30 new beds and rooms coming to Sheltering Arms Institute Rehab Hospital

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - The Sheltering Arms Institute, a collaboration with VCU Health, is going to create 30 new individual rooms on the fourth floor of the hospital.

This comes after the Virginia Department of Health gave the thumbs up on adding 30 additional beds to the facility. The organization first had to submit a Certificate of Public Need (COPN) application process. It’s important for patients to start rehab as soon as they are discharged from a hospital, and the expansion will help.

“It’s very critical to have these types of facilities because there’s a window for patients after these types of injuries or illness where they can maximize their functional outcome,” the CEO of Sheltering Arms Institute Alan Lombardo said.

Once ready, there will be 144 beds available for patients, instead of the current 114. Lombardo says more room for patients is needed now.

“We consistently fill most if not all of our beds in the hospital, so we really need additional beds to continue to care for our community.”

One current patient is a college student who had emergency surgery for a tumor and cyst on her brain, which she found out about in September.

“I started to notice that I was losing motor control of the left side of my body,” said Mackenzie Jaquez.

A month after surgery, she can walk, thanks to the help of the clinicians and technology at the inpatient facility.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve made a lot of progress in getting some independence back,” she said.

Since having her experience, she understands the importance of having rehabilitation facilities like this.

“More people to be able to receive the same opportunities that I’m getting here would be amazing because it has been really life-changing,” she said.

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