Encompass Health and BJC HealthCare announce plans to build a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Town and Country, Missouri

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., and ST. LOUIS, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and BJC HealthCare today announced they have been awarded a certificate of need to build a freestanding, 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Town and Country, Missouri. The hospital will be located at the corner of Town and Country Crossing Drive and Woods Mill Road. The hospital, which will be a satellite location of The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, is expected to begin caring for patients in 2024.

When the hospital opens, BJC HealthCare intends to relocate its existing 20-bed rehabilitation unit from Missouri Baptist Medical Center to the new hospital. The hospital will be an expansion of the current joint venture partnership between Encompass Health and BJC HealthCare, which includes three hospitals – The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis located in St. Peters, and The Rehabilitation Institute of Southern Illinois.

"Encompass Health and BJC HealthCare have been trusted healthcare partners for more than 20 years, and we are excited to expand our presence to serve even more residents of St. Louis County," said Troy DeDecker, president of Encompass Health's Central Region. "This new hospital will allow us to continue providing high-quality, clinical care for rehabilitation patients throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois." 

"Our goal is to minimize time spent in the hospital so our patients can safely return to their daily lives as soon as possible," says Joan Magruder, Group President for BJC HealthCare. "Increasing access to rehabilitation services makes it easier for more patients to safely transition from the hospital to the next stage of their healing process and still receive the expertise and compassion of BJC HealthCare.

Complementing local acute care services, the future hospital will offer physical, occupational, and speech therapies and 24-hour nursing care to restore functional ability and quality of life. The hospital will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions. The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, and an activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, dining room, pharmacy, and therapy courtyard.

BJC HealthCare is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States, delivering services to residents primarily in the greater St. Louis, southern Illinois and southeast Missouri regions. Serving the health care needs of urban, suburban and rural communities, BJC includes 14 hospitals and multiple health service organizations plus a relationship with Encompass Health which provides rehabilitation services throughout the system's service region. Services include inpatient and outpatient care, primary care, community health and wellness, workplace health, home health, community mental health, rehabilitation, long-term care, and hospice. BJC's nationally recognized academic hospitals, Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals are affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.

Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 150 hospitals in 35 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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 BJC HealthCare; 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 BJC HealthCare 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 BJC HealthCare'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.

Encompass Health contacts:
Media contact: Danielle Hall | 205-970-5912                                        
danielle.hall@encompasshealth.com

Investor Relations contact: Mark Miller | 205-970-5860
mark.miller@encompasshealth.com

BJC HealthCare contact:
Media contact: Laura High | 618-304-7854           
laura.high@bjc.org

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SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.