Robins & Morton

Owner:

Encompass Health

Architect:

Gresham Smith

Scope Of Work

Encompass Health needed a larger, updated replacement rehabilitation hospital in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, to better care for the growing needs in the community. To work toward this goal, Encompass tapped long-term partner, Robins & Morton, to manage the construction of this project.

Robins & Morton has an extensive history in both healthcare and rehabilitation hospitals, but this one would be far from typical. From inevitable site logistic issues to weather, challenges plagued the team, but they tackled each with fresh resolve. For example, the watershed connected the project site to Big Sewickley Creek – a dedicated trout stream for the state. Permitting took nine months, pushing the project deep into the winter. Performing foundational construction in harsh winter conditions is less than ideal, so the team developed creative approaches for waterproofing, concrete, and more. Robins & Morton also faced local labor challenges, as construction for a large plant was underway, pulling more than 4,000 craft professionals out of the labor pool daily. Finally, the team battled the wettest conditions on record in Pennsylvania since 1865. The soil onsite was also not conducive to draining, which required elevating the building pad nearly 20 feet. Through it all, the project team navigated each challenge through clear communication and creative problem solving.

Now complete, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sewickley is an updated, expanded 55-bed, 55,600-square-foot version of its predecessor. It features a therapy gym, pharmacy, dining room, dayroom, and courtyard. In addition to its comprehensive rehabilitation services, this location also holds disease-specific care certifications from The Joint Commission for its stroke, brain injury, amputee, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and hip fracture rehabilitation programs.