BAPTIST REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

One year after ground-breaking, a new rehabilitation hospital is in full throes of construction on the corner of SW 62 Avenue and Sunset Drive.

Patients who require intensive inpatient rehabilitation will soon have an additional option for care under the Baptist Health umbrella. Located just across the street from Baptist Health South Miami Hospital, the new freestanding facility is a joint venture with Lifepoint Health, which operates a network of more than 40 highly regarded inpatient rehabilitation facilities across the country.

 “Together, we’re setting new standards for rehabilitation medicine and paving the way for improved patient outcomes,” says Ronald Tolchin, D.O.,chair of nonsurgical spine care and rehabilitation and Kalman Bass Endowed Chair in Pain and Rehabilitative Medicine at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute.

Lifepoint Rehabilitation and Baptist Health leaders at the July 2024 ground-breaking.

(L-R) Marty Mann, senior vice president, chief development officer, Lifepoint Health; Russ Bailey, president Lifepoint Rehabilitation and Lifepoint Behavioral Health; Ronald Tolchin, D.O., chair of Nonsurgical Spine Care and Rehabilitation, and Kalman Bass Endowed Chair in Pain and Rehabilitative Medicine at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute; Reyna Hernandez, assistant vice president Finance, Baptist Health; Nate Ortiz, chief operating officer,
Baptist Hospital.

In the planning since 2021, the new 100,000-square-foot facility will have “a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals and families,” says Dr. Tolchin, who will serve as medical director. The specialized hospital will provide treatment for individuals with brain or spinal cord injuries, as well as for select cardiac, oncology, orthopedic and stroke patients.”

The three-story facility will include 62 private inpatient rooms, with the capacity to open an additional 30 rooms. It will feature therapy gymnasiums outfitted with the latest therapeutic technologies, including augmented reality balance training, therapy bionics and a full body exoskeleton. It also will include a therapeutic courtyard, and outdoor spaces designed to further support patients in their transition back to daily living activities.