KentuckyOne Health Partners with Signature HealthCARE for Skilled Nursing Unit at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth

Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital

KentuckyOne Health has partnered with Signature HealthCARE to bring a 20-bed skilled nursing unit to Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital.

Under the agreement, Signature HealthCARE will lease 12,000 square feet of space at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital to create a skilled nursing unit, which will help transition patients from short term hospital stays back home or to another level of care such as a rehabilitation or long term care facility. The skilled nursing unit staff will also help establish a plan of care with patients, their physicians and family.

In 2009, the 33-bed skilled nursing unit at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth was devastated by flood water and closed as a result of the damage. After the flood, the certificate of need (CON) for the unit was sold to Signature HealthCARE. Signature HealthCARE is currently utilizing 13 of those 33 beds elsewhere. Under the new agreement, the remaining 20 beds included in the CON will return to Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital.

Signature HealthCARE will invest $80,000 in capital expenditures for renovations to ready the unit and technology. Renovations will take place over 30 days beginning in early July. The unit will have a very small number of patients until becoming Medicare certified, which can take four to six months. Once certification is secured, the unit will accept a full patient load.

“As we all progress toward a more integrated health care delivery model, Signature HealthCARE is proud to partner with Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, which has a deep history serving the residents of South Louisville,” said Signature President and CEO Joe Steier. “This is a great opportunity for our Signature HealthCARE of South Louisville to more closely align with Sts. Mary & Elizabeth as we work to ease the transition between care settings and continue to offer the compassionate, quality care our residents and patients deserve.”

“This partnership will provide for improved continuum of care and bring a needed service to residents in South Louisville,” said Jennifer Nolan, president, Sts. Mary & Elizabeth. “Signature HealthCARE is a leader in long-term care and this partnership will partner their expertise with that of KentuckyOne Health to the benefit of our patients.”

Signature Healthcare is a leading provider of long-term care services in the eastern and southeastern U.S., operating 111 locations in nine states with more than 17,000 employees.