Photo: Leaders from Northeast Georgia Health System and Lifepoint Health pose for a photo during the groundbreaking ceremony for Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute on March 28, 2024.
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, broke ground today on a new inpatient rehabilitation facility in Gainesville, Georgia. Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute is a joint venture partnership between NGHS and Lifepoint Rehabilitation that was announced last year.
With a total of 40 private rooms, the 61,000-square-foot facility will nearly double the patient capacity of the existing 24-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville. The new facility will feature a designated wing on the second floor for acquired brain injury and stroke patients, as well as a large therapy suite including a gym, private therapy rooms, a cooking therapy room, an activities of daily living therapy apartment and a variety of innovative rehabilitation equipment.
“We’re excited to bring even more services and expanded care close to home for our community,” said Kevin Matson, vice president of regional hospitals for NGHS. “This facility represents a significant milestone in our mission to provide exceptional care and support to those in need of rehabilitation services. Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute will be a place where each patient’s journey is met with compassion, innovation and a commitment to restoring health and independence.”
Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute will provide intensive nursing, physical, occupational and speech pathology services for adults recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disease, brain or spinal cord injury and other debilitating illnesses or injuries. Lifepoint Rehabilitation will manage the day-to-day operations, and all services currently provided at NGMC Gainesville will transition to the freestanding facility.
“We are pleased to begin construction of Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute,” said David Stark, chief operating officer for Lifepoint Rehabilitation. “We know that NGHS shares our commitment to expanding access to critically needed inpatient rehabilitation services for patients in Gainesville and throughout the surrounding region, and we look forward to working alongside their team as we advance our mission of making communities healthier ®.”
Upon completion, Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute will be jointly operated by NGHS and Lifepoint Rehabilitation. It will join Lifepoint Rehabilitation’s growing network of more than 40 inpatient rehabilitation facilities across the country. The hospital is expected to open in 2025 and will serve more than 1,200 patients annually.