Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital Introduces its New, Freestanding Location

New Location Opens to Patients on July 14

HERSHEY, PA – Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital’s newly constructed, freestanding location was officially introduced today at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event took place at Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital’s new location at 1135 Old West Chocolate Avenue in Derry Township. The hospital – which is the result of a collaborative partnership between Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Select Medical Corporation – will bring advanced medical rehabilitation care to the central Pennsylvania community.

In its 61,588-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital is a 54-bed hospital with 44 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds. The hospital features private patient rooms, spacious therapy gyms, open day rooms and leisure areas, rehabilitation gardens, a playground, a cafeteria for visitors and staff and other amenities.

Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital serves the complex medical and rehabilitation needs of patients with brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, amputation, neurological disorders and orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions. In its new location, the hospital will now offer specialized ventilator dependency and mobility enhancement programs for pediatric patients.

Speaking at today’s ribbon-cutting event were: Dr. Harold L. Paz, CEO, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center; senior vice president for health affairs, Penn State; and dean, Penn State College of Medicine; Robert Ortenzio, CEO, Select Medical Corporation; LeRoy Zimmerman, chairman of the board, Hershey Trust Company; U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, of the 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania; Dr. Brenda Mallory, medical director, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital; and Dr. Jeanette Ramer, pediatric program director for Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital. Mary Zweifel, the new CEO of Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital, served as the event MC.

“Our hospital has increased access to and enhanced the quality of inpatient rehabilitation care in central Pennsylvania,” Zweifel said. “The innovative design of our new location further reflects the specialized needs of patients, families and clinicians and creates an optimal environment to support healing and recovery.” Zweifel joined the Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital team on June 28. She relocated from McLean, Virginia and has devoted much of her professional life to the rehabilitation segment of health care.

Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital is a joint venture between Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Select Medical Corporation and is affiliated with the world renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey. The partnership was announced in August 2007, and the Hospital has been operating in a temporary location (within the Memorial Building at Polyclinic Hospital) in Harrisburg. Construction on the freestanding facility began in the spring of 2009.

Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Hershey Medical Center’s new Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation launched on July 1 and is based at the new facility. Mallory, who joined the hospital on July 1 as its new medical director, also serves as interim department chair.

“The new Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital not only enhances our ability to provide specialized rehabilitation care for adult and pediatric patients here in central Pennsylvania – it also will play a vital role in expanding opportunities for education, training and research in the rapidly growing field of rehabilitation medicine,” Paz said.

“Our new department, coupled with this new facility, will enable us to offer additional training opportunities to medical students, residents and other trainees, helping to meet the demand for providers in this specialty.”

“Select Medical is pleased to be part of this innovative partnership with Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center which advances medical rehabilitation locally and regionally,” said Robert A. Ortenzio, CEO, Select Medical Corporation. “Together we look forward to providing high-quality patient care in this state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital and furthering the specialized education and training of medical rehabilitation professionals.”

Select Medical owns Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, which is consistently recognized as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in the Rehabilitation Hospital category by U.S. News & World Report.