NKyTribune staff report
Gov. Matt Bevin will join officials from St. Elizabeth Healthcare SUN Behavioral Health and other community leaders in a ground on a new behavioral health hospital Friday.
The event will take place at 2 p.m. at 820 Dolwick Drive in Erlanger.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Sun Behavioral Health issued the following statement about the facility:
Mental illness and substance abuse disorders continue to have adverse effects on our families, neighborhoods, communities and the broader society. St. Elizabeth and SUN Behavioral Health have partnered to provide solutions to two big community-wide problems: lack of inpatient behavioral health services, and chemical dependency resources for adolescents and adults.
The hospital will be jointly owned by SUN Behavioral Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
When completed, the 149,000 square-foot hospital will have 197 beds and approximately 400 employees (270 new jobs). The grand opening is scheduled for the second half of 2017.
St. Elizabeth will transfer 140 of its behavioral health and chemical dependency beds to the new facility. NorthKey Community Care will transfer 57 beds, including its behavioral health beds to increase overall capacity, to the new hospital when completed.
SUN (Solving Unmet Needs) Behavioral Health operates freestanding psychiatric hospitals where a substantial need for acute services exists. It works with medical and surgical hospitals, physicians and behavioral health care providers as well as local schools and community organizations to ensure that its hospitals provide patients and their families with a continuum of care.
“This collaboration expands and improves integrated inpatient behavioral healthcare services available in Northern Kentucky,” Steve Page, President and CEO of SUN Behavioral Health, said in a statement. “Our mission at SUN is to increase access and bring a full continuum of high quality services to those suffering from mental illnesses and chemical dependency. We are fully committed to the Northern Kentucky community and to this partnership with St. Elizabeth.”
For more information on Sun Behavioral Health, click here
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St. Elizabeth Healthcare operates six major facilities throughout Northern Kentucky and more than 115 primary care and specialty office locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.
“We have consistently stated that a comprehensive solution to behavioral health issues involves substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, law enforcement, family support, community support and education, St. Elizabeth President and Chief Executive Officer, said Garren Colvin in a statement. “Our community is faced with many behavioral healthcare challenges at this time.
Chemical dependency is just one element of our broader community needs, which will be addressed in this partnership.”
For more information on St. Elizabeth Healthcare, click here .
The event is open to the public.
Gov. Bevin will also attend two other events in Northern Kentucky Friday morning.
He will begin the day at Gateway Community and Technical College’s Boone Campus, 500 Technology Way in Florence, at an event to highlight a new Enhanced Operator program.
The program has been developed through the collaborative efforts of the Northern Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Coalition (AMWDC), Gateway and several leading manufacturers. It is designed to address the industry need for more qualified candidates.
Gov. Bevin will also be the keynote speaker at a Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Government Forum luncheon at the Holiday Inn, 1717 Airport Exchange Road, Erlanger.
He is expected to discuss his new administration and issues facing the Commonwealth of Kentucky at the luncheon, which is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.