Skip to Content (press ENTER)
news-articleNews<p>In response to increasing demand for its services, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod (SCC) today held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off an expansion project that will add 6,000 square feet to the hospital.</p>

Spaulding Cape Cod to Expand, Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony

news-article

After 20 years and nearly 90,000 patients, the Cape's only rehabilitation hospital prepares to meet growing demand as the Cape population ages.

SANDWICH, MA - In response to increasing demand for its services, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod (SCC) today held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off an expansion project that will add 6,000 square feet to the hospital. The expansion will remedy existing space constraints as well as prepare the hospital to meet projected demand for outpatient services as the Cape’s population ages.

“As national health care trends continue to promote shorter hospital stays and shift delivery of care to outpatient and home settings, demand for outpatient care has increased and will continue to increase,” said David Storto, President of Partners Continuing Care and Spaulding Rehabilitation, at groundbreaking ceremonies.  Spaulding Cape Cod’s outpatient centers in Orleans, Yarmouth, Sandwich, and Plymouth serve the Cape and South Shore.  Its outpatient pediatric center in Forestdale is a regional resource. 

Another trend impacting demand for outpatient services is the aging of the Baby Boomers, who typically are proactive health consumers and seek services to support their active lifestyles, including programs that emphasize wellness and prevention of disease. 

On the Cape, growth in outpatient services reflects these trends.  “The Cape has one of the largest concentrations of senior citizens in the country, and the number of residents 65 and older is predicted to more than double between 2015 and 2030,” said Storto.  “We’ve already doubled the size of our Orleans outpatient center and twice expanded our pediatric center to accommodate new services and increasing demand.  Here in Sandwich, we have renovated and reconfigured space for the last five years to meet the needs of our ever-expanding outpatient population, but it’s not enough.  We have reached the limit of what we can do within the footprint of the hospital.”

The additional 6,000 square feet will include two new physician exam/treatment rooms, eight new outpatient therapy rooms, and a new multi-purpose room on the first floor.  The space will allow the hospital to hire 14 more therapists, two physicians, and four support staff over the next few years.  “We project that in the first year our therapists and physicians will be able to offer an extra 3,500 visits, which will grow to more than 21,000 extra visits by year six,” said Storto.  Currently SCC staff care for about 1100 inpatients and provide more than 100,000 outpatient therapy and physician visits annually.

SCC will also renovate its lobby, registration, and waiting areas to enhance accessibility for patients and visitors using wheelchairs and provide private spaces for registration.  “The neuro treatment room will offer privacy and a structured environment for those with cognitive impairment, plus multi-level options for working on balance and mobility,” said Maureen Banks, President of Spaulding Cape Cod and Chief Operating Officer of Spaulding Rehabilitation.  The extra space will facilitate family observation or participation in therapy.  The project will also include 60 new parking spaces, expected to be added next fall. 

Presently SCC offers only a limited number of wellness programs. “We just don’t have room to offer more programs, such as post-rehab exercise classes for our patients or wellness classes for the public,” says Stephanie Nadolny, Vice President of Operations.  The new multi-purpose room will be dedicated to educational and wellness programs and will also provide space for support group meetings. “Our staff is very excited to have this resource as we are actively exploring programs that use integrative therapies.”

According to David Lowell, M.D., SCC’s Chief Medical Officer, improvements accomplished by the expansion will strengthen Spaulding’s unique culture and approach to care.

“We’re mindful that many of our patients have just gone through a life-altering event.  They’re scared, they’re vulnerable, many are devastated.  In rehab, we look at the totality of their lives and work with them to determine what’s next.  These improvements all contribute to a more efficient, collaborative work space for our physicians and staff, and that translates into an improved environment of care for patients and their families,” says Dr. Lowell

The principal partners for the $6.3 million project are Margulies Perruzzi Architects, Columbia Construction, and Colliers International.  The expansion is being funded by Partners HealthCare, the parent organization of Spaulding Rehabilitation, and donations. 

“We’re thrilled to have the backing of the community, especially our donors who are supporting this project,” says Nadolny.  To date donors have contributed $1.5 million towards the project.  “They know how many lives we’ve touched, how many we’ve helped return home after a catastrophic event, and how many children we’ve helped find their potential to thrive.  Thanks to them, we’ll have the space to continue this work now and in years to come.”

About Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod and Spaulding Rehabilitation

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod is a 60-bed acute rehabilitation hospital providing advanced inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation to residents of the Cape, Islands and South Shore.  It is a member of Spaulding Rehabilitation and Partners HealthCare.  Spaulding Rehabilitation also includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, its main campus the new 132-bed facility in Charlestown, which is a national model for environmental and inclusive design; Spaulding Hospital Cambridge; two skilled nursing facilities; and twenty-four outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Spaulding strives to continually update and improve its programs to offer patients the latest, high-quality care through its leading, expert providers. Spaulding is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the official rehabilitation hospital of the New England Revolution. Spaulding Boston is the only rehabilitation hospital in New England continually ranked since 1995 by U.S. News and World Report in its Best Hospitals survey with a #6 ranking in 2015-2016. For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org.