Encompass Health announced Friday its 50-bed inpatient hospital has opened in Lakeland.  

The Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital at 1201 Oakbridge Parkway serves patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions, a press release said.

“We are excited to open this new hospital in Lakeland to help individuals recovering from major illnesses and injuries regain the strength and function needed to reach their highest levels of independence,” said Sharon Hayes, the hospital’s CEO. 

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In addition to 24-hour nursing care, the hospital “offers physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life,” the release said.  

Encompass Health of Lakeland accepted its first patients on Wednesday. The hospital has hired 135 employees. Enhabit Home Health-Lakeland also provides home health services in the area.

The investment in the hospital was more than $40 million. The site in Lakeland met several goals, including close proximity to patient population, access to major roads and a convenient location for physicians who will be making rounds at the hospital. 

The hospital features all private patient rooms, two large therapy gyms, a suite for activities of daily living, a therapy courtyard, a cafeteria and a dayroom.  

Patients will receive a minimum of three hours per day of therapy for five days each week, access to advanced technologies and frequent visits by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician during their stay. The average length of stay for patients is 12-14 days.

“This state-of-the-art hospital, combined with our team of experts and advanced technologies, will provide specialized care, close to home,” Hayes said.  

“We are greatly appreciative of the support we’ve received from the community and for the opportunity to serve as the region’s trusted choice for rehabilitation,” she said. 

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Lakeland is the company’s 148th inpatient rehabilitation hospital and its 16th in Florida, with three additional hospitals expected to open in Florida this year. 

“Through market research, we identified Lakeland as an underserved area for inpatient rehabilitation and a high-growth area for the patient population we typically serve,” said Danielle Hall senior manager of public relations for Encompass.

“At Encompass Health, our typical patient population is over the age of 65, and Lakeland represents a growing retirement community,” she said. “Since it is important for patients to be able to receive care in the communities in which they live, we identified the opportunity to add significant value to this community by developing a new hospital that would focus on high-quality clinical outcomes and cost-effective, individualized care.

“The hospital will complement existing acute care services offered in the community and provide easier access to the continuum of care for many patients who are ready to leave the acute care setting but are not yet ready to return home,” Hall said.

All family and visitors must complete a temperature check in the hospital lobby, she said. Employees are required to wear a mask in the patient care areas, and vaccinations are required for all Encompass Health staff unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption.

Encompass Health of Lakeland has two isolation rooms and six negative pressure rooms.

The Birmingham, Alabama-based Encompass Health is a publicly traded, integrated healthcare services provider, offering facility‑based and home‑based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies.

Aside from its 148 hospitals, it runs 252 home health locations and 99 hospice locations in 42 states and Puerto Rico.