50-bed hospital coming to west St. Pete

A rendering of an Encompass Health hospital in Lakeland. Photo: Encompass Health

Encompass Health, which owns and operates 153 rehabilitation hospitals in 36 states and Puerto Rico, including 19 in Florida, has announced plans to build a 50-bed inpatient facility on St. Petersburg’s west side.

Although the exact address has not been determined, the rehab hospital will be built near the intersection of Tyrone Boulevard and 9th Avenue North, adjacent to a shopping plaza that houses Suncoast Medical Supply as well as a Winn-Dixie supermarket and Big Lots discount store. A statement from Encompass says the hospital will be a freestanding structure and not part of the plaza.

The 50-bed inpatient facility will be built near the intersection of 9th Avenue North and Tyrone Boulevard in west St. Pete

Some of the amenities planned for the facility include private patient rooms, a therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, cafeteria, pharmacy, and therapy courtyard.

"We are excited to expand and grow our rehabilitation services on Florida's Gulf Coast," says Lori Bedard, president of Encompass Health’s Southeast region, in a news release. "This new hospital will allow even more residents to receive specialized care close to home.”

A projected opening date was not disclosed in the release, but when the facility is up and running, its team of specialized nurses, therapists and doctors will treat patients suffering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions. 

The hospital will also feature 24-hour nursing care, the release states, in addition to therapy for physical, occupational, and speech disorders.

The facility will include private patient rooms, a therapy gym, cafeteria, pharmacy, and therapy courtyard. Photo: Encompass Health

According to its website, Birmingham, Ala.-based Encompass also plans to build hospitals in Clermont, Kissimmee, Lake Worth, Palm Beach Gardens, and The Villages.  

The Encompass rehab hospital is the latest West St. Pete health care development to get underway or be completed in the past few months.

The first, Bayfront Health St. Petersburg’s new freestanding emergency care facility, is under construction at 1800 66th Street North. The three-story, 42,000-square-foot medical pavilion and 14,000-square-foot emergency room will include 12 exam rooms, two resuscitation rooms, six waiting areas, and an ambulance bay. The new facility is expected to begin serving patients in January 2023.

The second, American House Senior Living, recently opened at the corner of 9th Avenue North and 66th Street North. It boasts 165 senior housing units along with a 120-bed skilled nursing facility.