Kindred Healthcare LLC and Mercy announce the completion of Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Fort Smith, a 50-bed rehabilitation facility that will also serve as a site for physical therapy and occupational therapy students.
Leaders from Mercy, Kindred, the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) in Fort Smith, as well as US Sen John Boozman, Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson, Fort Smith Mayor George McGill and others, were on hand to dedicate the new hospital, which has been under construction for about 14 months. The new 62,570-square-foot facility is a joint venture between Mercy Fort Smith and Kindred Healthcare that sits on four acres of land donated by ACHE.
The 50-bed hospital will provide care for adults recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disease, injury to the brain or spinal cord and other debilitating illnesses or injuries. The first patients are expected to be seen June 1, a media release from Kindred Healthcare explains.
“Mercy is so very blessed to partner with Kindred Healthcare and the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education. These strategic partnerships provide access to quality, compassionate cost-effective rehabilitative care, while also supporting the educational advancement of future health care providers.”
— Juli Stec, vice president of operations at Mercy Fort Smith
Kindred Healthcare will manage day-to-day operations of the hospital, which is the fifth joint venture partnership between Kindred and Mercy.
The hospital will feature all private rooms; a secured brain injury unit with private dining and therapy gym; large interdisciplinary gyms; transitional living apartment, designed to simulate a residential apartment; therapeutic courtyard with golf, pickle ball and corn hole; specially designed rooms to treat dialysis patients; and specialty programs dedicated to neuro, stroke, brain injury and amputation.
PT/OT Teaching Site
The rehabilitation hospital will serve as a teaching site for students in ACHE’s School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy, the release continues.
“This facility will support ACHE’s mission to improve the lives of others as a valuable health care resource for our community. The hospital will be ready just in time for our first class of physical therapy students to begin June 1, 2021, followed by our first class of occupational therapy students in January 2022. We look forward to the exceptional training our students will receive at this outstanding rehabilitation facility located right on our campus.”
— Kyle D. Parker, JD, CEO of ACHE
[Source(s): Kindred Healthcare LLC, Business Wire]
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