During National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, Ascension is highlighting its broader strategy to strengthen and connect rehabilitation services across its footprint. From expanding inpatient and outpatient capacity to integrating care across settings and extending support through digital and virtual tools, Ascension is building a more coordinated approach to rehabilitation designed to expand access, strengthen connections across the recovery continuum, and meet the evolving needs of the communities it serves.
Across acute care in 63 hospitals, 22 inpatient rehabilitation locations, and 250 outpatient rehabilitation locations, Ascension is continuing to grow and connect its rehabilitation network. This expanding footprint creates more opportunities to integrate services across care settings and make rehabilitation more accessible throughout the recovery journey.
Bringing rehabilitation closer to home
Access to rehabilitation is an important part of recovery. Ascension is expanding its outpatient rehabilitation footprint to bring care closer to the communities it serves, with plans to add two facilities in fiscal year 2027.
Ascension is also developing specialized integration clinics and expanding outpatient services in hospital-based settings, creating more options for patients to receive rehabilitation close to home when clinically appropriate.
This growth reflects a broader approach to rehabilitation: meeting patients where they are and making it easier to continue their recovery close to home.
Supporting recovery beyond the clinic
Recovery continues between appointments as patients practice exercises, build strength, and work toward their goals at home.
Ascension rehabilitation teams are expanding secure digital and virtual options, including video visits, mobile applications, and remote therapeutic monitoring. These validated technologies give care teams additional ways to stay connected with patients — with patient privacy and security protected throughout the process — to support their rehabilitation plans outside the clinic.
Connecting care throughout the recovery journey
For many patients, rehabilitation is part of a longer healthcare journey that can span inpatient care, outpatient therapy, and recovery at home. Ascension is expanding rehabilitation capacity across its System, including:
- Ascension Sacred Heart: A new 40-bed freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facility in Pensacola, FL, opened in August 2026.
- Ascension Saint Thomas: A new 40-bed rehabilitation hospital in Rutherford, TN is slated to open in 2027.
- Ascension Sacred Heart Bay in Panama City, FL, Ascension Seton Medical Center of Austin, and Ascension St.Thomas Clarksville TN: Additional 93 inpatient rehabilitation bed expansions are planned between July 2027 and July 2028.
Connecting rehabilitation services across care settings helps teams support patients as their needs change throughout recovery.
Building a more integrated approach to rehabilitation
Together, these efforts reflect a broader approach to rehabilitation at Ascension that expands capacity, connects care across settings, and uses technology to extend rehabilitation beyond traditional care environments.
As Ascension continues to invest in its rehabilitation services, the focus remains to build a more coordinated model that meets the growing needs of the communities it serves.
