Schuylkill County Commissioners announced Tuesday that the county has completed the sale and transition of Rest Haven, the county nursing home.

Investment 360 LLC, of Lakewood, New Jersey, which had been selected as the purchaser of the 142-bed facility in May, finalized the $11 million purchase Monday afternoon and commenced operations at the facility at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.The company originally offered $10.5 million; the additional $500,000 was arrived at through negotiations, said county administrator Mark Scarbinsky.“Investment 360 was a strong partner in this transaction, and we are confident that the company will be a good partner for the people of Schuylkill County for years to come,” said Commissioners’ Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier.“The completion of this transaction begins a new era for Rest Haven, as it will be operated by a private corporation with the expertise and resources to provide great care while also financially reinvesting in the nursing home.“It also results in a tremendous benefit for the county’s financial position and our taxpayers,” he said.“This sale has provided substantial funding through the purchase price to solidify and bolster the county’s finances, but also provides year-over-year savings to the county based on avoided annual expenses of more than $2.2 million,” Staudenmeier said.He noted that last year, the county was forced to subsidize losses at Rest Haven that exceeded $2 million, and the county paid, on average, approximately $200,000 per year in workers’ compensation expenses related to the facility between 2012-2014.“From the very beginning of this process, we have made clear that this transaction would be about much more than financial results to the county; it would be about the quality of care for our residents and a fair transition for our employees,” said Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr.“Investment 360 had the highest federal ratings for quality of care and overall performance, the highest staffing ratios and the highest percentage of Medicaid residents of all of the potential purchasers.“We have also ensured that significant physical improvements will be made to the facility in the coming years for the benefit of present and future residents,” he said. “The nursing home is clearly in good hands.”“We understand that this change has been challenging for our employees, but we worked to provide the best possible transition for them and we greatly appreciate their professionalism in serving the nursing home’s residents throughout this process,” said Commissioner Gary J. Hess.“Based on the information we have received, the company worked well with the employees’ union and quickly secured the overwhelming approval by the employees of a new union contract.”