Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) announced plans to build a 36-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Bridgeport, West Virginia. The facility will replace the company's former 19-bed unit within WVU Medicine United Hospital Center, which has closed.

The new freestanding hospital will feature private patient rooms, a therapy gym with rehabilitation technologies, an activities of daily living suite, an in-house dialysis suite, a dining room, a pharmacy and an outdoor therapy courtyard.

"We're thrilled to expand access to inpatient rehabilitation care for patients in Bridgeport and surrounding communities," said Abe Sims, president of Encompass Health's MidAtlantic region. "The need for our services has increased with continued growth in the area, and we look forward to serving more patients closer to home in this new, freestanding hospital."

The hospital will treat patients recovering from stroke, neurological conditions, brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. Services will include 24-hour nursing care and physical, occupational and speech therapies delivered by specialized nurses, therapists and physicians.

During construction, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Morgantown has temporarily expanded its capacity to provide continuity of care for patients previously served by the closed unit.

Birmingham, Alabama-based Encompass Health operates 175 hospitals across 39 states and Puerto Rico, making it the largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the United States.