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Welcome to our hospital

At Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley, we are committed to helping you regain independence after a life-changing illness or injury. Serving Centre County, Pennsylvania, we are a leading provider of inpatient rehabilitation for stroke, Parkinson’s disease 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.

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Careers

What to expect

Take a look at what happens during a stay at our hospital

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Superior amenities at our hospitals

73 Beds

Televisions

Telephones

Free WiFi

Courtyard

Tours available

Support groups

Nonsmoking

Pet friendly

Volunteers

Student observation hours

See our hospital

We proudly display our Gold Seal of Approval™

Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in brain injury rehabilitation.

Heart Failure

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in heart failure.

Stroke Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in stroke rehabilitation.

Parkinson's Disease Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in Parkinson's disease.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in pulmonary rehabilitation.

Take a virtual tour

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. The room links below our virtual tour leave this website and go directly to Google maps to walk through the hospital.

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.

  • Lobby/Foyer of hospital accessed through main hospital entrance.
  • Main desk in lobby entrance for receptionist and admitting area.
  • Chairs for patients and visitors to use.
  • Four hallways lead from lobby to other areas of the hospital.
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  • Multiple tables and chairs for patients and visitors to eat together.
  • Buffet style food area with menu, utensils, and condiments to choose.
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  • a. Multiple tables and chairs for patients, visitors, and family to sit together.
  • Water and ice machine for use.
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  • Multiple tables throughout therapy gym to assist in patient therapies.
  • Exercise equipment throughout gym to be used with technologies in therapy sessions.
  • Small stairs to assist in building patient’s strength.
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  • Multiple tables throughout therapy gym to assist in patient therapies.
  • Exercise equipment throughout gym to be used with technologies in therapy sessions.
  • Small stairs to assist in building patient’s strength.
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  • Patient room with bed, sink, bathroom, and chair for visitors.
  • Wardrobe with storage for personal effects is under the television.
  • Window with exterior view.
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  • Shared patient room with two beds, sink, bathroom, and chairs for visitors.
  • Two wardrobes for storage.
  • Nightstands are placed next to each bed with a curtain to divide room between patient beds.
  • Window with exterior view.

Hospital happenings

Parkinson’s Awareness month is in full bloom here at Encompass Health Nittany Valley! Throughout the month of April, our employees came up with ways to celebrate Parkinson’s Awareness month. The Parkinson’s disease team organized a “Dress Down for a Cause Day” to raise money for the Parkinson’s Foundation. Encompass Health Nittany Valley employees who donated were able to dress casually and wear gray T-shirts and jeans. Occupational Therapist Molly Gomez got our patients involved with tulip planting during therapy their sessions. Red tulips are the symbol of Parkinson’s disease and look beautiful is our planters!

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Hospital happenings

​We were able to bring extra cheer to our patients as the holidays approach. Thank you Sue Harpster, HIMS clerk; Vicki Harpster, coder; and Juanita Corman, environmental services aide/housekeeping; for coordinating this.

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

Holiday cheer at Encompass Health Nittany Valley

Hospital happenings

Encompass Health Nittany Valley wrapped up National Rehabilitation Awareness Week with a visit from our friends Rising Hope Therapeutic Riding Center who brought 3 mini horses: Rosey, Maddie and Misty. Together we provided equine-assisted therapy to just shy of 30 patients, and several staff members joined in the fun as well!

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

 Therapy horses come to Nittany Valley

Hospital happenings

This morning we held a Ribbon Dancing Tai Chi class in lieu of our traditional strength training program. To make things feel fresh for National Rehabilitation Week, we added silky ribbons! Seeing the colorful streams helped to emphasize the movements that Tai Chi incorporates. It brought a fun visual component to an otherwise Zen strength program!

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

 Patients and staff at Nittany Valley do tai chi

Hospital happenings

Today brought an awesome opportunity to “Discover the Possibilities of Rehabilitation” through art therapy with special guest Bob Ross! In two sessions, we led 15 patients in an exercise to unleash their creativity. Many had said they never painted before, or they hadn’t picked up a paint brush in decades. Some patients chose to paint a sunflower with the group, and others expressed themselves through their own unique creations and shared a little about what their painting meant to them.

