Three of the top administrators at the La Salle County Nursing Home are gone. They were either fired or resigned Friday morning.

During the County Board's Nursing Home Committee meeting Friday, committee member Tom Ganiere, D-Ottawa, told the committee the home's administrator Adrienne Erickson; the director of nursing, Lauretta Hammerich; and social services director Lanette Olszanowski, resigned or were terminated about 15 minutes before he made the announcement.

Ganiere declined to specify who resigned and who was terminated.

Assistant Administrator Cathy Harvey was at the meeting until leaving about 9:35 a.m., not returning for the remainder of the meeting that lasted from 9 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. Ganiere made his announcement about the top administrators leaving at about 9:50 a.m.

Dennis Reiman was installed as interim administrator until a permanent administrator is found. The 66-year-old Reiman told The Times after the meeting he has worked for Pathway Health Services for about one year, which provides interim long-term care facility administrators. Before that job, he worked about 14 years as a nursing home adminstrator. He is originally from Minnesota and now lives there in a suburb of Minneapolis. Reiman also lived five years in Chicago.

An interim director of nursing and an interim social services director are to be in place Monday.

Ganiere would not say what led to the staff changes, only saying they were made in the best interests of the home's residents and the county. However, the Illinois Department of Public Health found fault this summer with the home for not protecting at least 10 female residents from the molestations of a male resident between January and May. The IDPH fined the county $20,000, which the county is looking to appeal. The federal government is also considering at least a $20,000 fine.

Reiman briefly spoke to the committee about issues at the facility, most notably pointing out the home's nutritional consultant also works for the company that provides the home's food — a conflict of interest in Reiman's view. Reiman explained the consultant's job with the home is to keep an eye on the food provider, which means the consultant should not also work for that provider.

In a telephone conversation between The Times and Erickson after the meeting, she noted the highlights of her time at the home.

"It was a privilege working for the residents and I admire and respect the employees for doing a job that's very difficult and thankless. It was a privilege working with Gary Small (R-Utica, chairman of the nursing home committee, who was not present at Friday's meeting). He has a commitment to the elderly of La Salle County, especially the residents of the nursing home."

Erickson, who became administrator in April 2006, added the home had performed very well financially and residents were successfully evacuated twice last year because of flooding. Erickson further noted the home had many positive state inspections.

"The financial and clinical strides made in the past few years should not be overshadowed by the recent incident."