Rehab center to move after new hospital opens

Carson Rehabilitation Center will move into the new regional medical center on Medical Parkway on Dec. 18. The move will cut the size of the center by about half, which the administrator said has been in the plans since Medicare regulations were changed about 16 months ago.

Lita McCaw, rehab administrator, said the changes will not affect patient care.

"Even though we're downsizing, the service will be exactly the same," she said. "The same level of care, the same physician and support services."

McCaw said rehab patients will be moved from the 900 E. Long St. center, beside the Carson City Senior Center, to an 18-bed unit in the Carson Regional Medical Center. The Long Street center has 30 beds. The rehab center is moving into a 11,500-square-foot space in the new hospital, which is about 55 percent smaller than its space on Long Street.

"We chose to have 18 beds due to changes in Medicare regulations," McCaw said. "They've restricted the type of patients that we can take into rehab, such as those with orthopedic joint replacements, like knee and hip replacements. It's more difficult to qualify for Medicare to cover the acute rehab costs."

The center has eliminated about five nursing positions in the past 18 months. Because of nursing shortages in other departments, these nurses have all moved to different units, she said. About 75 employees will make the move to the new rehab center, which is on the third floor of the hospital beside the medical oncology department. The center has one medical director and a rehab doctor.

The average patient stay in the rehab center is 12 to 14 days.

After the move is complete, the Long Street center will be closed. The patient move, using the Med Express transport service, will take about four hours.

Carson-Tahoe Hospital patients will be moved to the regional medical center on Saturday, the opening day of the new hospital.

Hospital staff anticipate relocating 70 patients from the hospital on Fleischmann Way to the new center. The Carson City Fire Department will transport all patients, using 10 ambulances. This move is expected to take about six hours.

-- Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

Rehab Center Move

What: Carson Rehabilitation Center moves to the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center

When: Dec. 18

Where: Third floor, 1600 Medical Parkway

details: New patient admissions will begin at noon