Ascension Saint Thomas and Kindred Rehabilitation Services Open New Rehabilitation Hospital in Nashville 

The 66,000-square-foot, 40-bed rehabilitation hospital will provide care for individuals recovering from debilitating injuries, illnesses, surgeries and chronic medical conditions. It replaces the 24-bed Acute Rehab Unit previously located inside Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown and comes as the campus undergoes a $300-million modernization that will yield a new surgery and critical care tower, a new medical office building, a dedicated spine institute, a “hospital within a hospital” for women’s services, and expansions of other specialty programs. Key aspects of the campus masterplan were designed by patients, families and clinicians to create a curated patient journey.

“Ascension Saint Thomas remains committed to providing high-quality inpatient rehabilitation services designed to help patients with acute physical limitations progress toward independent living,” said Dr. Shubhada Jagasia, president and CEO, Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown and West. “This specialized collaboration with Kindred Rehabilitation Services complements the work of our dedicated Ascension Saint Thomas Spine Institute and our physician-led neurosciences service line. Our partnership enhances clinical integration and access for patients and families across acute care and rehabilitation treatment settings.”  

The hospital will have all private rooms and focus on acute inpatient rehabilitation for patients who suffer from stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, complex neurological disorders, orthopedic conditions, multiple trauma, amputation and other injuries or disorders.

Features of the new Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital include:

• 40 generously-sized, private patient rooms.

• A transitional living apartment – designed to simulate a residential apartment – that provides patients the opportunity to practice daily activities, such as cooking, in order to prepare to return to independent living. Patients transitioning back to home may also stay overnight to practice returning skills in a supported environment. 

• A secure unit dedicated to the care of patients recovering from neurological conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. The unit features a separate therapy gym for these patients.

• A dining room and kitchen.

• A gym for physical and occupational therapy featuring a ceiling-mounted body weight support harness system that helps patients re-learn balance and walking skills while rebuilding their strength. 

• A rooftop courtyard with recreational and activity spaces so patients can experience nature and practice walking on steps and different surfaces. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Ascension Saint Thomas and open this specialty hospital in the heart of Nashville to expand access to high-quality, acute rehabilitative care,” said Russ Bailey, president, Kindred Rehabilitation Services. “As Middle Tennessee ages, the need for inpatient rehabilitation services increases. This hospital will help meet that demand, and by assisting patients along their recovery journeys, it will advance our mission of making communities healthier.” 

Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital began accepting its first patients this week. 

Ascension Saint Thomas operates 12 hospital campuses in Tennessee in addition to a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities that cover a 45-county area and employ more than 8,500 associates. Across the state, Ascension Saint Thomas provided more than $154 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty in fiscal year 2021. The health system has a 125-year history in Tennessee. Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable, through its more than 2,600 sites of care in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

With 30 standalone, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) across 18 states, Kindred Rehabilitation Services (KRS) is a partner of choice for many major hospital systems in the creation of joint-venture operations that are industry-leading in clinical and financial outcomes. KRS brings proven rehabilitation management and services expertise to help the nearly 30,000 patients we see each year in our specialty hospitals recover and return home quickly from any of a number of conditions, including stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic injury, neurological conditions, amputation and trauma. Kindred Rehabilitation Services is a business unit of Brentwood, Tennessee-based LifePoint Health.

LifePoint Health is a leading healthcare provider that serves patients, clinicians, communities and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier, the company has a growing diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of more than 50,000 dedicated employees, 63 community hospital campuses, more than 30 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals and 170 additional sites of care, including managed acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities. More information about LifePoint can be found at www.LifePointHealth.net.