BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and NAPLES, Fla., June 15, 2022 – Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and NCH Healthcare System today announced the intention to enter into a joint venture to operate a 50-bed, freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Naples, Florida.
Recently, the board of directors of NCH Healthcare System approved its investment in this collaboration with Encompass Health. The hospital is currently under construction in Naples at 14305 Collier Boulevard and scheduled to open in August 2022. When the hospital opens, NCH Healthcare System intends to relocate its existing 54-bed rehabilitation unit, The NCH Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging & Rehabilitation, to the new hospital.
Quality care and exceptional patient outcomes have been a cornerstone to NCH’s mission to help its patients live longer, happier and healthier lives. In support of that mission, this collaboration will enhance inpatient rehabilitation services in Naples.
“This joint venture combines the expertise and resources of Encompass Health, the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services, with the trusted healthcare provider NCH Healthcare System, a multi-facility healthcare system with an excellent reputation for providing high quality care throughout Collier County and southwest Florida for over 60 years,” said Lori Bedard, President of Encompass Health’s Southeast Region. “We are excited to partner with NCH Healthcare System and look forward to providing patients with customized rehabilitation services that improves their quality of life.”
“NCH is proud to be able to collaborate with Encompass Health to expand the scope of inpatient rehabilitation services we can offer to our community,” said Paul Hiltz, President and CEO, NCH Healthcare System. “Our focus at NCH has always been on enhancing quality for an exceptional patient experience.”
Complementing local acute care services like those provided by NCH Healthcare System, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals 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, the inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the opening of the jointly owned hospital, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Encompass Health’s actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against Encompass Health or NCH Healthcare System; the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health or or NCH Healthcare System in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health’s response thereto; the hospital’s ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health’s or NCH Healthcare System’s information systems; the ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health’s services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health’s SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health’s Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
