Encompass Health and MUSC Health have announced plans to own and operate Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Charleston, Encompass Health’s existing inpatient rehabilitation hospital in North Charleston, South Carolina, as a joint venture.
“MUSC Health, a healthcare leader well known for its high-quality patient care, is a natural fit as a partner for our North Charleston hospital,” said Ed Mowen, president of Encompass Health’s MidAtlantic region. “Aside from elevating the superior rehabilitative care already provided at our hospital, we plan to make an even greater impact across the state through our collaboration on academic programs and telehealth.”
The facility will be renamed and operate as MUSC Health Rehabilitation Hospital, an affiliate of Encompass Health. The operation of the hospital as a joint venture is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
“The residents of our state are affected by a high incidence of serious illnesses that often require intensive rehabilitation services,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and vice president for Health Affairs, University. “Through our collaboration with Encompass Health, we have the ability to expand services that are designed to maximize our patients’ recoveries and levels of function. Being able to reach more South Carolinians with specialized rehabilitation services after an adverse health event will help us deliver a better quality of life for the residents of our statewide community.”
“Another important aspect of this collaboration is our ability to increase educational opportunities for various healthcare professionals in Encompass Health hospitals and other patient care settings across the state,” said Lisa K. Saladin, PT, Ph.D., executive vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost at the Medical University of South Carolina. “We look forward to placing MUSC medical, nursing, pharmacy and therapy students, among others, in educational rotations where they will develop a variety of clinical skills. Combined with the MUSC didactic curriculum, this real-world training prepares our health professions students to deliver top-quality care to our patients,” she noted. Statistics show that a high percentage of healthcare professionals continue to live, work and contribute to the state where they complete their residency training or clinical rotations.
Encompass Health will continue to manage the hospital operations and its employees. MUSC Health currently operates inpatient rehabilitation beds in both its Florence and Lancaster markets, but does not have this capability in Charleston. This jointly owned hospital offers opportunities to enhance access and care coordination for MUSC’s Charleston-area patients requiring rehabilitation services.
Encompass Health Charleston has served the community since 1993. Complementing local acute care services like those provided by MUSC Health, the 49-bed hospital provides physical, occupational and speech therapies as well as 24‑hour nursing care that aim to restore functional ability and quality of life. The hospital serves patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions.
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