Kindred Healthcare announced the signing of a definitive agreement to create a partnership to construct and operate a 34-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Billings, Montana.
The new inpatient rehabilitation hospital, The Rehabilitation Hospital of Montana, will offer all private rooms and treat patients who are recovering from conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. The hospital will meet the growing clinical needs of Billings, the state and region. Kindred will manage the day-to-day operations of the hospital, which is expected to employ more than 100 caregivers and staff. Subject to several regulatory and other approvals, the partners expect the inpatient rehabilitation hospital to open by the first quarter of 2019.
Kindred and St. Vincent Healthcare have an existing relationship as Kindred manages New Hope, the inpatient rehabilitation unit at St. Vincent Healthcare. Kindred and St. Vincent Healthcare plan to transfer the operations of this unit to the new rehabilitation hospital once it is open.
“We are pleased to work with the two premier healthcare providers in Billings to offer this high-quality post-acute care resource for the benefit of the community,” said Jason Zachariah, President of Kindred Rehabilitation Services, a division of Kindred. “St. Vincent Healthcare has been a great partner and we look forward to working with Billings Clinic on this quality-focused collaboration.”
“This collaboration will provide our community and the region greater access to new, high-quality rehabilitation services close to home,” said Randall Gibb, M.D., Billings Clinic Interim Chief Executive Officer. “We are bringing together the resources and knowledge of two of the strongest healthcare organizations in the region with Kindred’s nationally-recognized expertise in post-acute care to build and operate this facility, the first of its kind in Montana. This will strengthen the system of providing rehabilitation services already integrated within our organizations and we know this new partnership will benefit people across the region.”
“We are pleased to be part of this unique collaboration to continue to provide specialized inpatient rehabilitation services to patients across Montana,” said Steve Loveless, St. Vincent Healthcare and SCL Health Montana President. St. Vincent Healthcare is part of SCL Health, based out of Denver, Colorado. “All three organizations have worked together to ensure patients will receive high-quality services and team-based care so they are able to return to the life they want to live.”
