The Fulton County-Hickman County Economic Development Partnership announced Wednesday a 60-bed drug rehabilitation center will move into the former hospital building in Fulton this summer.
The center, which will also have a 12-bed detoxification unit, plans on accepting patients this summer.
Parkway Regional Hospital closed its doors in 2015, taking jobs and infrastructure with it from the community of Fulton. Changes Rehabilitations LLC, which is relocating from Michigan, bought the building.
Fulton County-Hickman County Economic Development Partnership Executive Director Wendy Puckett said with the trend of rural hospitals closing across the country, having the former hospital continue to be used for medical purposes fits well for the community.
“This is just one small part of that puzzle, and a bigger part of that in trying to find ways in rural America to not only to find ways to survive, but thrive,” Puckett said. “But having a different type of medical service, it could draw other medical facilities and services that adjoin to it. It’s certainly an asset.”
Changes Rehabilitation LLC Program Director Shirley Jankowski said the center will hire 60 full-time jobs ahead of its opening in June or July. Those include mental health professionals, nurses, social workers, food service workers, van drivers and maintenance workers. She said therapists will also be hired as contract workers.
“I’ve met with many segments of the community here, and it’s just wonderful support,” Jankowski said. “I would encourage other companies to come to this area.”
Jankowski said their company bought the former hospital for $670,000. She said the rehab center has a $2 million budget for the upcoming year to hire employees, buy equipment and renovate the space.
Changes Rehabilitation LLC will hold a job fair at the Pontotoc Community Center in Fulton next week. The event is March 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
