Carilion Clinic this week announced its aspirations to establish a new, freestanding inpatient medical rehabilitation hospital near its Roanoke campus.

Carilion’s existing rehabilitation facility at Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital supports 34 medical rehabilitation beds. The new hospital would add resources for 16 more beds.  

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“Currently, our inpatient rehabilitation unit at Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital serves patients who need help recovering from strokes, traumatic injuries and a host of other ailments,” said Nancy Agee, chief executive officer of Carilion, in a press release. “With an aging population in our region, we have a need for more medical rehabilitation services.”

Details regarding cost, location of the new building and future plans are still being finalized, according to the press release. 

Carilion sent a letter of intent to the state’s Certificate of Public Need Division on April 1. The letter is the first step in the application process to bring new or expanded medical services to Virginia. 

Later, Carilion will be required to submit an application that includes data, documentation and narrative to describe why the project is needed, according to the law firm Sands Anderson, which works with industries including the health care sector. A four- to six-month review will follow. 

Carilion spokesperson Hannah Curtis declined to provide any additional information about future plans for the vacated space at Community Hospital or data relating to annual patient volumes in the current inpatient rehabilitation facility. 

Emily Schabacker is health care reporter for Cardinal News. She can be reached at emily@cardinalnews.org...