Weatherwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, the former Carbon County nursing home, changed hands recently.

The 200-bed skilled nursing facility in Weatherly sold for $9.7 million and was renamed Forest Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. New signs appear in front of the Evergreen Avenue facility.

Guardian Elder Care sold the facility to Weatherwood Realty LLC of Brick, New Jersey, on May 1.

A news release announcing the change lists the ownership team as a group of individuals who are skilled nursing facility managers and operators based in Pennsylvania and the Midwest.

“In these challenging times, it is very reassuring that our new ownership team has years of know-how, shared values and a great group of experienced experts - based right here in Pennsylvania - to support our care team,” said Hedy Swales, the center’s executive director, in the release.

Swales referred further questions to Ken Hunter of Caryl Communications, a New Jersey-based public relations firm, who said the new owners are a small group of individuals with a lot of experience in skilled nursing and health care companies who prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

Hunter could not provide names of other facilities they currently own, but said there are several other facilities that they are acquiring but they are not in the immediate area.

The new management team has overseen operations at similar-sized care centers in rural and suburban communities and bring many new ideas that have been successful at other facilities.

The staff size remains essentially the same with residents seeing the same people on their caregiving teams, and the company hopes to grow its services in the community.

Forest Hills provides long- and short-term care, rehabilitation, occupational and physical therapy, rehab-to-home, speech therapy, hospice care, respite care and a secure memory unit.

New admissions are being accepted, and people can call 570-427-8683 or visit the website at www.foresthillshc.com for more information.