By HFT Editorial Staff

Encompass Health Corp. and Baptist Health have received a certificate of need to build and operate a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital is expected to operate as a joint venture between Encompass Health and Baptist Health.

“We are excited to expand and grow our rehabilitation services in Kentucky with Baptist Health, a forward-thinking and well-respected healthcare leader that has been a premier provider of acute inpatient rehabilitation to Louisville residents and beyond for more than 40 years,” says Troy DeDecker, president of Encompass Health’s central region.

The parties anticipate the future hospital will replace Baptist Health’s 29-bed unit currently located on the Baptist Health Louisville campus. The new hospital is expected to begin providing inpatient rehabilitation services in the fourth quarter of 2023.

“As Jefferson County remains one of the fastest growing counties in the state with an increased demand for rehabilitation services, the addition of this highly specialized inpatient rehabilitation hospital will meet a critical need in our local communities,” says Jody Prather, chief strategy and marketing officer, Baptist Health.

Complementing local acute care services like those provided by Baptist Health, this inpatient rehabilitation hospital will serve patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. In addition to 24–hour nursing care, this hospital will offer physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life.