New rehab hospital to open in Fort Smith

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, right, speaks with Jim Gratton, left, about the EksoNR, a robotic exoskeleton designed to help physical therapists treat patients who lost the ability to walk due to a stroke, brain injury or other condition, in the therapy gym of the new Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital – Fort Smith on Friday. 
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente)
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, right, speaks with Jim Gratton, left, about the EksoNR, a robotic exoskeleton designed to help physical therapists treat patients who lost the ability to walk due to a stroke, brain injury or other condition, in the therapy gym of the new Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital – Fort Smith on Friday. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente)

FORT SMITH -- A new facility dedicated to rehabilitation services soon will open soon to patients.

Mercy and the Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare held a dedication, blessing and ribbon-cutting Friday for the new Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital-Fort Smith at 6700 Chad Colley Blvd.

The 50-bed, 62,570-square-foot facility will care for adults recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disease, and brain or spinal cord injuries, among other debilitating illnesses or injuries, according to a Mercy news release.

Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, said while Mercy operates an inpatient rehabilitation facility on its main campus at 7301 Rogers Ave., the wasn't designed for that purpose. Everything about this new hospital, however, is designed specifically with this in mind, which fits the unique needs of the patients. The patients require a longer, more intense rehabilitation, with aspects of the building's design also being specific to certain types of patients.

Some of the hospital's features include all private rooms, a secured brain injury unit with private dining and therapy gym, large interdisciplinary gyms, a therapeutic courtyard with golf, pickleball and cornhole; and specialty programs dedicated to treating patients for neurological issues, stroke, brain injury and amputation.

Gehrig said Kindred Healthcare will manage the facility's day-to-day operation.

"The original plans were to build a 40-bed rehab hospital with the ability to expand 10 more beds," Gehrig said. "After we sat down and really talked with our partners, Kindred, and helped them understand our plans and how fast we're growing, they agreed we need to go ahead and add those 10 beds today."

The hospital will accept its first patient June 1 and is anticipated to be fully operational by July 1, according to Gehrig, with 140 people working there when it's fully staffed.

Construction for the new hospital began in February 2020 on 4 acres donated by the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, the news release states.

Another news release that same month states it would be next to the college campus and be a teaching site for students in the college's School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy.

Kyle Parker, chief executive officer of the college, said the School of Physical Therapy will open in June while the School of Occupational Therapy will open in December. Students under both programs will see patients as part of their curriculum, helping treat patients alongside employees at the new facility.

"Under our curriculum and the way that we teach, not only do we give the pedagogical studies, obviously the book reading and what have you, but we like our students to get in to see live patients and see this put into action right from the get-go," Parker said.

Parker said it's a "wonderful thing" to have an in-patient rehabilitation hospital to which students can take a short walk from the college campus to do their clinical rotations. It's also strategic for Mercy because the hospital can help recruit physical therapy and occupational therapy students.

"This whole state, this whole region of the country, is sorely in need of additional physical therapists and occupational therapists, and so to have this kind of a relationship with Mercy is a very special thing for us," Parker said.

The exterior of the Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital – Fort Smith as seen after the dedication, blessing and ribbon-cutting for the new facility on Friday. 
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente)
The exterior of the Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital – Fort Smith as seen after the dedication, blessing and ribbon-cutting for the new facility on Friday. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente)

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Cost

The total construction cost of this Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital project will be about $28.5 million.

Source: Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith

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