The City of Billings is now home to the only freestanding rehab hospital in the state of Montana. The Rehabilitation Hospital of Montana was officially opened this Monday at a ribbon cutting ceremony and is designed to help people recovering from stroke as well as brain and spinal cord injuries.
The Rehabilitation Hospital is being operated in a partnership between Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare, and Kentucky-based Kindred Healthcare, with Kindred managing the day-to-day operations of the hospital. Kindred has already been working with St. Vincent’s for years managing New Hope, the inpatient rehabilitation unit at St. Vincent Healthcare. Jason Zachariah, President of Kindred Rehabilitation Services, says that “St. Vincent Healthcare has been a great partner and we look forward to working with Billings Clinic on this quality-focused collaboration.”
Located at 3573 Hesper Rd., the Rehabilitation Hospital is set up with 34 private rooms with their own bathrooms. With an estimated average stay of two weeks, they plan on serving around one thousand people every year. The hospital also includes a therapy gym, a separate brain injury gym, and a cafeteria and kitchen. This will also be a boost to medical jobs in the area, as the hospital expects to employ more than 100 caregivers and staff members.
After events like a stroke or traumatic brain injury, it’s important for people to have quality care to help them do everything from brain exercises to relearning how to walk. This new hospital will allow patients to receive high quality care right here in Billings and will be a great resource for the entire state as we work to treat brain and spinal cord injuries and provide better care to patients.
