This hospital has
Joint Commission Accreditation
At Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bluffton, we are committed to helping you regain independence after a life-changing illness or injury. Located in Bluffton, we are a leading provider of inpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology for stroke, brain injury, hip fracture and other complex neurological and orthopedic conditions.
Using clinical collaboration and advanced technologies, we provide a personalized care plan designed to meet your unique needs and help you achieve your goals.
Our inpatient rehabilitation hospital uses an interdisciplinary team approach that includes physical, speech and occupational therapists, rehabilitation physicians, rehabilitation nurses, case managers, dietitians and more, combined with our advanced technology and expertise, to help you achieve your goals. You will receive at least three hours of therapy five days per week while under the constant care of registered nurses, many of whom specialize in rehabilitation, and frequent independent private practice physician* visits.
Rehabilitation is covered in full or part by most health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. Our hospital has contracts with most major insurance companies and is willing to negotiate with other companies, as needed.
*The hospital provides access to independent physicians.
38 Beds
Nonsmoking
Free WiFi
Interpreter services
Telephones
Televisions
Courtyard
Tours available
Pet friendly
Student observation hours
Volunteers
By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety, our hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission.
The following region contains a Google 3D virtual tour feature that allows a user to view the Encompass Health facility. To assist screen reader users in understanding what is presented in the 3D virtual tour, each image view is independently described within lists that can be found under each linked heading.
Please click on the arrows to navigate through the hallways on each floor. Use the "L" options on the right-hand side of the tour window below to navigate through different areas/floors of the hospital for a full virtual tour. See a key to "L" areas below.
Chief Executive Officer
Wayne is an accomplished hospital operator who has served in healthcare for 24 years. He has served in multiple hospital environments including for-profit systems and not-for-profit systems, as well as short term acute care and post-acute care. Wayne most recently served as the CEO of ContinueCARE Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to relocating to South Carolina, Wayne served as the CEO of Regency Hospital in Macon, Georgia. Wayne's other prior roles include serving 12 years with Tenet Healthcare where he served as an associate administrator and later as chief operating officer at Atlanta Medical Center, a two-campus, 762 bed, level 1 trauma center. Wayne holds a master's degree in business administration from Mercer University, and a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Phoenix. He is also a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Medical Director
Dr. Somaio brings 16 years of experience as a board certified physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR). He completed his medical training and residency at Albany Medical Center Hospital in Upstate New York. He has extensive experience treating both adult and pediatric patients with stroke, brain injury, trauma, orthopedic and neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. He was an associate professor at Albany Medical Center Hospital for PMR residents and is an auxiliary member of the New York State Board of Medicine. He served as President of the Stand Up and Play Foundation (Capital District of NY Chapter) and is currently an active member of the National MS Society.
Dr. Somaio is an independent private practice physician.
Business Development Director
Renee Bannon joined Encompass Health with the opening of the Bluffton hospital in 2018 and now serves as the business development director. She came with 20+ combined years of sales, business, and nursing experience. Renee earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from The Baptist School of Health Professionals and is licensed as a registered nurse. Renee is a native to the area and comes from a family of nurses, first responders, military, and community servants. She proudly boasts that her grandmother, also a nurse, helped establish the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Jasper County.
Controller
Jennifer joined the team at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bluffton in 2021 with 15 years of combined accounting and finance experience. She has had held various positions in the healthcare setting including controller of a 173-bed hospital and CFO of a critical access hospital. Jennifer received her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a native of the San Francisco bay area and is excited to now call South Carolina home.
Director of Therapy Operations
Kathleen joined the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bluffton team in 2020 with more than five years of experience with Encompass Health in Savannah, Georgia and Memphis, Tennessee. She received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Memphis and her doctorate degree in physical therapy degree from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Throughout her time with Encompass Health, she has served as a staff physical therapist, physical therapy team leader, program champion of The Joint Commission Stroke Certification Team in Savannah, and has earned her NDT certification.
Director of Case Management
Stephanie joined Encompass Health with more than 10 years of case management experience. She has held various discharge planning positions across the inpatient and outpatient spectrum of healthcare. She hails from Detroit by way of Chicago where she earned her master's degree in social work from Loyola University. Stephanie and her family are delighted to call South Carolina home.
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We deliver connected care and superior outcomes through our state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital.