Mechanicsville, Va.-based Sheltering Arms Hospital and Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University Health System have embarked on a joint venture to combine both institutions' current inpatient rehabilitation programs, according to the Progress Index.
The proposed hospital, Sheltering Arms Rehab Institute, would serve as a teaching hospital and provide physical rehabilitative inpatient care to individuals recovering from a stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury or similar conditions, according to the article.
The two institutions signed a definitive agreement to launch the joint venture in May. In September, the organizations filed a letter of intent to obtain a certificate of public need with the Virginia Department of Health. The healthcare partners expect to submit the COPN application by the end of October. Officials speculate that a decision will be released mid-2017. If approved, the Institute is slated open in 2020.
"The Sheltering Arms Rehab Institute will serve as a destination inpatient rehabilitation hospital for patients across the commonwealth and Mid-Atlantic region," said Mary Zweifel, interim CEO of Sheltering Arms, in a statement. "It will provide innovative, evidence-based inpatient rehabilitation that integrates the newest technology and most highly trained staff in a facility that supports the whole patient and family as an integral part of the recovery process."