URBANA -- An advisory board has recommended that Champaign County extend a private management agreement for operation of the Champaign County Nursing Home for at least three more years.

The county board will consider a new contract with Management Performance Associates of Chesterfield, Mo., at its May meeting.

MPA has been paid about $180,000 a year for the last three years to manage the once-troubled facility. The amount to be paid in the new agreement will have to be negotiated by the county board, said County Administrator Deb Busey.

A recommendation approved unanimously Monday night by the nursing home board of directors suggests that the county board approve a new three-year deal with MPA, running from June 24, 2011, to June 30, 2014. The nursing home board also recommends that both sides be able to extend the contract on a month-by-month basis for up to an additional year.

A performance evaluation of MPA, undertaken by a subcommittee of the nursing home board, gave the company a "very good" rating, awarding it 48 points out of a possible 60 points on 12 "primary goals" in the current MPA contract.

MPA got its highest marks five points in providing an "objective reporting channel" to the county board through its nursing home board, and in putting the nursing home "on a sound, self-supporting financial basis so that the home is able to operate without county loans, within the property tax subsidy."

The subcommittee noted that "MPA has actually exceeded this goal in that operations are now on a sound, self-supporting financial basis, including the nursing home's taking on the debt service for the $4 million construction bond issue."

In the last 12 months, the facility's average daily census has increased from 185 to as high as 205. There was a dip in recent weeks, however, to as few as 183 patients, admitted MPA President Michael Scavotto.

Further, the nursing home's bottom line has changed dramatically. Two years ago, it lost $1.8 million. Last year it reported a profit of more than $200,000.

The management company's lowest scores came in two other areas acknowledging and implementing the mission of the home and maintaining quality staffing there.

Regarding the latter, the subcommittee noted that employee grievances have been reduced and that absenteeism has "dramatically improved."

But it added that "problems continue with the quality and level of supervision of the staff, as documented by turnover in key positions and lag time in filing supervisory positions. The subcommittee notes that supervision at the administrator and (director of nursing) level is strong, however notes weakness in strong and consistent supervision in the middle-management level."