By Stephen Janis
The resignation of Larry Simon, chair of the Nathaniel Witherell board, has prompted praise for his service from both residents and town leaders. However, his departure is also raising concerns about the facility’s future direction as the debate continues over the historic nursing home’s ties to the town.
Simon, who served as chair for seven years, resigned last week. He was replaced by fellow board member Brad Markowitz, appointed during a special meeting of Witherell’s governing body on March 29th.
Simon told The Sentinel he left the board to focus on his family and personal health.
“I needed to focus on other things,” he said. “My health and my family. I’m 77 years old.”
“It was a lot of work for me; I just became physically tired.”
Witherell’s staff and fellow volunteers praised Simon’s commitment to both Witherell and the community in which he served in various volunteer roles for nearly 25 years.
“He will be greatly missed,” said John Mastronardi, Witherell’s Executive Director. “He deserves our gratitude.”
Sheilah Smith, former vice-chair of the Witherell Family Council, also praised Simon.
“This is a loss to the institution, as well as to all the families and residents who have comprised the Witherell community for the past nearly two dozen years that Larry has dedicated himself to improving Witherell for the benefit of the entire town of Greenwich,” she wrote.
“We will miss his stewardship, but are grateful for his service.”
The reshuffling comes as the board mulls a plan to place the senior care and rehabilitation facility into private hands. The plan was proposed by a special subcommittee of the Board of Estimate and Taxation in 2019. An RFP was issued as a result and an evaluation committee recommended the town lease Witherell to Allaire, a New Jersey-based healthcare firm.
Supporters say the deal is needed to bolster the finances of the senior care facility, which currently relies upon the town to finance annual de deficits.
However, the proposal has met with criticism from the community, as some fear handing the reins to a private New Jersey-based firm would diminish the quality of care.
In a previous interview with The Sentinel, Simon expressed concerns that privatizing Witherell would lead to an erosion of the quality of care.
After his departure, he affirmed his belief that a path remains to keep Witherell’s relationship with the town intact – provided management improves.
“I do think Witherell could survive as a town department, but it has to improve management,” he said shortly after his resignation.
“I don’t know that a private company would provide the care that residents have come to expect.”
Markowitz did not respond to an email or phone call seeking comment, but he has said publicly his focus will be the immediate financial challenges facing the historic nursing home.
The Witherell board has the first say on the approval of the privatization plan. Subsequently, the town’s RTM, the first selectman’s office, and the planning commission have to endorse the proposal for it to move forward.
Lastly, the heirs of Robert M. Bruce, who bequeathed the land on Parsonage Road to the town in 1904, will have to agree to a change to the underlying deed, which required the hospital to be a non-profit enterprise.
But the debate is also buffeted by Witherell’s continued financial woes.
The facility’s uncollected receivables doubled between June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2022, from roughly $4 million to $9 million. The unpaid debt was a mixture of reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, private pay, and third-party private insurance.
Finally, when the receivables ballooned to over $11 million in the fall of 2022, Witherell engaged a private collection firm in January 2023.
The rapid increase prompted Harry Fisher, chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation Audit Committee, to take notice. “The fact that it doubled in just one year was a major red flag as to what’s happening,” Fisher said.
This rise also led to the departure of the facility’s finance director in December. A report on the status of the receivables is due in April.
However, uncertainty over the hospital’s financial status disrupted the town’s ability to close its own books, delaying the completion of comprehensive audited financial statements, which were due at the end of 2023.
First Selectman Fred Camillo also praised Simon.
“Larry has dedicated decades of service to Nathaniel Witherell, and he did so with a passion for the building, the mission, and the residents,” Camillo said.
He also reiterated his commitment to finding the best balance between fiscal accountability and quality care going forward.
“I want to maintain the highest level of care while finding a path to financial sustainability,” he added.
When asked about his stance on the process of vetting the privatization proposal, which some have argued should start with his office, Camillo pledged to follow the guidance of the town’s legal department, which concluded that the Witherell board must act first.
“I thought it was my call, but the town attorney looked into it and informed me that the Witherell board comes first,” Camillo explained. “I have to respect that.”
The debate over Witherell’s future, its historic relationship with the town, and the present-day challenges facing the elder care facility are recounted in detail in the Sentinel’s three-part series, which can be found at www.GreenwichSentinel.com online or in our January issues.
