Gracedale Administrator D Freeman, who has served Northampton County since June 2012, announced his resignation during county council’s Nov. 19 meeting. He’s leaving for a nursing home administrator position in the private sector, at Parkhouse Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Royersford.

Freeman came with Premier Healthcare Resources, a privatized administrator for a public home.

The biggest change under Freeman has been a significant increase in residents at Gracedale. Census has grown from 590, when the threat of sale loomed, to highs near 700. The more patients, the more revenue.

He also aggressively pursued accounts receivable, conducting bi-weekly accounts receivable reviews that went through each file. A collections law firm has brought in $1.4 million, and payment plans are in place for some accounts that were written off in the past.

Through effective use of risk management, workers’ compensation claims have dropped from $2 million in 2011 to just $166,000 last year.

Most importantly, and for the first time in 40 years, Gracedale received a zero-deficiency survey from the Department of Health.

Northampton County Council honored Freeman with a proclamation, with Bob Werner calling Freeman a “Godsend.”