Mercy executives and state and local officials on Friday marked the completion of the $28.5 million Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Fort Smith at 6700 Chad Colley Blvd.
The new 50-bed, 62,570-SF facility that had been under construction for about 14 months will provide care for adults recovering from stroke, neurological conditions and more. It will begin seeing patients June 1.
The facility, on 4 acres of land donated by the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, will employ about 140. It's the fifth joint venture between Mercy Fort Smith and Kindred Healthcare, which will manage day-to-day operations.
"These strategic partnerships provide access to quality, compassionate cost-effective rehabilitative care, while also supporting the educational advancement of future health care providers," Juli Stec, vice president of operations at Mercy Fort Smith, said in a news release.
"As with Kindred's other quality-focused partnerships with Mercy, this new hospital will be dedicated to passionately advocating for, and providing hope, healing and recovery to, patients in its care," Russ Bailey, president of Kindred Rehabilitation, said. "Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Fort Smith will provide increased access to rehabilitation services to the surrounding community of Fort Smith and help address the growing need for these services throughout the state of Arkansas."
All the hospital's rooms are private. It also features a brain injury unit with private dining and a therapy gym; large interdisciplinary gyms; a transitional living apartment designed to simulate a residential apartment; a therapeutic courtyard with golf, pickle ball and corn hole; specially designed rooms to treat dialysis patients; and specialty programs dedicated to neuro, stroke, brain injury and amputation.
The hospital will also serve as a teaching site for students in ACHE's School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy.
"The hospital will be ready just in time for our first class of physical therapy students to begin June 1, 2021, followed by our first class of occupational therapy students in January 2022," ACHE CEO Kyle Parker said. "We look forward to the exceptional training our students will receive at this outstanding rehabilitation facility located right on our campus."
Gov. Asa Hutchinson also attended the Friday dedication ceremony.
