Home » Encompass Health and Baptist Health announce new venture in Kentucky

Encompass Health and Baptist Health announce new venture in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Encompass Health Corp. and Baptist Health today announced they have received a certificate of need to build and operate a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Louisville, KY. The hospital is expected to operate as a joint venture between Encompass Health and Baptist Health.

The parties anticipate the future hospital will be located near the intersection of Blankenbaker Parkway and Bluegrass Parkway in Jeffersontown and will replace Baptist Health’s 29-bed unit currently located on the Baptist Health Louisville campus. The new hospital is expected to begin providing inpatient rehabilitation services in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The project combines the expertise and resources of Encompass Health, the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services, and Baptist Health, the largest non-profit health system in Kentucky, headquartered in Louisville, with nine hospitals and more than 2,700 licensed beds.

“We are excited to expand and grow our rehabilitation services in Kentucky with Baptist Health, a forward-thinking and well‑respected healthcare leader that has been a premier provider of acute inpatient rehabilitation to Louisville residents and beyond for more than 40 years,” said Troy DeDecker, president of Encompass Health’s central region. “Through the new inpatient rehabilitation hospital, we will work together to provide our patients with coordinated and connected care that meets them where they are in their healthcare journeys and makes a positive difference in their lives.”

“As Jefferson County remains one of the fastest-growing counties in the state with an increased demand for rehabilitation services, the addition of this highly specialized inpatient rehabilitation hospital will meet a critical need in our local communities,” said Jody Prather, MD, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Baptist Health. “The new freestanding hospital will improve patient access to rehabilitation services and allow us to be a regional destination for care, expanding beyond the Baptist Health network to accept and support patients from many facilities in the region that do not have inpatient rehabilitation services.”

Complementing local acute care services like those provided by Baptist Health, this inpatient rehabilitation hospital will 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, this hospital will offer physical, occupational, and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life.

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