recent inspections. The inspections are conducted annually or when there is a complaint.
Home officials have said that the poor rating represents only a small moment in time and that one poor survey can harm a facility's reputation for three years.
Hardin said the day-to-day operations at the home have remained positive in recent months. He noted that a resident -- 97-year-old Denman Wolfe -- was recently provided a flag from U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., with a certificate and personal letter.
The flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol in Wolfe's honor in August. Wolfe is believed to be the only World War II Ranger living in Arkansas and one of only 55 in the U.S.
"In addition to the daily care and support provided, employees find unique ways to honor the home's veterans," Hardin said.
Metro on 10/02/2019