Tampa General Hospital(TGH)and Kindred Rehabilitation Services (KRS), a business unit of LifePoint Health, today opened the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital, a new 80-bed freestanding rehabilitation hospital that will provide comprehensive care for patients recovering from debilitating injuries, illnesses, surgeries and chronic medical conditions.
The new TGH Rehabilitation Hospital is located at 1307 W. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa between Oregon and Willow avenues and will accept its first patient on May 17, 2022. The building is approximately 80,000 square feet and the construction cost was $35 million.
“For decades, Tampa General’s inpatient rehabilitation unit has been the premier rehabilitation center in the Tampa Bay region for patients recovering from complex injuries or illnesses,” said John Couris, president and CEO, Tampa General. “With their proven expertise and reputation as a national leader in rehabilitation, Kindred is the perfect partner to develop the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital and take our legacy of advanced care to the next level.”
Announced as a joint venture in May 2020, the new TGH Rehabilitation Hospital will improve access to inpatient rehabilitation recovery and care. “With our new location in a freestanding building, the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital is easily accessible to patients and their families throughout the area. Our new building offers spacious accommodations that make use of natural light and soothing colors, along with advanced rehabilitation equipment to promote healing and recovery,” said Heather Higgins, CEO, TGH Rehabilitation Hospital.
Features of the new TGH Rehabilitation Hospital include:
- 80 generously-sized private patient rooms.
- A transitional living apartment – designed to simulate a residential apartment – to provide patients with the ability to participate in daily activities, such as cooking, in order to prepare to return to independent living. Patients transitioning back to home may also stay overnight to practice returning skills in a supported environment.
- A 24-bed secure unit dedicated to the care of patients recovering from neurological conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. The unit features a separate therapy gym for these patients.
- Day rooms for relaxation and socialization on each of the three patient floors.
- A meditation room, dining room and kitchen.
- A gym for physical and occupational therapy featuring a ceiling-mounted body weight support harness system for patients re-learning balance and walking skills while rebuilding their strength.
- Rooms for dialysis treatment.
- An outdoor courtyard with recreational and activity spaces – including a bocce court, putting green and garden site – that also features different terrains so patients can practice walking on steps and different surfaces.
- Specialized programs for patients recovering from neurological injuries and amputation.
“We are excited to see the completion of our first project in partnership with Tampa General and our first inpatient rehabilitation facility in the state of Florida,” said Russ Bailey, president, KRS. “This joint venture pairs two healthcare leaders – known for their exceptional patient outcomes – in a state-of-the-art facility that will dramatically expand access to our highly specialized and highly effective rehabilitative care.”
Kindred will manage the day-to-day operations of the new hospital, which is projected to employ more than 140 caregivers and staff. Tampa General Hospital will provide medical support services, such as imaging, lab and surgical procedures. Tampa General Hospital is providing pediatric and outpatient rehabilitation at alternate locations.
Tampa General’s rehabilitation services are ranked among the top 50 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-22 Best Hospitals. Tampa General was also named to Newsweek’s America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2021, ranking 25th in the nation. Of the KRS inpatient rehabilitation facilities eligible to be included in Newsweek’s America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2021, four were rated as the best in their respective states (including two that rated in the top 14 in the nation) and 10 more were rated among the very best in their states.
Tampa General and Kindred Behavioral Health are also planning a joint-venture partnership to build and operate the new freestanding, 96-bed Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital (with the potential to expand to 120 beds) which will be adjacent to the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital. Staffed by physicians in the Department of Psychiatry of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the specialized hospital will increase resources for individuals with behavioral and mental health conditions.
Additionally, the new TGH Rehabilitation Hospital and the Tampa Behavioral Health Hospital will be central to establishing the Tampa Medical and Research District as an innovation hub for health care across the region and the state. Spanning the Tampa metro area, the medical and research district is envisioned as a platform that empowers future-thinking institutions to originate, grow and improve the overall health and health equity of the Tampa Bay region.