St. Johns County issued a construction permit Monday for a drug addiction and mental health facility run by an operator currently under federal investigation.
Acadia Healthcare can now break ground on a 144-bed, 98,000-square-foot hospital at 150 Moon Bay Parkway off of County Road 210.
Acadia, which was accused of “trapping” patients to boost insurance payouts in a September New York Times article, runs medical facilities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that specialize in treating drug addiction and mental health in both inpatient and outpatient formats.
A spokesman for the Franklin, Tennessee, based company pushed back on the allegations, saying the piece ignored positive patient experiences.
“Any incident that falls short of our rigorous standards is unacceptable, and actions are taken to address it,” Tim Blair told the newspaper. “Quality care and medical necessity drives every patient-related decision at Acadia.”
But the company’s stock price tumbled by 25% last month — and is now down by 50% over the last year — after it acknowledged being the subject of a federal investigation into its practices.
That came on top of a $16.6 million payout to settle various claims of improper detentions.
According to papers filed with the county, the center will be a “locked” facility that receives Baker’s Act patients.
The Florida law allows for the involuntary commitment of individuals deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.
Acadia plans to spend $76.7 million to develop the six-acre site, the Jacksonville Business Journal reported. The hospital, which is less than half a mile from Ascension St. Vincent, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of next year.
Acadia runs more than 250 centers in 39 states with a total of 11,100 beds and 75,000 daily patients. Of those, 50 handle psychiatric cases, while the others address drug addiction.
The company will receive $1.6 million in tax breaks and had its application expedited, the Journal reported.
The new facility will bring more than 200 full-time jobs to St. Johns County with an average salary of roughly $75,000.
