Staff Report
A new 197-bed, free-standing and comprehensive specialty hospital that will improve the behavioral health environment in Northern Kentucky is a big step closer to reality, according to sources close to the project.
The new facility will be located on Dolwick Drive in Erlanger — between Circleport and the Griffin Elite building — and will likely be fully operational in 2017.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare, SUN Behavioral Health and NorthKey Community care have joined forces to build and operate the facility.
Sources say all certificate of need approval has been received from the state and that most zoning approvals have been secured.
The facility will be 140,000 square feet and will cost about $40 million.
Of 400 jobs at the facility, nearly 300 will be new jobs, creating new tax income for the city of Erlanger.
The hospital provides a community-wide solution to the lack of access to inpatient behavioral health and chemical dependency resources for children, adolescents and adults in Northern Kentucky.
St. Elizabeth will transfer 140 of its behavioral health and chemical dependency beds to the new facility. NorthKey Community Care plans to transfer 57 beds.
The hospital will be jointly owned by St. Elizabeth Healthcare and SUN Behavioral Health. It will be operated primarily by Sun Behavioral Health.
In a press release earlier this year, Garren Colvin, president and CEO of St. E., said, “We all believe and have consistently said that a comprehensive solution to behavioral health issues involves substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, law enforcement, family support, community support and education. All of the organizations involved want to be part of the solution, and this collaboration is an important piece of the puzzle.”
“The community is currently underserved, especially for adolescents,” said Steve Page, President and CEO of SUN, at the time. “This collaboration expands and improves integrated inpatient behavioral healthcare services available in Northern Kentucky. The new hospital will showcase our mission to increase access and bring a full continuum of high quality services to those suffering from mental illnesses and chemical dependency in the entire community.”
According to that press release, the new facility will enhance the environment of care for patients, providers and families. A behavioral health emergency department will provide specialized assessment and treatment to patients and families in times of crisis.
Specialized inpatient wings will group patients into personalized programs to provide for the unique requirements of patients according to their ages and behavioral health needs. These programs will create an ideal environment for group therapies and individualized care.
In addition, this partnership provides an opportunity to develop:
• Comprehensive behavioral health services based on proven best practice models.
• Increased access and education for the community.
• Improved coordination of existing services and resources in the community to extend the continuum of care for patients focusing on each organization’s strengths and capabilities.
• Improved safety for behavioral health patients in the specialty hospital emergency department.
• Serene and therapeutic environment designed specifically for patient population needs.
• A full array of services with tailored treatment options and comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care.
• A more appropriate portal of admission for behavioral health patients in crisis than what currently exists.
• The ability to attract additional behavioral health and chemical dependency providers.