Leadership from Lee Health and Encompass Health ceremoniously celebrate the groundbreaking of the new 60-bed rehabilitation hospital on the campus of Gulf Coast Medical Center.
The joint venture hospital is expected to open in summer 2025
Fort Myers, Fla. – March 5, 2024 — Today, Lee Health, Southwest Florida’s healthcare provider of choice, and Encompass Health, the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the joint venture rehabilitation hospital in the Florida area. The 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital will be located at 6150 Medical Park Loop and is expected to begin serving patients in summer 2025.
The hospital will provide essential rehabilitative services that help patients recovering from strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions regain function and independence. Patients will receive a minimum of three hours of intensive therapy for five days each week, frequent physician visits and 24-hour nursing care.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to serve patients in the Fort Myers area through a joint venture with Lee Health, a trusted provider of healthcare services,” said Lori Bedard, president of Encompass Health’s Southeast Region. “Our state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital will allow patients to receive specialized care following an untimely injury or illness. The hospital has been designed with our patients’ needs in mind, and we look forward to offering a place where area residents can regain strength, function, hope and independence.”
“This partnership with Encompass Health offers comprehensive rehabilitation services to Southwest Florida residents, creating a continuity of care to give patients the best chance at full recovery,” said Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA, president and chief executive officer of Lee Health. “It is important that our friends and neighbors can get back to their normal routines and daily lives quickly with as little pain as possible. This new space will help accomplish that and ensure that Lee County residents receive the best possible care while regaining their strength and function.”
Hospital amenities will include 60 private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym featuring advanced rehabilitation technologies, an “activities of daily living” suite to support improved day-to-day independence, therapy courtyard, dining room, in-house pharmacy and an area to enjoy time with family and friends. An interdisciplinary team of highly specialized nurses, therapists and physicians will provide physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life.
To learn more, visit encompasshealth.com/fortmyersrehab.
About Lee Health
Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A non-profit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living and maintaining good health. Health care services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.
About Encompass Health
Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 161 hospitals in 37 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 World’s Most Admired Companies 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.
