COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center announces it is partnering with Kindred Rehabilitation Services (KRS), a business unit of LifePoint Health, to build and operate a new 80-bed, 86,000 square foot adult inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Columbus. The facility will specialize in treatment and research for patients with stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries.
The new facility, to be located on Taylor Ave. adjacent to the medical center's Outpatient Care East and near Ohio State East Hospital, will allow the academic health system to increase access to inpatient rehabilitation services in the region by 30%, addressing a significant community need. It will replace the 60-bed Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital.
"For more than 60 years, the faculty and staff at Dodd have delivered excellence to our patients, visitors and communities. We're excited to build upon this legacy and partner with KRS on our shared vision to provide patients and their families with state-of-the-art acute rehabilitative care," said Jay Anderson, chief operating officer for the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. "We chose to build this new hospital in Columbus in an area with easy access to the major transportation arteries. This will ensure patients from throughout central Ohio have convenient access to comprehensive, specialized rehabilitation medical services."
Ohio State and KRS will co-own and operate the new hospital. The medical center will provide health care oversight with a medical director in charge of clinical guidelines, best practices and quality and safety measures. KRS management will oversee day-to-day operations. Both will have shared accountability to the hospital's joint oversight committee. All faculty and staff working at the new hospital will remain Ohio State employees and will continue to be highly valued members of the Buckeye family. The partners anticipate adding approximately 75 new jobs in clinical and support roles.
"As central Ohio grows rapidly, so does the need for exceptional rehabilitation care," said Amanda Lucas, executive director of clinical operations for the Ohio State Neurological Institute and executive director of Ohio State Harding Hospital. "We're proud to work with KRS to meet that community need, and we look forward to the many ways this partnership will transform rehabilitation care in central Ohio."
The new hospital will offer 80 private patient beds, an acquired brain injury unit, multidisciplinary therapy gyms, an outdoor therapy courtyard and more amenities to help patients and their families focus on recovery. It will improve Ohio State's research capabilities to advance rehabilitation technologies and treatments. Residents and medical students will also have resources to assist learning in the specialties supporting inpatient rehabilitation.
"We're thrilled to partner with Ohio State Wexner Medical Center to build and operate this new specialty hospital in Columbus," said Russ Bailey, president, Kindred Rehabilitation Services. "Both Ohio State and Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital have excellent reputations for providing high-quality, compassionate care to those they serve. As the need for inpatient rehabilitation care continues to increase in the community, we are looking forward to working together to expand access to these critical services and advance our mission of making communities healthier."
Through this partnership, KRS and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center will deliver on their shared commitment to exceptional patient care and outcomes. Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital is a top-ranked "Best Hospital" by U.S. News and World Report, and KRS facilities have been recognized as some of America's Best Rehabilitation Hospitals by Newsweek. KRS operates more than 30 inpatient rehabilitation facilities across 18 states. It has clinical affiliations with more than 300 colleges and universities across the country.
The three-story facility is expected to open in 2025.
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