Edgewood, Ky.-based St. Elizabeth Healthcare plans to build a $40 million facility in northern Kentucky in a joint venture with Red Bank, N.J.-based Sun Behavioral Health to focus on mental health and addiction services, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier.
The freestanding, 197-bed facility would employ 400 people, with about 270 of them being hired to newly created jobs, while other employees will transfer from their respective facilities to the new one. Hills, Ky.-based St. Elizabeth Physicians intends to hire 11 psychiatrists, two addiction medicine specialists and two internal medicine physicians in addition to nurses, psychologists, social workers, therapists and intake specialists, according to the report.
The new hospital would be jointly owned by St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Sun Behavioral Health. Sun will begin managing some of St. Elizabeth's behavioral health units May 1, and in December about 200 St. Elizabeth workers will become employees of Sun. Covington, Ky.-based NorthKey Community Care will be a partner in the collaboration but not have an ownership stake. Sun will take over the management of NorthKey's operations, and at least 40 NorthKey workers will become Sun employees, according to the report.
St. Elizabeth has already received approval for the new hospital beds, but must still receive a certificate of need from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Human Resources in Frankfort. No state funding is involved, according to the report.
The hospital will treat children, adolescents and adults.