Columbia County officials and Premier Healthcare Management have come to an agreement on the terms of the sale of Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. In a statement released Mon., Aug. 24, Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Grattan said the details have been finalized and the contract signed. Premier has agreed to pay $6.5 million for all property and the facility's assets, with the exception of a 60-foot fire tower and a monument bell and plaque, which will be removed. Once Premier takes possession the facility will undergo significant capital and service improvements. “Pine Haven will be run by experts with a track record of successfully managing and improving nursing homes rather than by the county, for whom it is not a core skill,” Grattan said. “This is a very positive development for the facility residents and its employees, as well as our taxpayers," he said. Premier is based in Great Neck, Long Island, and owns several facilities in the mid-Hudson region, including a nursing home in Kaaterskill and a traumatic brain injury treatment center in Great Barrington, Mass. An official Certificate of Need will now be sent to the state for approval. The transfer of ownership could be completed as soon as February or March.