Duke Health, WakeMed and Lifepoint Health Break Ground on New Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital

Apex, NC and Brentwood, TN (September 22, 2023) – Duke Health, WakeMed and Lifepoint Health broke ground today on a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Apex, NC. Peak Rehabilitation Hospital is the result of a joint venture partnership between Duke Health, WakeMed and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, that was first announced in 2021.

The 62,000-square-foot, two-story facility, will function as a stand-alone hospital with 52 beds, all private rooms, and feature multidisciplinary therapy gymnasiums outfitted with the latest therapeutic technologies, outdoor courtyards and other spaces designed to help patients return to activities of daily living. The facility will be structurally designed in all units for the needs of patients receiving acute inpatient rehabilitation care for stroke, amputation and other injuries and disorders.

“By combining Lifepoint’s extensive operational expertise from across the nation with WakeMed’s strength as a leading community hospital and Duke Health’s attributes as a research based academic medical center, we are creating something truly unique that will make a profound impact on the lives of many patients and families as they heal from illness and injury,” said Craig Albanese, M.D., chief executive officer of Duke University Health System.

Duke Health and WakeMed are both home to comprehensive, CARF-accredited rehabilitation programs that support children and adults on their path to recovery and their journey to maximum rehabilitation and independence.

“Duke Health and WakeMed represent the best in health and healing, and we have long discussed ways to expand access to high-quality inpatient rehab care by utilizing our combined expertise and resources to help patients recover and rejoin the community after a serious illness or injury,” said Donald Gintzig, WakeMed president & CEO. “The tri-venture with Lifepoint is an innovative and cost-effective way to deliver needed inpatient rehab services to the residents of our region while keeping pace with our area’s rapid growth.”

Lifepoint Rehabilitation’s experience in providing evidence-driven frameworks for rehabilitation care in dedicated inpatient, acute care settings lends additional operational support to the tri-venture partnership. The partners anticipate that Peak Rehabilitation Hospital will serve more than 1,200 patients annually.

“This is an exciting day for Lifepoint Health and for our team at Lifepoint Rehabilitation as we break ground on Peak Rehabilitation Hospital,” said Jason Zachariah, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Lifepoint Health. “Our innovative partnership with Duke Health and WakeMed will expand access to vitally needed specialty services available in western and southern Wake County and the surrounding region. We share a commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-driven care, and I look forward to seeing all that we will accomplish together on behalf of our patients and the communities we serve.”

Upon completion, Peak Rehabilitation Hospital will be jointly operated by Duke Health, WakeMed and Lifepoint Rehabilitation and will join Lifepoint Rehabilitation’s growing network of more than 40 inpatient rehabilitation facilities across the country. The hospital is expected to open in late 2024.

About Duke Health

Duke Health conceptually integrates the Duke University Health System, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, and the health and health research programs within schools and centers across Duke University. Duke University Health System is a world-class hospital and health care network supported by outstanding and renowned clinical faculty, nurses and care teams. The health system includes three hospitals – Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital – as well as an extensive, geographically dispersed network of outpatient facilities that include primary care offices, urgent care centers, multi-specialty clinics and outpatient surgery centers.

About WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed is a not-for-profit health care system founded and based in Raleigh, N.C. WakeMed exists to improve the health and well-being of our community by providing outstanding and compassionate care to all. WakeMed’s 970-bed system comprises a network of facilities throughout the Triangle area, including three full-service hospitals, seven emergency departments, a dedicated Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital, more than 90 physician offices and Wake County’s only Level I Trauma Center. WakeMed’s mission-driven team includes more than 10,300 employees, 1,400 volunteers and 1,300 affiliated physicians, along with the more than 700 physicians and providers with WakeMed Physician Practices – all representing the best minds and the biggest hearts and the finest quality in health care and community health. For more information, visit www.wakemed.org or follow WakeMed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Lifepoint Health

Lifepoint Health is a leading healthcare provider that serves patients, clinicians, communities and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a mission of making communities healthier^®, the company has a growing diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of more than 50,000 dedicated employees, 62 community hospital campuses, more than 60 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals and 250 additional sites of care, including managed acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities. Through its innovation strategy, Lifepoint Forward, the company is developing meaningful solutions to enhance quality, increase access to care, and improve value across the Lifepoint footprint and communities across the country. For more information about the company, visit www.LifepointHealth.net.

About Lifepoint Rehabilitation

With more than 40 freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), Lifepoint Rehabilitation is a partner of choice for many major hospital systems in the creation of joint venture operations that are industry-leading in clinical and financial outcomes. Through its IRFs and more than 250 hospital-based rehabilitation units, medical/surgical and outpatient therapy settings, Lifepoint Rehabilitation brings proven rehabilitation management and services expertise to help our patients recover and return home quickly from a number of conditions, including strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries, neurological conditions, amputations and trauma. Lifepoint Rehabilitation is a business unit of Brentwood, Tennessee-based Lifepoint Health.