Patients in need of long-term inpatient rehabilitation in north Georgia will soon have more access to these critical services. Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, have entered into a joint venture partnership to build and operate a new inpatient rehabilitation facility in Gainesville. The state of Georgia approved the project’s certificate of need last week.
Construction of the $62 million project is expected to begin later this year. NGHS and Lifepoint Rehabilitation anticipate opening the facility to patients in 2025.
“Since 1989, we’ve been proud to offer inpatient rehabilitation services at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville,” said Kevin Matson, vice president of oncology, orthopedic and rehabilitation services for NGHS. “We’re so excited that this partnership will not only increase availability of this kind of care in the region, but it will also improve the patient experience and expand the kinds of therapies we can offer – closing a gap in the care continuum so patients can get the care they need close to home.”
With a total of 40 private rooms, the 61,000-square-foot facility will nearly double the patient capacity of the existing 24-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at NGMC Gainesville. The new facility will feature a designated wing on the second floor for brain injury and stroke patients, as well as a large therapy suite including a gym, private therapy rooms, a cooking therapy room, an Activities of Daily Living therapy apartment and a variety of innovative rehabilitation equipment.
The new rehabilitation facility will provide intensive nursing, physical, occupational and speech pathology services for adults recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disease, brain or spinal cord injury and other debilitating illnesses or injuries. Lifepoint Rehabilitation will manage the day-to-day operations of the facility.
“We are proud to partner with Northeast Georgia Health System as we expand access to critically needed inpatient rehabilitation services for patients in Gainesville and the surrounding communities,” said David Stark, vice president of operations for Lifepoint Rehabilitation. “We are passionate about bringing our evidence-based framework for providing high-quality rehabilitation care to more communities, and we look forward to working alongside Northeast Georgia Health System as we advance our mission of making communities healthier®.”
Upon completion, the NGHS rehabilitation facility will join Lifepoint Rehabilitation’s growing network of more than 30 inpatient rehabilitation facilities across the country.
About Northeast Georgia Health System
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is a non-profit on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. Our team cares for more than 1 million people across the region through four hospitals and a variety of outpatient locations. Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has campuses in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega – with a total of more than 750 beds and more than 1,200 medical staff members representing more than 60 specialties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.
About Lifepoint Rehabilitation
With more than 30 freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) across 18 states, Lifepoint Rehabilitation is a partner of choice for many major hospital systems in the creation of joint venture operations that are industry-leading in clinical and financial outcomes. Through our IRFs and more than 100 acute rehabilitation units (ARUs), Lifepoint Rehabilitation brings proven rehabilitation management and services expertise to help our patients recover and return home quickly from a number of conditions, including strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries, neurological conditions, amputations and trauma. Lifepoint Rehabilitation is a business unit of Brentwood, Tennessee-based Lifepoint Health.