The State Health Planning and Development Agency on Thursday issued a certificate of need that allows the 12 in-patient rehab beds at Andalusia Regional Hospital to be moved to HealthSouth in Dothan.

The project is expected to cost $8.9 million.

Andalusia Regional Hospital CEO Mark Dooley told The Star-News recently that ARH will close the rehab unit later this month.

The rooms in the in-patient rehab area of the hospital will be used for out-patient surgery in the future.

Dooley said the hospital also will add out-patient wound care clinic to its services, opening a facility adjacent to the hospital in the former offices of Drs. Day, Wells and Hardin later this year.

When the HealthSouth application was made public last September, Dooley said use of the rehab unit had declined because of changes in Medicare reimbursements.