Transcript Generated by AI 00:01 Hey, 00:01 Mark Parkinson here and welcome back to Park Place. 00:04 And this is the first of a new 00:06 project that we're starting where we're focusing each month 00:09 on a specific state 00:11 and doing a deep dive on that state, 00:13 what it's like to operate nursing facilities there, 00:15 what the Medicaid rates are like, 00:17 what the regulatory environment's like, 00:18 just generally, 00:20 is it a good place to operate nursing homes or not and what's happening in the state? 00:24 And we're having fun, 00:25 we're making our very first state, 00:27 Illinois. 00:28 You might say, 00:29 Illinois, 00:29 why would you make Illinois your very first state? 00:32 Well, 00:32 it's a big state that has a reputation of being 00:36 a really bad state to have nursing homes in. 00:38 I mean, 00:38 you've heard that over the years. 00:40 But things appear to be changing, 00:42 and they're changing in no small part 00:45 because of Matt Pickering, 00:46 who's the executive director of the Illinois Council. 00:49 Matt has done a terrific job at pulling providers together, 00:52 and although it's still not perfect in Illinois, 00:55 I'm not sure you can say anymore that it's one of the worst states in the country. 00:59 So Matt, 01:00 welcome to Park Place and we're anxious to talk with you about Illinois. 01:04 Hi, 01:05 Mark. 01:05 Uh, 01:05 thank you for having me on, 01:07 and, 01:07 uh, 01:07 that was quite the introduction. 01:09 Um, 01:10 but I, 01:10 I am proud, 01:11 uh, 01:11 to be here as the first state. 01:13 Uh, 01:13 we are proud of what's happening, 01:15 uh, 01:15 here in Illinois. 01:16 So, 01:16 so Matt, 01:17 I think one of the, 01:17 one of the challenges in Illinois has been that the members have been divided. 01:21 I, 01:22 I think when I came to ACCA 15 years ago, 01:23 there were like 4 or 5 different associations, 01:26 and none of them had 01:27 a plurality, 01:28 you know, 01:28 a majority of the members or anything even close to that. 01:32 You've been able to pull folks together. 01:33 Talk about that and how big 01:35 the council is, 01:36 and how have you done that? 01:39 Yes, 01:40 uh, 01:40 that is true. 01:41 Uh, 01:41 I started in my position a little over 5 years ago, 01:45 uh, 01:46 and I had done, 01:47 uh, 01:47 work in the healthcare sectors, 01:49 uh, 01:50 among those with hospitals in Illinois. 01:53 And the hospitals, 01:54 uh, 01:54 they're all united under one umbrella. 01:57 So, 01:57 I, 01:57 I was taken aback, 01:59 uh, 01:59 when 01:59 I stepped into this position, 02:02 uh, 02:02 and, 02:03 and saw, 02:03 uh, 02:04 how the industry was fragmented and at times divided. 02:08 Uh, 02:09 we had 3 associations, 02:11 we still do, 02:12 uh, 02:12 but we had 3 associations, 02:14 and also the largest management company at the time, 02:17 uh, 02:17 also had a, 02:19 a fairly strong voice in the state. 02:21 Uh, 02:21 so, 02:22 it was very fragmented. 02:23 I think it was confusing, 02:25 uh, 02:25 for legislators and for the administration. 02:28 Uh, 02:28 and we knew that it was something that we had to work on 02:32 and, 02:33 uh, 02:33 try to unite the industry the best we, 02:35 we could. 02:37 And you've succeeded in doing that. 02:38 I, 02:39 as I understand it, 02:40 Matt, 02:40 you now have in the coalition over 02:42 5, 02:43 I'm sorry, 02:43 in the council, 02:44 you have over 500 buildings. 02:46 There are 02:47 about 600+ buildings in Illinois. 02:50 So you've really got a majority of providers now. 02:53 True. 02:54 Uh, 02:54 we, 02:55 we have grown significantly. 02:57 I, 02:57 I do give some credit, 02:59 uh, 02:59 to the American Health Care Association. 03:02 About a year ago, 03:03 December of 24, 03:04 uh, 03:05 we became the Illinois affiliate 03:07 uh of the American Health Care Association. 03:10 Um, 03:10 I think, 03:11 uh, 03:11 that really helped 03:13 us in terms of, 03:15 of trying to unite 03:16 the industry, 03:17 bringing in, 03:18 uh, 03:18 members. 03:19 And, 03:20 uh, 03:20 it's true, 03:21 we've grown significantly. 03:22 Just in the last year, 03:24 uh, 03:24 we have grown to almost 500 facilities, 03:27 almost 61,000 beds. 03:29 Uh, 03:29 in the last 12 months, 03:31 we've had 36% growth. 03:34 So, 03:34 uh, 03:35 I can, 03:35 I cannot say that we've united the industry completely, 03:39 uh, 03:39 but we are definitely heading in the right direction. 