Baptist Health Care and PAM Health Expand Joint Venture Vision

PENSACOLA, Fla., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Baptist Health Care and PAM Health are collaborating to address rapid growth and increasing demand for health care services across Northwest Florida and South Alabama. This updated partnership will bring 40 new acute care beds on the campus of Baptist Hospital and 60 new inpatient rehabilitation beds to Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile. The enhanced bed capacity is a direct response to the increasing community need for inpatient acute care and inpatient rehabilitation beds in our region.

Under the new approach, PAM Health and Baptist Health Care will develop a freestanding 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on the Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile campus, providing expanded capacity for specialized rehabilitation services. Baptist Hospital will retain the planned space in the Henderson Health Center, which will be converted into a 40-bed acute care hospital unit. 

"Our commitment to the Pensacola community has only grown stronger," said Anthony Misitano, founder, chairman and chief executive officer, PAM Health. "When Baptist Health Care identified an urgent need for additional acute care capacity, we recognized an opportunity to think bigger. A freestanding, 60-bed hospital allows us to design a rehabilitation hospital without space constraints, featuring state-of-the-art therapy gyms and robust clinical programs that will serve as a true destination for patients recovering from serious injury or illness." 

The addition of beds at the Baptist Hospital campus comes at a time when the need for inpatient care in the local area is increasingly high. The expanded unit will help provide care for more patients and support the growing health needs of the community. 

"Our community has a very clear need for additional inpatient acute care beds. This collaboration with PAM Health allows us to address critical capacity needs at Baptist Hospital while investing together in a bigger vision for the rehabilitation needs of our community," said Brett Aldridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Baptist Health Care. "By expanding both inpatient capacity and rehabilitation services, we are creating greater access to high-quality care for our growing region. We are grateful for a partner whose mission and values align with our commitment to serving this community." 

The new inpatient acute care beds at Baptist Hospital are expected to be available in the coming months. Additional details and timelines for the inpatient rehabilitation hospital at the Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile campus will be announced soon. 

Summary Bullets for Reporter Reference: 

• Baptist Health Care and PAM Health are expanding their joint venture partnership. 
• The updated agreement revises a plan announced in early 2025. 
• The original plan called for a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital within the Henderson Health Center on the Baptist Hospital campus. 
• The revised plan includes development of a new freestanding 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on the Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile campus. 
• The new rehabilitation hospital will increase capacity for specialized inpatient rehabilitation services. 
• Baptist Hospital will retain the planned space in the Henderson Health Center. 
• The retained space will be converted into a new 40-bed acute care unit at Baptist Hospital. 
• Baptist Hospital's bed count will increase from 279 to 319. 
• The new acute care beds at Baptist Hospital are expected to open later this year. 
• Details and timelines for the rehabilitation hospital will be announced in the coming months. 

About Baptist Health Care
Baptist Health Care is a not-for-profit health care organization based in Northwest Florida that is committed to helping people throughout life's journey. Baptist continuously strives to be a national leader in quality and service. Baptist Health Care includes three hospitals, four medical parks, Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and a large network of primary care and specialty physicians. Baptist Health Care is one of the largest non-governmental employers in Northwest Florida.

About PAM Health
PAM Health, based in Enola, Pennsylvania, provides post-acute healthcare services through more than 100 long-term acute care hospitals, medical rehabilitation hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, as well as wound care clinics and outpatient physical therapy locations, in 23 states. PAM Health is committed to providing high-quality patient care and outstanding customer service, coupled with loyal, dedicated, and highly trained staff, to be the most trusted and impactful source for healthcare services in every community it serves. Learn more at PAMHealth.com.

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SOURCE PAM Health