Select Medical, AtlantiCare enter joint venture to own and operate rehab hospital, PT centers

Select Medical together with AtlantiCare on Wednesday announced a joint venture agreement to own and manage operations of a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital and 13 outpatient physical therapy centers throughout the southeastern region of New Jersey.

Select Medical will serve as both the majority owner and managing partner across the two post-acute care lines. The construction of the new state-of-the-art hospital in Galloway Township will begin this year.

“We are pleased to partner with AtlantiCare to meet the advanced and growing needs of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative care throughout Atlantic County,” Tom Mullin, executive vice president of hospital operations at Select Medical, said. “Together, we will provide a full continuum of coordinated care built on clinical excellence, quality and outcomes that help patients heal, recover and return to community.”

Under the agreement, Select Medical will contribute 13 outpatient physical therapy centers under its NovaCare Rehabilitation brand. All are currently operating in the southeastern region of the state.

Lori Herndon. (File photo)

“As our partnership with Select Medical has developed, so, too, have the possibilities for patient care in our region,” Lori Herndon, CEO and president of AtlantiCare, said. “Staying at the forefront of health care and growing access to critical services is part of how we build healthy communities. With Select Medical, we will be able to continue to deliver on that important mission.”

Expected to open in 2024-25, the new inpatient rehabilitation hospital will carry the Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation name and serve patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including stroke and other neurological disorders, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and other complex orthopedic conditions.

Outpatient programs and services currently available at NovaCare Rehabilitation centers include physical therapy, occupational therapy, hand therapy, pelvic health, sports medicine, cancer rehabilitation and more.