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

 Painting therapy at Nittany Valley

Hospital happenings

Physical and occupational therapists brought their patients outside to enjoy the many therapeutic benefits of including horses in their group therapy. About 20 patients were able to experience the therapeutic effects of these special animals, and at least three patients had stated that it was their first time ever touching a horse! Thank you to the team from Rising Hope Therapeutic Riding Center: mini horses Rosy and Maddie and their handlers Yvonne, Lisa and Sherri.

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

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pet therapy

Hospital happenings

Despite visitor restrictions, our team is coming up with ways to help keep our patients connected with their support systems. Our staff placed room number identifiers on patient windows to make it easy for loved ones to be able to find each other and visit through the window.This group of girlfriends didn't let restricted visitation keep them from supporting one of their own. Friends for years, they showed up to encourage our patient while all wearing shirts from their most recent girls trip to Panama City.

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

Girlfriends visit their friend at Nittany Valley

Hospital happenings

Just four doors down from our hospital is family owned Rony's Place Restaurant and Pizzeria. They’ve created “Stir Crazy Pizza Kits” to lessen the burden on local families. These kits contain all the fixings for a pizza and are available for pick-up. They also have supplied our employees with individually packaged pizza slices for lunch. We wanted to share our appreciation for their community service and creativity with an employee-signed thank you message and goodie bag filled with Encompass Health swag. Thank you again for all you have done for our local community and our hospital in these times.

- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley

Nittany Valley celebrates local pizza shop with pizza kits

Leadership and staff

Amy Adams
Amy Adams

Chief Executive Officer

Amy first joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2003.

Amy first joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2003 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Amy earned 10 years of care management experience before being promoted to the case management director in 2015.  In that role, she led the interdisciplinary team, ensuring exceptional services were being delivered and the needs of patients and families were met. In April 2020, Amy rose to the position of CEO, and oversees all of the hospital’s day-to-day operations as well as patient care and quality initiatives. Amy lives in Bellefonte with her husband and two sons.

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Richard Allatt
Richard Allatt, M.D.

Medical Director

Dr. Allatt has served on the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley team since 1995.

Dr. Allatt has served on the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley team since 1995. He offers special expertise in back pain treatment, sports medicine and musculoskeletal medicine. Dr. Allatt earned his medical degree from McMaster University Medical School in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He completed his residency in family medicine at McMaster, followed by a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at The University of Ottawa in Canada. He is certified by The Royal College in Canada and The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Medical Society.

Dr. Allatt is an independent private practice physician.

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Michelle Katz
Michelle Katz

Human Resources Director

Michelle serves as the director human resources at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley.

Michelle serves as the director human resources at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley. She is a member of the Human Resources Association of Centre County (HRACC), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Society of Healthcare Human Resources Professionals in Pennsylvania (SHHRPP), and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA).

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Lance Kephart
Lance Kephart

Director of Pharmacy

Lance started his career with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley as a staff pharmacist in 2008.

Lance started his career with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley as a staff pharmacist in 2008 and became director of pharmacy in 2010, overseeing the inpatient pharmacy services. He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 1994 after completing two years of pre-pharmacy at Gannon University in Erie. Lance takes pride in pharmacy's extensive involvement with patient education, medication admission and discharge reconciliation and medication safety. He is also committed to improving medication management, increasing awareness of appropriate use of antimicrobials and pain medications as well as promoting safe use of medications.

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Mark Konopelski
MARK KONOPELSKI

Facilities Management Director

Mark joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2022.

Mark joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2022. He offers more than 30 years of experience within maintenance and facility management and has multiple certifications including plumbing, electrical, welding and EPA. He has worked in skilled nursing, student living and DCNR. Mark graduated from Lock Haven University with a business degree and the Reading Police Academy with Act120 certification.

