Professional Rehab switches owners

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 9, 2003

FERRIDAY &045; The former Professional Rehabilitation Hospital is under new ownership &045; but officials of Boca Raton, Fla.-based based Promise Healthcare say the hospital’s staffing and services won’t change.

If anything, Promise CEO Peter Baronoff said at a Tuesday open house at the 40-bed facility, staffing and technology will increase in the future, although no specifics were available Tuesday.

The hospital is still evaluating what services and technology could be enhanced at the 122-employee facility, now named Promise Specialty Hospital.

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&uot;Besides,&uot; Baronoff said, &uot;there are a lot of vendors competing for the business.&uot;

Baronoff said Promise has been considering for about one year acquiring the long-term acute care facility, which he said was made possible when former owners Camelot Health Care experienced financial trouble.

&uot;We felt the hospital was not only well run, it filled a need in this community,&uot; Baronoff said.

&uot;Plus, they have a tremendous level of physician support,&uot; he said. &uot;We felt that with an infusion of capital, it could reach its true potential.&uot;

In addition, Promise liked the hospital’s management team, which still includes hospital CEO Lee Huckaby.

Promise Healthcare currently owns or manages 23 facilities with a total of 720 beds in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Utah and Arizona.