ClearSky moves forward on rehab hospital
Feb. 15—For several years, stroke patients and accident victims in St. Joseph faced a long drive if they wanted post-acute rehabilitation services after being discharged from the hospital.
Soon, they will have not one but two choices closer to home.
Mosaic Life Care announced plans last month to open an inpatient rehabilitation unit in partnership with a Tennessee company called Lifepoint. That facility could open in July on the third floor of the hospital.
Meanwhile, ClearSky Health is moving forward with a $20 million rehabilitation hospital scheduled to open next month in Elwood, Kansas. The 30-bed facility will provide care to patients who need speech, physical or occupational therapy before returning home.
"We're staying true to our mission which is to provide rehabilitation services, post-acute services to markets that didn't have it," said Darby Brockette, the chief executive officer and founder of ClearSky. "Our business plan, in a nutshell, is that patients can stay closer to home without going outside the market."
Brockette said ClearSky will have pharmacists and physicians on staff and provide three hours of therapy a day. Part of the process is working with family caregivers so the patient is ready to go home at the end of rehabilitation, which can last a couple of weeks.
"You know, friends and family being close to them really helps with the healing process," he said.
ClearSky was formed in 2019 and soon will have 15 rehabilitation hospitals, many of them in the southern United States. One thing that has changed since December, when ClearSky broke ground on its Elwood facility, is Mosaic's decision to expand into the rehabilitation market.
That came as a surprise to ClearSky's leadership.
"We spent over $20 million on this hospital," Brockette said. "We certainly wouldn't have done it without their support. We were very much encouraged to come to the community."
When asked about ClearSky's move into the Elwood market, Mosaic officials released the following statement: "Mosaic's engagement with Lifepoint Rehabilitation is to improve our patients' access to high-quality acute rehabilitation services and produce a deeper, more positive impact on the overall health of the communities we serve."
Asked if two rehabilitation centers can operate in the St. Joseph area, Brockett said, "Well, that's to be seen, isn't it?"
Greg Kozol can be reached at greg.kozol@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowKozol.
