Brooks Rehabilitation announced Dec. 17 a $43 million, 60-bed rehabilitation hospital next to its Bartram Park campus in South Jacksonville.
Once the facility is designed, construction will begin in late 2020 or early 2021. Patients will begin using the hospital by 2022, spokeswoman Jill Matejcek said.
The 115-acre Brooks Bartram campus, at southwest Interstate 95 and Old St. Augustine Road, offers assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care facilities. When it was constructed in 2013, space was left for future growth.
The hospital will provide rehabilitation services similar to the 160-bed facility Brooks operates on University Boulevard. The hospital also will care for patients following brain or spinal cord injuries, stroke, or other disabling illnesses or injuries.
The Bartram hospital also will be constructed with room for future expansion, said Doug Baer, Brooks Rehabilitation CEO.
“Brooks has been a recognized leader in physical rehabilitation for 50 years. We’re committed to meeting the needs of this region now and for many years to come,” Baer said in a statement. “After a careful needs assessment, we determined a second hospital in Jacksonville will allow us to treat more patients with our specialized services to achieve the best possible outcomes.”
About 150 employees will be needed to staff the hospital.
Facility design will begin in January. Architect Gresham Smith will seek design suggestions and feedback from hospital staff, nurses, therapists and administrators. The contractor has not been selected.