St. Vincent Health System and HealthSouth Corp. Announce Expansion of Partnership With Acquisition of Rehabilitation Unit at St. Vincent Doctors Hospital

St. Vincent Health System in Little Rock, AR, and HealthSouth Corporation today announced an expansion of its joint venture, St. Vincent Rehabilitation Hospital located in Sherwood, AR. The existing joint venture purchased a 23-bed rehabilitation unit on Dec. 31, 2009. The new unit, St. Vincent Rehabilitation Hospital/Doctors, formerly operated by St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, will now be operated under the joint venture and will be managed by HealthSouth Corporation. There are plans to relocate the unit from St. Vincent Doctors Hospital to St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center within the next 24 months.

“By combining the capabilities of St. Vincent Rehabilitation Hospital with those of the St. Vincent Doctors unit, we will be able to offer sophisticated inpatient rehabilitative care to both sides of the river,” said Lee Frazier, chief executive officer of St. Vincent’s Rehabilitation Hospital/Doctors. “Our programs and technology are designed to meet the needs of patients experiencing a wide range of functional disabilities such as stroke, head injuries and other neurological diagnoses, and will also complement the Arkansas Neuroscience Institute at St. Vincent.”

“St. Vincent Health System and HealthSouth have enjoyed a long-standing partnership in Sherwood. Expanding this partnership to include services in Little Rock will provide a renewed focus on the delivery of high-quality rehabilitation services for the Little Rock community,” said Jon Timmis, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, St. Vincent Health System.

Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals are a critical link in the continuum of care for patients who are recovering from a wide range of injuries and illnesses such as: stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions, and amputations. Increased therapy time and a high level of specialized care are combined with significant physician involvement to provide patients the necessary care to recover.

About St. Vincent

St. Vincent Health System, founded in 1888, is one of Arkansas’ leading health systems. It is comprised of three hospitals, a network of primary care clinics, a home health agency and numerous other ventures and entities. St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, an acute care facility, licensed for 619 beds, located in Little Rock, serves as the hub of the health system. Other St. Vincent hospitals include St. Vincent Medical Center/North, licensed for 69 beds, in Sherwood; and St. Anthony’s Medical Center, licensed for 49 beds, in Morrilton. St. Vincent Health System, with more than 2,500 employees and affiliations with more than 650 physicians, is sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives. Catholic Health Initiatives is a national not-for-profit health care network.

About HealthSouth

HealthSouth is the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellites and home health agencies. HealthSouth strives to be the nation’s preeminent provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services and can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.

  ST. VINCENT CONTACTS:
  News Release Contact: Margaret Preston, 501. 552.3249
  Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer: Jon Timmis,
  501.552.3914

  HEALTHSOUTH CONTACTS:
  Media: Helen Todd, 205.969.5608
  Andy Brimmer, 205.410.2777
  Investor Relations: Mary Ann Arico, 205.969.6175

First Call Analyst: McVay, Tadd
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: HealthSouth Corporation