Encompass Health Corp. and Ascension St. John announce plans to build a 40-bed rehabilitation hospital in Owasso, Oklahoma

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Feb 08, 2021, 07:28 ET

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and Ascension St. John today announced their plans to construct a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on East 86^th Street North in Owasso, Oklahoma, a northern suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The future hospital is the joint venture's second location.

Complementing local acute care services like those provided by Ascension St. John Owasso, the future hospital will offer physical, occupational and speech therapies, and 24-hour nursing care, to restore functional ability and quality of life. It will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions.

"Through the opening of our second hospital with Ascension St. John, we'll be able to support even more individuals in need of intensive, rehabilitation services provided in a hospital setting," said Barb Jacobsmeyer, executive vice president and president of inpatient hospitals at Encompass Health. "Since opening our Broken Arrow hospital in 2016, we have seen an increased demand for our care, and we will continue to work closely with the team at Ascension St. John to make sure our patients are receiving the high-quality care they deserve."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Encompass Health on this rehabilitation hospital in Owasso. This new facility represents our commitment to providing accessible, personalized care for our patients," said Mike McBride, FACHE, Ascension St. John Regional President and COO. "We are very pleased to expand our rehabilitation services for the communities we serve."

The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies and activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, dining room, pharmacy and therapy courtyard.

About Ascension
Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2020, Ascension provided $2.4 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes more than 160,000 associates and 40,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 146 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including clinical and network services, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization. Visit www.ascension.org.

About Encompass Health
As a national leader in integrated healthcare services, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) offers both facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that includes 137 hospitals, 241 home health locations, and 82 hospice locations in 39 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, cost-effective integrated healthcare. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. This hospital's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against this hospital; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays, including in connection with the regulatory review and approval process; the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health and this hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the ability to successfully complete and integrate this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues, cost savings, and productivity improvements arising from the related operations and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; this hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's or its partners' information systems; this hospital's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on this hospital's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020.

Encompass Health contacts:	Ascension St. John contact:
Media: Hillary Carnel \| 205 970-5912	Media: Caitlin Faeth \| 918-949-0712
[email protected]	[email protected]

Investor Relations: Crissy Carlisle \| 205 970-5860
[email protected]