Vital Signs - November 2000

HealthSouth Expands Nevada Presence

by Kathleen Foley

HealthSouth Corporation is the nation’s largest provider of ambulatory surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation healthcare services, with more than 2,000 locations in all 50 states, the United Kingdom, Australia and Puerto Rico. HealthSouth, which already operates 20 healthcare facilities in Southern Nevada, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a rehabilitation hospital on the same day it celebrated the grand opening of a new medical plaza.

"HealthSouth is committed to the people of Las Vegas and its medical community," said Richard M. Scrushy, HealthSouth chairman of the board and CEO. "These facilities will be two of the finest in the country, completing a full continuum of care from inpatient to outpatient healthcare services." Rick Knowland, president and CEO of HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Las Vegas, an existing facility on Valley View Boulevard, agrees, stating, "HealthSouth’s goal is to be the dominant player in town. We want people to think of us when they think of rehab and long-term acute care." The existing 67-bed medical rehabilitation hospital has served over 20,000 patients in its eight years of operation.

The new 60-bed hospital, to be built on St. Rose Parkway in Henderson near St. Rose Hospital’s Siena campus, will give the residents of the southeast Valley access to state-of-the-art rehabilitation techniques and medical equipment. One wing of the 60,000-square-foot facility will be dedicated to the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Each room in the spinal cord wing will have voice-operated controls to move the bed, and control the lights, television and phone. Patients will have access to specially-designed treadmills and exercise bikes. Many Southern Nevada residents with spinal cord injuries were going out of state for long-term treatment, according to Knowland, who said the new hospital will enable them to stay near their families while receiving the best possible care.

"It is important to break ground today to try to keep up with the tremendous growth in this area," said Scrushy. "Our work here is going to touch thousands of lives. This facility will play an incredible role in bringing patients back to an active lifestyle. Our goal is to guide patients with physically disabling conditions along an individualized treatment pathway so they can reach the highest levels of physical, social and emotional well-being."

At the other end of the Valley, the new HealthSouth Integrated Medical Plaza at Tenaya is now open to provide one-stop outpatient services to northwest residents. The 28,000-square-foot facility incorporates physicians’ offices with ambulatory surgery, diagnostic imaging and outpatient rehabilitation services. The 15,000-square-foot surgery center offers orthopedic, ear/nose/throat, plastic surgery and general surgical services in addition to pain management. An estimated 80 percent of the surgeries in the U.S. are now performed on an outpatient basis. The adjacent diagnostic imaging center has a complete range of services including magnetic resonance imaging, computer tomography, ultrasound, mammography and basic radiology and fluoroscopy services. The outpatient rehab center offers rehabilitative, occupational and sports medicine services using the latest exercise and physical therapy equipment.

A third new facility, to be located adjacent to the medical plaza at Tenaya, will open by the end of the year. It will be a "hospital without surgery" for long-term acute care, according to HealthSouth officials.

The corporation also owns sports medicine and rehabilitation centers in Carson City, Henderson, Laughlin and North Las Vegas. In Reno, HealthSouth operates a rehab hospital at Gould Street and Mill, an outpatient surgery center at 350 W. Sixth Street, and the HealthSouth Reno Medical Plaza Surgery Center at 2005 Silverada Boulevard.

HealthSouth Corporation, which started in 1984 with one rehabilitation facility in Little Rock Ark., has developed into a multinational giant that is now one of the few public healthcare companies with investment grade ratings from the major rating agencies. For the quarter ending June 30, 2000, its revenues were $1.036 billion and net income was $65.2 million. "We generate returns for our stockholders by producing excellent patient outcomes in the most cost-efficient manner possible," according to Scrushy. "First of all, we deliver a high-quality clinical product. This builds up our reputation and creates repeat business for us. Second, we keep costs down by running efficient healthcare facilities. We want to get people off the healthcare dollar and back to work."

Kathleen Foley
Kathleen Foley is a freelance writer based in Southern Nevada.