Susan A. Ellings Rehabilitation Unit

Lives are changed for the better every day inside St. Charles’ inpatient rehabilitation unit, where patients recover from traumatic injuries and serious illnesses. This is a place where every step forward is a triumph as patients and families heal together.

But the current facility is outdated and too small to meet the needs of all those who could benefit from it. Thanks to the generosity of our community - including donors from our annual Saints Gala and individual contributions - we are well on our way to building a new, state-of-the-art, inpatient rehabilitation unit. The Susan A. Ellings Rehabilitation Unit, named by an anonymous donor in memory of a family friend who passed away in 2014, is set to begin construction in 2026. Susan's daughter, Julie Cox, a nurse who works at St. Charles said, “It's a true honor to see that my mom's legacy will live on through the walls of St. Charles and we are so grateful for the donation. She was such a treasure to this earth. I hope that her love for life and radiant joy serve as a beacon of positivity for those who need it and is felt by all who enter the unit."

Making room to heal

The current unit supports more than 350 patients every year and those patients experience tremendous success, with about 97% of them discharged home without readmission. But the demand is far higher than what the current unit can provide – with hundreds transferred to other programs outside of the region due to lack of space each year. 

That’s why St. Charles is setting out to build a new, state-of-the-art, 23-bed unit. The new space will be designed with our patients, their families and our caregivers in mind to ensure we can care for our community now and into the future. 

The new unit will include larger patient rooms to accommodate families and space for world-class services and new technology that will help patients re-learn activities like walking on the trails system in Central Oregon or cooking meals for themselves in an ADA accessible kitchen.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Patients receive care from the Inpatient Rehab team to treat a variety of conditions including:

  • Stroke
  • Brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Congenital deformity
  • Amputation
  • Major traumas
  • Hip fracture
  • Burns
  • Neurological disorders
  • Systematic vasculitides with joint inflammation
  • Severe or advanced osteoarthritis
  • Complicated knee/hip replacement

Patients spend an average of 12-14 days particpating in occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and orthotics appointments for 3 hours/day at least 5 days/week.

Last year we treated 365 patients. We anticipate this number will grow to more than 730 patients when the unit opens.