The community joined AdventHealth Waterman for the celebration of the final phase of the 111,000-square-foot, $85 million expansion: the grand opening of a new 12-bed Inpatient Rehab Center.

The celebration and open house took place Tuesday, Jan. 7, on the third floor of AdventHealth Waterman’s new patient tower. 

Former Detroit Tiger Chet Lemon, operator of the Big House in Tavares, tests the ArmeoSpring system for patients with limited arm and hand mobility. // Provided photos

The Inpatient Rehab Center opened for patients on Dec. 13. 

This is a brand-new health-care service to Lake County, as patients and families previously had to travel to Orange or Sumter counties to access these services, a news release states. Patients from Lake County can now stay and recover close to home.

“We are excited to open this inpatient rehab facility. This is a whole new kind of service and is the only one in Lake County,” says J. Coomes, AdventHealth Waterman executive director of rehab services. “The patients who come to inpatient rehab have had a major event. They’ve had a stroke or some other event that’s really changed their life and changed their family’s life. Keeping them close to home, where family can continue to be there for them, is essential to helping them recover.”

The center specializes in stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as patients with cardiac conditions, amputations, neurological disorders and respiratory difficulties. Patients need at least three hours of therapy per day and require multidisciplinary expertise to recover. 

All of the rooms in the Inpatient Rehab Center are private, and the new unit includes a bariatric room with a larger entryway and bathroom to more comfortably care for larger patients. 

The center also provides residential-style spaces, allowing patients to practice real-life scenarios, such as cooking and doing laundry, while they are still in the hospital. 

The 100-foot-long Vector Gait Bioness track system helps patients begin walking without the fear or risk of falling.

The unit offers patients the latest technology in rehabilitation, such as a hydraulic car that adjusts to the exact height of a patient’s car so they can practice the movement necessary to safely get in and out of their vehicle. 

For patients with limited hand and arm mobility, AdventHealth Waterman offers the ArmeoSpring system, the latest technology that provides arm and hand training for moderately to severely impaired patients. 

The 100-foot-long Vector Gait Bioness track system helps nursing and therapy staff safely assist patients out of bed. The track system will also help patients begin walking without the fear or risk of falling. 

This expansion project is the second-largest investment in a Lake County health-care facility since AdventHealth Waterman’s Tavares campus was completed 15 years ago, the release states. With the opening of this new unit, AdventHealth Waterman has grown to a 299-bed facility.

For more information, visit www.AdventHealthWatermanInpatientRehab.com.