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Jose Lopez
JOSE LOPEZ

Controller

Jose joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in October 2022.

Jose joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in October 2022. His healthcare background includes working in outpatient, inpatient, skilled nursing facilities and long-term acute care settings. Additionally, he has experience in both for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare entities. Jose holds a CPA license for the state of Pennsylvania, as well as other accounting and financial certificates including Certified Management Accountant and Certified Healthcare Financial Professional. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master's degree in healthcare administration from Seton Hill University.

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Brandy McCardle
Brandy McCardle

Business Development Director

Brandy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2011 as a nurse liaison.

Brandy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2011 as a nurse liaison. She was promoted to business development director in June 2021. Brandy brings more than 18 years of experience across the healthcare continuum in both the clinical and marketing setting and possesses comprehensive healthcare market knowledge. She provides leadership to the admission and marketing teams that assists community members in accessing the acute rehabilitative level of care.

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David Pellerano
David Pellerano

Director of Quality & Risk Management

Dave has served as the director of quality and risk management since 1999.

Dave has been with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 1996 and has served as the director of quality and risk management since 1999. He champions patient and family concerns, working with all appropriate staff to ensure the hospital is continuously improving its patient experience. He serves on the employee activities committee and patient experience group at the hospital. Dave received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State University.

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Valerie Prave
Valerie Prave, BSN, RN

Director of Case Management

Valerie joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2019 as nurse manager.

Valerie joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2019 as nurse manager. Before joining Encompass Health, she worked as the area director of skilled services for a home health organization in Pennsylvania. Val brings clinical expertise across multiple levels of care, as well as transition planning through the healthcare continuum. As director of case management, she leads our interdisciplinary team in collaborating care and discharge planning. She plays an integral role in patient advocacy and ensuring patient safety. Val has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from The Pennsylvania State University. She resides in Curwensville with her husband and family.

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Patty Smith
Patty Smith

Supervisor Administrative Support

Patty has worked at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 1990 in a variety of positions.

Patty has worked at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley since 1990 in a variety of positions, making her a valuable voice on the senior management team. Patty oversees the switchboard operations and coordinates the support for the senior leadership team. She lives in Philipsburg with her husband and three children.

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Tracy Stoltz
Tracy Stoltz

Director of Therapy Operations

Tracy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2007 as manager of the Pleasant Gap outpatient clinic.

Tracy joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley in 2007 as manager of the Pleasant Gap outpatient clinic. In 2010, her role expanded to manager of all outpatient services, including Encompass Health of Nittany Valley’s clinic at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. She was promoted to director of therapy operations in 2015, and oversees both inpatient and outpatient therapy operations. Tracy holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Mount Aloysius College and has more than 23 years of clinical experience in numerous settings. Tracy serves on the Encompass Health National Outpatient Task Force and has been an active participant with process reviews and changes. She resides in Huntingdon with her family.

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Peter Thomas
Peter Thomas, DO

Associate Medical Director

Dr. Thomas joined the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley team in 2022.

Dr. Thomas joined the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley team in 2022. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Juniata College and earned his medical degree at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Thomas completed his residency at the Community General Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg. His clinical interest includes geriatric medicine.

Dr. Thomas is an independent private practice physician.

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Bridget Williford
BRIDGET WILLIFORD

Chief Nursing Officer

Bridget serves as the chief nursing officer at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of the Nittany Valley.

Bridget serves as the chief nursing officer at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley. Her nursing career includes years working in intensive care, achieving her certified critical registered nurse credential and becoming director of nursing for an inpatient behavioral health unit. She began her career with Encompass Health at Shannon Rehabilitation Hospital in San Angelo, Texas as the director of quality and risk management. Bridget achieved a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in psychology from Angelo State University. After a career in counseling, Bridget attended Texas Tech and graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2013. Bridget has a passion for process improvement, patient experience and bringing out the best in others.

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What to expect

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Watch the videos

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Our hospital

We deliver connected care and superior outcomes through our state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital.

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