Wellmont partners with HealthSouth to open a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Bristol

Wellmont Health System and HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HLS) today announced that a joint venture entity formed by the two parties has been awarded a certificate of public need (COPN) to open a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Bristol, Va. The 25-bed hospital will enable more patients in Bristol and throughout Southwest Virginia to have access to comprehensive, high-quality rehabilitative services.

Called The Rehabilitation Hospital of Southwest Virginia, the new hospital will be owned by the Wellmont/HealthSouth joint venture and managed by HealthSouth, the nation's largest provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services.

A construction project will begin in the first quarter of 2010 to renovate 20,000 square feet of a building located at 103 North St. This state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital will include 17 private rooms, four semi-private rooms, a spacious, on-site therapy gym and cutting-edge rehabilitation technologies and share a campus with Wellmont's Ridgeview Pavilion. Once fully operational in the summer of 2010, the hospital is expected to generate approximately 50 new jobs. The development of The Rehabilitation Hospital of Southwest Virginia represents a $4.5 million investment in the community.

"This is a great day for Wellmont and HealthSouth, and most of all it's a great day for people in the region we serve," said Bart Hove, president of Bristol Regional Medical Center. "Wellmont is a leading provider of healthcare services throughout the region, and HealthSouth is the nation's preeminent provider of rehabilitative care. This partnership will ensure that patients have a seamless continuum of care. They'll have access to the highest level of acute care services at Wellmont hospitals, and when they're in need of rehabilitative care services, The Rehabilitation Hospital of Southwest Virginia will be there to speed them along the road to recovery.

"We're grateful to the Virginia Department of Health for recognizing this community need and granting us the approval to meet that need."

Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals are a critical link in the continuum of care for patients who are recovering from a wide range of injuries and illnesses such as: stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions, and amputations. Increased therapy time and a high level of specialized care are combined with significant physician involvement to provide patients the necessary care they need to recover.

"We're pleased to partner with Wellmont and look forward to providing greater access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services for many Southwest Virginia residents," said Terry Maxhimer, president of HealthSouth's Mid-Atlantic Region. "For a quarter century, HealthSouth has provided quality post-acute care across the country, and this partnership at The Rehabilitation Hospital of Southwest Virginia combines the experience and specialized care found at HealthSouth rehabilitation hospitals with the exceptional reputation of Bristol Regional and the other Wellmont hospitals. We hope to be the post-acute care provider of choice for this community."

The rehabilitation hospital will be of particular benefit to patients served by Bristol Regional Medical Center's primary stroke center, the region's first Joint Commission-certified primary stroke center. Bristol Regional serves as the hub of the Appalachian Regional Stroke Center Network, providing advanced stroke care for patients referred from community hospitals across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The Rehabilitation Hospital of Southwest Virginia will maintain a close clinical affiliation with Bristol Regional Medical Center.

HealthSouth operates HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Kingsport located on Cassell Drive.