The joint-venture hospital will be built inside the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital

Birmingham, Ala. and Atlanta, Ga. (April 6, 2023) – Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and Piedmont announced today the start of construction for the future joint-venture rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. The 40-bed hospital will be built inside of the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital as a hospital-in-hospital structure and is expected to begin caring for patients in spring 2024. The hospital will serve patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including strokes and other neurological disorders, amputations, advanced cardiovascular or oncologic conditions, and complex orthopedic conditions.

“This expansion will provide a substantial benefit to the community and also will benefit patients through close proximity to and the availability of specialized care, if needed,” says Patrick M. Battey, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. “At Piedmont, one of our main priorities is ensuring seamless integration of care for our patients, who deserve the highest-quality, most convenient treatment possible, especially in the case of extensive illness or injury. This is a wonderful opportunity, further aiding us in our mission to make a positive difference in every life we touch.”

“We are excited to begin construction on our Atlanta rehabilitation hospital in partnership with Piedmont. Both Encompass Health and Piedmont are united in the mission to provide compassionate care and help patients regain the strength, function and confidence needed to move forward in their lives,” said Ronnie Wagley, president of Encompass Health’s South Atlantic Region. “We know this hospital will make a great impact on the lives of patients and their families, as it will allow even more individuals in the Atlanta area and beyond to receive specialized care, close to home. It will be a place where patients discover hope and restored independence, and we look forward to opening the doors to serve the community next year.”

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital is an acute-care, 643-bed facility, offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services—including 24-hour emergency services, transplantation and comprehensive care. The new, specialized hospital-within-a-hospital will provide care for individuals in Atlanta and the surrounding region through comprehensive rehabilitation services, including physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life. Care is provided by highly specialized nurses, therapists and physicians—with patients receiving a minimum of three hours per day of therapy for five days each week, 24-hour nursing care, access to advanced technologies and frequent visits by a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician during their stay.

The partnership between Encompass Health and Piedmont also includes five other joint-venture rehabilitation hospital locations: a future 40-bed freestanding hospital in Athens, Georgia; a 40-bed freestanding hospital currently under construction in Columbus, Georgia; Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, a 58-bed hospital in Phenix City, Alabama; Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Newnan, a 60-bed freestanding hospital in Newnan, Georgia; and Rehabilitation Hospital of Henry, a 50-bed freestanding hospital in McDonough, Georgia. The Columbus, Georgia location will be located near the Piedmont Columbus Regional Northside Campus and is scheduled to open in August.

About Piedmont

Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing health care. We continue to fuel Georgia’s growth through safe, high-quality care close to home through an integrated health care system that provides a hassle-free, unified experience. We are a private, not-for-profit organization that for centuries has lived up to our purpose to make a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. The Leapfrog Group, a non-profit organization that rates hospitals on safety, has consistently awarded Piedmont more A grades than any system in Georgia. Across our 1,600 physical locations we care for 3.7 million patients and serve communities that comprise 80 percent of Georgia’s population. This includes 22 hospitals, 65 Piedmont Urgent Care centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and nearly 3,100 Piedmont Clinic members. Millions of patients conveniently engage with Piedmont online, as they visited Piedmont.org and Piedmont MyChart over 30 million times, scheduled more than 515,000 online appointments and over 154,000 virtual visits. With more than 37,000 care givers we are the largest Georgia-based employer of Georgians, who all came for the job, but stayed for the people. In 2023, Piedmont has earned recognition from Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and also as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women. In 2022, Forbes ranked Piedmont on its list of the Best Large Employers in the United States. In addition, Piedmont provided nearly $360 million in Community Benefit in Fiscal Year 2022, including approximately $310 million in uncompensated care.

For more information, or to book your next appointment, visit piedmont.org.

About Encompass Health
Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 156 hospitals in 37 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.