A publicly funded health-care system announced Wednesday it is taking over a Maryvale hospital that closed in December and will focus on mental health services.
Abrazo Community Health Network closed the Maryvale hospital last year after what company officials say was a decline in demand. The emergency department saw 40,000 visits annually.
Maricopa Integrated Health System’s district board voted to acquire the hospital and renovate it for $59 million.
The county health district will reopen the facility’s ER department and put an emphasis on behavioral health services, which officials say will help fill a void in the West Valley.
Taxpayers approved Proposition 480 several years ago to upgrade the county’s health system, and will help fund the renovation. The hospital will re-open in early 2019.