By Michael Perry
Special to the NKyTribune
St. Elizabeth Healthcare and SUN Behavioral Health broke ground Friday on a 149,000 square-foot behavioral health hospital in Erlanger that will have 197 beds and employ approximately 400.
From left, Steve Page, SUN president & CEO; Garren Colvin, St. Elizabeth Healthcare president & CEO; Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin; Kentucky Sen. Chris McDaniel; Erlanger Mayor Tyson Hermes; Campbell County Judge-Executive Steve Pendery; and Dr. James C. Votruba, St. Elizabeth board chair; participate in the groundbreaking of a new behavioral health hospital in Erlanger (provided photo).
It is expected to open in the second half of 2017 and create roughly 270 new jobs.
“Mental illness and substance use disorders continue to have adverse effects on our families, neighborhoods, communities and the broader society,” said Garren Colvin, president & CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “SUN and St. Elizabeth share a commitment to making a significant positive social impact in the communities we serve.”
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, who participated in the groundbreaking, said the hospital has a chance to be a model for others in the country.
Dr. James C. Votruba, board chair of St. Elizabeth Healthcare, said improved behavioral health services will “fulfill the needs of the most vulnerable citizens.”
“We believe that a comprehensive solution to behavior health issues involves substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, law enforcement, family support, community support and education,” Votruba said. “All of the organizations involved want to be part of the solution, and this collaboration is an important piece of the puzzle.”
Joining Bevin, Colvin and Votruba in the groundbreaking ceremony were SUN president and CEO Steve Page, Erlanger Mayor Tyson Hermes, Campbell County Judge/Executive Steve Pendery and Kentucky Sen. Chris McDaniel.
“St. Elizabeth already has a significant presence in behavioral health in Northern Kentucky,” Page said. “They invited us to Northern Kentucky not to take their place, but because they saw a need for additional resources. They believed that we would invest in your community with the same patient-first philosophy they employ, including St. Elizabeth’s mission as the Northern Kentucky safety net provider.”
Michael Perry is with Vehr Communications.
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