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St. John Health System has found a new use for its freshly mothballed Saratoga Hospital on Detroit's east side.
The plan is expected to create 150 jobs within a year.
Dallas-based SCCI Hospitals of America Inc. has leased a portion of Saratoga for use as a special category acute-care hospital for patients with long-term and complicated illnesses, said Jim Koerper, vice president of St. John's internal consulting department.
SCCI Hospital Detroit, the local affiliate, plans to have 53 beds available at Saratoga within six months of opening the hospital under the new arrangement, said Doug Dailey, CEO of SCCI Detroit. SCCI Hospitals of America is a for-profit company.
Saratoga had 198 licensed acutecare beds until September, when St. John closed most of the hospital and shifted services to nearby Holy Cross Hospital.
About 200 Saratoga employees were displaced by the consolidation. However, St. John was able to find jobs within the hospital and health care system for all but 10 employees, Koerper said.
The only department still operating at Saratoga is the emergency room, he said.
Koerper said the long-term stay unit managed by SCCI Detroit will broaden the services that St. John can provide to its patients.
Patients targeted...