The Ohio Department of Health has published its projections of Ohio counties’ long-term bed needs. Certificate of Need (CON) applications may be filed beginning July 1. Under the 2010 budget, the Director of Health was authorized to project which Ohio counties will have a surplus or need of nursing home beds. The counties with a surplus of beds are then identified with a maximum number of beds that can be relocated to a county having a need of beds.

The bed need rate is currently 45.8 beds per 1,000 people age 65 and greater. This rate is calculated by using the statewide occupancy rate of 82.85% in facilities that filed a Medicaid cost report in 2010.

According to this year’s projections, 20 counties have a need of over 400 beds with the top counties being Franklin, Lake, Portage, and Clermont Counties. Cuyahoga County, on the other hand, has an excess of over 2,000 beds.

For more information regarding bed needs across Ohio, visit http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/dspc/certn/certneed1.aspx