Residents blast proposal to privatize Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation

Hundreds of people attended a public hearing in Goshen Monday about whether the county should get rid of a health care facility in order to save taxpayers money. Members of the legislature proposed

News 12 Staff

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Sep 30, 2014, 6:21 AM

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Updated 3,736 days ago

Hundreds of people attended a public hearing in Goshen Monday about whether the county should get rid of a health care facility in order to save taxpayers money.

Members of the legislature proposed privatizing the county-owned Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation. Some Orange County residents took the microphone and blasted the idea.

The county is considering transferring ownership of the 360-bed facility to an appointed local development board. The board could, in turn, sell the center to a private owner.

Some say the move could save the county more than $6 million a year. But, workers and patients are fearful about what the move could mean for their future.

County legislators have scheduled a vote in November to decide whether or not to privatize Valley View. Opponents of it say they plan to fight it every step of the way.