Finding 974700 (2023-001)

- Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-05-22

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Home failed to meet required loan covenants, specifically a debt service coverage ratio of 1.25x and 65 days of unrestricted cash on hand, as of December 31, 2023.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with these covenants could lead to loan default, jeopardizing future funding from the USDA.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should track cash flows monthly and implement cost-saving measures to ensure compliance with loan requirements.

Finding Text

CFDA #10.766 USDA Community Facilities Loans and Grants Continuing Compliance Requirement Finding 2023‐001 – Failure to Meet Required Loan Covenants Criteria: The USDA loan agreements require the Home to maintain a debt service coverage ratio of 1.25x and 65 days of unrestricted cash on hand, as of December 31, 2023. Condition: At December 31, 2023, the Home did not meet either covenant. The Home has 41 days of unrestricted cash on hand as of December 31, 2023. The debt service coverage ratio was -.40x as of December 31, 2023. Cause: Due to increased expenses of the Home and negative operating cash flows, as well as certain cash balances which are restricted to use, management was unable to meet the loan covenants. Effect: As a continuing compliance requirement, violation of a loan covenant could place the loan in default status, which could jeopardize future funding from the lender. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs. Context: The Home received multiple USDA loans which have ongoing continuing compliance requirements, including maintaining debt covenants. Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding. While the Home did meet the debt service coverage requirement in 2022, the Home did not meet the days cash on hand requirement in 2022. Recommendation: We recommend management track cash flows monthly to ensure a minimum of 65 days cash on hand at the end of each six-month reporting period (every June 30th and December 31st). We further recommend expenses be managed in a way that will allow the Home to meet its debt service requirements. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: Management agrees with the above finding and has implemented a plan to reduce expenses and increase cash flows going forward. Specifically, we have outlined the following steps that we are taking as an organization to get back on track: o Outsourcing of finance function to an outside CPA firm with focus on cleaning up resident billings and enhanced collection efforts of the Home’s outstanding patient receivables. o Outsourcing of dining services at both locations, which is expected to save the Home approximately $100,000 annually. o Workforce reduction in management and ancillary level staff.Establishment of a committee to focus primarily on recruitment of in-house staff, in order to fill open positions and thereby seek to minimize reliance on higher cost contracted/agency staff. o Review of all contracts and monthly expenses to identify further opportunities to reduce expenses. o With the completion of the stormwater infrastructure project in early 2024, the Home is also planning a 36-unit independent living expansion, which is expected to increase cash flows in the future.

Categories

Reporting Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.766 Community Facilities Loans and Grants $7.59M
10.760 Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities $2.14M
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $130,002