03:42 Uh, 03:42 we also have, 03:43 uh, 03:43 many assisted living members now, 03:45 uh, 03:45 which we did not, 03:46 uh, 03:47 a year and a half ago. 03:48 Uh, 03:48 so it has been significant growth, 03:50 and, 03:51 um, 03:51 I, 03:52 I, 03:52 I do think that for those making policy, 03:55 uh, 03:55 they have appreciated, 03:57 um, 03:58 you know, 03:58 what, 03:58 what we are sharing with them. 04:00 Well, 04:01 you're being modest because under your leadership, 04:03 it is very different than 04:05 when I started and there were 3 associations, 04:07 but there were really 4 because of the big member that was in the Capitol and 04:12 having one voice now makes all the difference in the world. 04:14 One of the things that's always been surprising about Illinois is that it's, 04:17 it's basically a blue state, 04:19 very Democratic, 04:20 yet the Medicaid rate 04:22 has not been great. 04:24 The relationships with governors, 04:26 really, 04:26 honestly, 04:26 whether they've been Republican or Democratic has not been great with the sector. 04:31 Um, 04:32 is that changing? 04:33 Are things getting any better? 04:36 Yes. 04:36 Um, 04:37 I, 04:37 I am encouraged. 04:38 Uh, 04:39 what I walked into, 04:40 uh, 04:40 in January of 21 04:43 was obviously, 04:44 uh, 04:44 on the heels of the pandemic. 04:46 Um, 04:46 and 04:47 what I saw when I first got here, 04:49 uh, 04:50 was a government, 04:51 uh, 04:51 an industry, 04:53 everyone involved, 04:54 um, 04:55 just very beleaguered. 04:56 Um, 04:57 and I think that, 04:59 um 05:00 You know, 05:00 we, 05:01 we, 05:01 we needed to address, 05:03 uh, 05:03 the problems historically, 05:05 but we also needed to figure out how to move forward together, 05:08 uh, 05:09 because, 05:09 uh, 05:10 everyone was 05:11 struggling. 05:12 And so, 05:13 um, 05:14 you know, 05:14 we've done our best here, 05:16 uh, 05:16 to continue to work with Governor Pritzker's administration. 05:20 Um, 05:20 it has gotten better and better. 05:22 So, 05:23 I need to give our governor credit, 05:25 uh, 05:25 for working with us, 05:27 uh, 05:27 when times were hard, 05:28 including for him. 05:30 And his administration. 05:31 Uh, 05:31 it was tough on everybody. 05:33 Uh, 05:33 but Mark, 05:34 I, 05:34 I, 05:34 I am encouraged. 05:35 I, 05:36 I think there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. 05:38 Um, 05:39 we have been given help, 05:40 uh, 05:41 over these last few years. 05:42 Um, 05:43 and I'm confident that we're gonna get help again this spring session. 05:47 Um, 05:47 uh, 05:48 so, 05:48 it, 05:48 it's not perfect, 05:49 far from it. 05:50 Um, 05:51 I hear what everyone says 05:52 about Illinois. 05:55 Well, 05:56 it's great that you're having better relationships with Governor Pritzker. 05:59 And where do, 06:00 where do you see, 06:01 see things headed in the 2026 legislative session? 06:03 Is there hope for some uh Medicaid relief? 06:07 Um, 06:07 I do think so. 06:08 Um, 06:09 I am confident we, 06:10 we have a budget deficit this year. 06:12 Um, 06:13 so, 06:13 this is not gonna be easy. 06:15 Um, 06:15 it will be a few months, 06:17 uh, 06:17 before we know. 06:18 Uh, 06:19 but I, 06:19 I do think we're gonna get some help. 06:21 Uh, 06:22 and I, 06:23 I think that is going to, 06:24 uh, 06:25 provide, 06:26 um, 06:27 support probably for Medicaid access rate, 06:30 which was part of the reimbursement system change in 22. 06:34 Uh, 06:34 so, 06:34 that is what we're advocating for the spring session. 06:38 Uh, 06:38 and I think we're gonna get help. 06:40 Um, 06:40 all the leadership in the General Assembly, 06:43 the leadership in the administration, 06:45 uh, 06:45 they know that our members are struggling, 06:47 um, 06:48 and that we need help. 06:49 That is understood by everyone involved. 06:51 Uh, 06:52 now, 06:52 it's the hard part, 06:53 uh, 06:53 just figuring out how we're gonna do that in the context of a large budget deficit. 07:00 Well, 07:00 Matt, 07:00 congratulations on bringing folks together. 07:03 Congratulations on creating a situation where there's 07:05 light at the end of the tunnel. 07:07 And I would just say to all the viewers, 07:09 you know, 07:09 I'm not sure we can say Illinois is one of the worst states anymore, 07:12 and 07:13 I, 07:13 I, 07:14 I predict that with Matt's leadership and the leadership of the, 07:17 of some members that we're gonna be talking to in Illinois 07:20 in the upcoming weeks as we focus on this state, 07:23 Uh, 07:23 there's every reason to believe that things are on the upside in Illinois. 07:27 So, 07:27 Matt, 07:28 again, 07:28 thanks for, 07:28 for, 07:29 thanks for all your work 07:30 and thanks to all of you, 07:31 uh, 07:31 for your continued support of Park Place.
