Photo: The newly opened facility, a 40-bed hospital, is designed to provide comprehensive rehabilitation care with advanced therapeutic resources.
By Lindsey Coulter
At a Glance:
- Project Team: Hoar Construction, Earl Swensson Associates Inc., Lawson Mechanical, AAA Commercial Flooring, Ryals Brothers, Cole Masonry, Enfinity Engineering
- Size: 62,000 square feet, two-story facility
- Bed Capacity: 40 beds
- Specialized Features:
- Brain injury unit
- Therapy gym, mock living areas for life skills training
- Outdoor therapeutic spaces including putting greens, bocce courts, and basketball courts
- Technology:
- Robotics and virtual reality platforms for rehabilitation
- Smart Car and Senaptec Sensory Station for therapy
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute stakeholders recently celebrated the project’s completion, hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new state-of-the-art 62,000-square-foot, two-story rehabilitation hospital in Gainesville, Ga. The project, which broke ground in March 2024, is the result of a collaborative effort between Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a division of Lifepoint Health.
Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of Hoar Construction
The newly opened 40-bed hospital is designed to provide comprehensive rehabilitation care with advanced therapeutic resources. The first floor features a therapy gym, patient day rooms, and a full kitchen and dining area—as well as a mock bedroom and kitchen for life skills training. The second floor includes therapy rooms, 12 patient beds and specialized spaces for brain injury patients. Outside, a spacious courtyard offers recreational therapy options, including putting greens, bocce ball courts and basketball courts.
With the completion of the facility, NGHS nearly doubles the patient capacity of its previous 24-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC). All rehabilitation services from NGMC are now transitioning to the new facility, which features advanced technology such as robotics, virtual reality platforms for neurorehabilitation, and specialized therapy areas.
Will Northcutt, senior project manager at Hoar Construction, the project’s builder, spoke to the challenges and teamwork that defined the project. “This has been one big collaboration effort between our teams at Hoar, NGHS, Lifepoint Rehabilitation, and our other invaluable partners, which includes a number of local subcontractors who did a tremendous job in bringing this project to fruition on time,” Northcutt said in a statement. “It was no easy feat, as we battled a number of weather-related setbacks and unexpected changes to the schedule that required all of us to pivot and remain adaptable. Ultimately, we have delivered one of the premier rehabilitation facilities in the region.”
The construction process required careful coordination, especially with the adjacent businesses sharing the site entrance and exit. Through effective communication, Hoar ensured no disruptions to neighboring tenants. Additionally, the team worked with NGHS and Lifepoint Rehabilitation to establish temporary power solutions, including additional generators and climate control units, to keep the project on schedule despite multiple hurricanes during the fall.
A significant feature of the construction was the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Prefabrication of headwall units for patient rooms was completed on-site in the parking lot, saving both time and money.
The project also included contributions from several key partners. Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. served as the architect, while Lawson Mechanical handled HVAC installations. Other partners included AAA Commercial Flooring, Ryals Brothers for paving, Cole Masonry, and Enfinity Engineering as the MEP engineer.
The facility marks a major milestone in specialty care for the region. Kevin Gohman, executive director of the Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute, praised the project. “This is a remarkable step forward for specialty care in our region,” he said. “With the capabilities we have at Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute, we will be able to care for patients with more complex medical needs in spaces custom-designed for every stage of their recovery.”
The Northeast Georgia Rehabilitation Institute is part of a joint venture between NGHS and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, with Lifepoint overseeing daily operations as the facility joins its network of over 45 inpatient rehabilitation centers nationwide.