Our rehab hospital colleagues will likely be on the move Jan. 8, 2019, when plans call for them to relocate to a newly renovated larger building to support their patient care and future growth.

The announcement came on June 13, when UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez and UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital CEO/Administrator Marina Cecchini cohosted employee town hall meetings with Select Medical corporate and regional executives. The rehab hospital began its collaboration in 2016 with Select Medical, which operates 25 rehab hospitals, including the renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.

After the January move, the new rehab hospital will be an independent entity managed by Select Medical. However, leaders are giving staff plenty of time to settle in, learn how Select Medical works, get immersed into its culture and adapt to operational changes. Instead of immediately switching employers, the UF Health Shands-employed rehab staff will have two years before becoming Select Medical team members. During that time, pay and opportunities for raises, paid time off, benefits and pension will remain unchanged.

“The work you do here for rehab patients is as good as any in the nation. You deliver outstanding results for the people in your care, and your programs should be recognized among the best,” Jimenez told staff. “With Select Medical’s expertise, you’ll benefit from investments in clinical programs, infrastructure and resources in addition to research and education programs.”

There will be just a few exceptions regarding the employment timeframe: The rehab hospital will employ its management team. Beginning in January, several current rehab hospital leaders will make an early switch to be employed by the rehab hospital for the two-year duration. In addition, the rehab hospital will recruit other management positions as it separates from the shared administrative infrastructure with UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital.

Upgraded amenities will better match the rehab and physical medicine providers’ expertise and quality care. The new rehab hospital will open with 50 licensed beds (compared with its current 40 beds) with long-term capacity for 60 beds. Plans for research, a residency program and continued education and training opportunities will help move it deservedly into the top tier of rehab hospitals, Jimenez said.

Cecchini emphasized the compatible cultures at both Select Medical and UF Health Shands. She became a Select Medical employee last year, after having led our rehab hospital for 17 years.

She said, “Select Medical’s focus on rehabilitation provides a great opportunity for best-practice program development and staff education, which will benefit our rehab hospital. A compatibility of mission, vision and values that prioritizes quality outcomes for patients, safety for patient and staff, engaged employees and goal achievement make this a great collaboration. I look forward to the new heights the rehab hospital will achieve.”

Select Medical Vice President Ted Bolcavage added, “Our priorities are clearly defined: First, to keep our patients and each other safe and to deliver an exceptional patient and staff experience. Only then do we focus on annual business goals. People come first.”

The Archer Road building, into which the rehab hospital will move, housed the Select Specialty Hospital – Gainesville. This long-term acute care hospital relocated on Aug. 14 as a hospital-within-a-hospital on the fifth floor of UF Health Shands Hospital. It will remain independently managed and operated by Select Medical as a resource for patients referred from hospitals throughout the area.

“We are excited about these next steps in our collaboration with Select Medical to improve post-acute and rehabilitation care for people throughout North Central Florida,” Jimenez said. “We’re addressing community needs now and planning for the future. We appreciate all the staff who are part of these plans and look forward to what’s ahead.”