BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) today announced the appointment of Cain A. Hayes to its board of directors. Continue Reading Cain A. Hayes Hayes joins the Encompass Health board with significant experience in health care, strategic leadership, human capital management, risk management and governmental regulation. He retired as president and chief executive officer of Point32Health, Inc., a top-20 U.S. health plan, in 2024. Prior to joining Point32Health in 2 ...

Core Insights - Encompass Health Corporation (EHC) has expanded its partnership with Vanderbilt Health to build a new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Lebanon, TN, expected to open in 2028 [1][5][9] Facility Details - The new hospital will feature private patient rooms, a large therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, daily living suite activities, an in-house dialysis unit, a pharmacy, and a therapy courtyard [2] - Specialized care will be provided for patients recovering from serious illnesses and injuries, including strokes, neurological disorders, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions [3] Operational Impact - The facility aims to enhance patient recovery speed and improve health outcomes for residents in Wilson, Smith, Trousdale, and Macon counties [4] - EHC's expansion aligns with the increasing demand for inpatient rehabilitation services due to a rise in patients with serious health conditions [7] Financial Performance - In the first nine months of 2025, EHC reported revenues of $4.4 billion, reflecting a 10.6% increase compared to the same period in the previous year [6] - EHC's share price has increased by 13% over the past year, outperforming the industry average growth of 1.9% [8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue in Q3 2025 increased by 9.4%, with year-to-date revenue growth of 10.6% [4] - Adjusted EBITDA grew by 11.4% in Q3 2025, contributing to a year-to-date growth of 14.5% [4][12] - Q3 adjusted free cash flow decreased by 8.2% to $174.2 million, primarily due to a $55.8 million increase in working capital [14] - Free cash flow increased by 16.5% to $582.5 million, with an increased full-year adjusted free cash flow estimate of $730 to $810 million [14][15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Q3 community discharge rate was 84.6%, with a discharge to acute rate of 8.6% and a discharge to SNF rate of 6% [5] - Total discharges increased by 5% in Q3, with a 3.3% increase in net revenue per discharge [9] - Q3 same-store discharge growth was 6.8%, the highest since Q2 2021 [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The demand for inpatient rehabilitation services remains significantly underserved, particularly as the U.S. population ages [6][8] - The Medicare beneficiary population is projected to grow significantly, with one in five Americans expected to be aged 65 or older by 2030 [6][7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to open two additional 50-bed hospitals in Q4 and expects to add approximately 127 beds to existing hospitals in 2025 [6][12] - The company has a pipeline of 14 announced new hospitals with 690 beds, with more than 40 projects in the active pipeline [9] - The strategy includes maintaining a balance between de novo hospital openings and bed expansions to meet the growing demand for IRF services [18][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the market for IRF services, citing a unique position to add capacity in response to unmet needs [18] - The company has not seen any negative impact on referral patterns despite external challenges and remains proactive in communication with partners [62] - Management noted that the overall occupancy rates are on an upward trajectory, with expectations for fluctuations based on capacity additions [60] Other Important Information - The company successfully converted its ERP system to Oracle Fusion without significant operational disruptions [9][55] - The average age of Medicare beneficiary patients is 77 years, with the 75-plus population growing at approximately 4% [7] Q&A Session Summary Question: How should we think about the accelerated bed addition plan impacting volume growth going forward? - Management indicated that the increase in bed expansions reflects the strong performance of de novos and the unmet need for IRF services across the country [18] Question: What level of capex as a percent of revenue should we be modeling to maintain discharge growth? - Growth capex this year is estimated at about $580 million, with an average cost of $800,000 per bed addition [20] Question: What is the target occupancy before expanding a facility? - Facilities typically consider expansion after reaching 80% sustained occupancy, with private room hospitals able to operate efficiently at mid-90% occupancy [22] Question: Did anything surprise you in the quarter versus expectations? - Management noted no surprises other than retro payments and a property assessment, with overall performance aligning with expectations [26] Question: How has the payer mix evolved in Q3 compared to the first half? - Medicare and Medicare Advantage both saw growth, with managed care increasing by 9.2% [28] Question: What are the implications of the Medicare landscape changes? - Management believes that a slowdown in Medicare Advantage growth could lead to greater opportunities in fee-for-service, which pays at a higher rate [40]