To provide a full continuum of services for patients, Lehigh Valley Health Network will open an inpatient rehabilitation facility for adults 18 years and older inside the Kasych Family Pavilion's South Tower at Lehigh Valley Hospital– Cedar Crest, Salisbury Township this summer.

The 34-bed facility will occupy the sixth and seventh floors of the tower. All patient rooms in the facility will be private.

The tower was expanded in 2014 with the intention of accommodating future growth.

The inpatient rehabilitation facility will provide a minimum of three hours of intensive, specialized rehabilitation therapy almost every day for an average of two weeks for patients whose conditions require such care.

People recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disorders, orthopedic injuries, amputations, post-surgical conditions or other debilitations are most likely to use the unit.

This new unit is a key component in terms of Lehigh Valley Health Network recently being named a Medicare Accountable Care Organization. Being an ACO means LVHN will be held accountable for coordinating care provided to more than 32,000 Medicare beneficiaries.

LVHN estimates indicate 75 percent of the recipients of inpatient rehabilitation services will be Medicare patients. LVHN's ability to provide these services extends the continuum of care for Medicare patients.

The inpatient rehabilitation facility is expected to bring more than 125 new jobs to LVHN.

LVHN's multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation care includes specialized rehabilitation physicians, rehabilitation nurses and physical, occupational and speech therapists. All qualified candidates are urged to consider the jobs when they are posted at LVHN.org/careers in mid-January.