As one rehabilitation hospital leaves, another is planned for South Jersey

Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·2 min read

GALLOWAY – A South Jersey health system and a Pennsylvania firm have announced plans for a new rehabilitation hospital here.

Pending state approval, construction of the inpatient hospital will begin this year, according to Select Medical Corp and AtlantiCare.

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The post-acute care facility is expected to open in 2023 or 2025.

Bacharach Institute closing

The hospital will rise near the Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, which has announced plans to close its hospital and outpatient services on March 31.

The Bacharach Institute dates back to 1924, when it was founded as the Betty Bacharach Home for Afflicted Children in Longport. Children treated at the home received visits from celebrities like New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio and a TV figure, the Lone Ranger, according to the Institute's Facebook page.

Bacharach Institute had a deficit of $4.5 million in 2019, the last year for which online tax returns are available. That followed a cumulative deficit of more than $8 million over the previous three years.

Bacharach's name to live on

The new hospital will rise on West Jimmie Leeds Avenue adjacent to the Mainland Campus of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

It will take the name of the Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, which is also on West Jimmie Leeds Avenue, but the two organizations will otherwise have no connection, the representatives said.

AtlantiCare has separately agreed to buy the Bacharach site, which is adjacent to the Mainland Campus of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

"We are thoughtfully evaluating how we will use the Bacharach space," AtlantiCare spokeswoman Jennifer Tornetta said in a statement. "We do not yet have a timeline as the sale is pending state approval."

The joint venture's hospital will serve patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including stroke, amputations and neurological disorders, the organizations said.

Its cost and size are not yet known as planning for the project continues, according to AtlantiCare and Select Medical representatives.

A joint venture between the organizations will also include 13 outpatient physical therapy centers currently operated by Select Medical under the NovaCare Rehabilitation brand.

Select Medical will serve as majority owner and managing partner for both post-acute care lines.

Joint venture partners

AtlantiCare, a nonprofit based in Egg Harbor Township, has more than 100 facilities in five counties, including hospitals in Galloway and Atlantic City.

Select Medical, based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, had 105 critical illness recovery hospitals, 31 rehabilitation hospitals and 1,933 outpatient rehabilitation clinics at the end of its last quarter..

It operated 519 occupational health centers under the Concentra name.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: AtlantiCare, Select Medical to run rehabilitation hospital in Galloway