April 30, 2026 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Rehab hospital opens in Concord

DSC_2847-Bldg — Encompass Health of Concordville will officially open its doors to patients on Tuesday, May 5.

A new rehab hospital is set to open in Concord Township next week. Encompass Health is scheduled to open its 50-bed rehabilitation facility on May 5 at the former site of the Concordville Inn, but the hospital had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 29.

The new facility — which was four years in the making, from preliminary discussions to its construction and now opening — is two stories with 25 beds per floor. Each room is private, with some specialty rooms for large patients and for those who need a low-pressure environment. Encompass also has the ability to expand to another 10 rooms if needed. It received its state license from the Department of Health on Monday, April 27. Additionally, the DEA approval is pending, but that should come soon. The facility now has 133 employees with another 15 pending, according to Encompass Concordville’s CEO Lauren Grieder.

Lauren Grieder, the CEO of Encompass of Concordville, gives a brief tour of the facilities. Looking on are Concord Township Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie (center) and Council President Dominic Pileggi (right).

Grieder said patients are referred to by hospitals and by private physicians. Once the referral comes in, the patient will be evaluated.

“Our physician would review their record with our liaison and determine if they were appropriate for admission to our hospital.”

She went on to say that there are no conditions or recovery situations that Encompass can’t handle.

“I wouldn’t say that there’s anything that we wouldn’t be able to handle,” she said. “It would be based on an individual assessment. The patient has to be able to tolerate three hours of physical therapy for five days per week. That’s part of our requirement for this level of care. They also have to have a need for medical oversight and require 24/7 nursing in order to be admitted. They also have to have a need for two services, with one being physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech.”

Concord Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie said the addition of Encompass “strengthens our medical presence as a mecca in Delaware County for medical services. We have many different hospitals. We have a great senior population who would need a facility like this rather than travel to Bryn Mawr. It’s a great amenity to add.”

Concord Council President Dominic Pileggi initially took a different approach when asked what the addition of Encompass means for the township.

He commented first on the fact that the facility is in the Concordville Overlay District, and there was concern about what the development might look like. However, he said, the township council and all concerned feel that the design and architecture fit the historic nature of the district and that “if everything else along this roadway goes like this, we’ll be very happy. This is a good kickoff.”

He commented on that historic aspect again during the ribbon-cutting ceremony before picking up on Gillespie’s point.

“A very important consideration that went into the planning, design, and construction of this building was the fact that the site stood where the old Concordville Inn was, rich in history and a staple of our community for many years. With the guidance of our Historical Commission and our land planner, we were able to make design changes to the front of the building, as well as save artifacts from the Concordville Inn. The original painting of the inn will now be on display at the main entrance of this building.”

But then he got to the medical aspect of Encompass and how it joins with the other medical facilities in Concord.

“Our township has experienced tremendous growth over the last 20 years,” Pileggi said, “and a big part of this has been the health-care sector. Concord Township is currently home to Main Line Health, Christiana Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, DuPont Hospital for Children, and many other medical offices and services…On behalf of Concord Township Council and the people of Concord Township, I’d like to officially welcome you to our township.”

Matt Gooch, the president of Encompass’s Northeast region, said the facility is the 175^thhospital, and the tenth located in Pennsylvania.

“We are committed to helping patients return to what matters most to them after illness or injury,” Gooch said. “Our goal here is to provide a place where families and patients can access high-quality care, a place where patients will find hope, healing, and restored confidence. Most importantly, this is a place where patients will regain independence, which results in a better quality of life.”

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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Around Town April 30

DSC_2845-Group — Members of the Chadds Ford Township Residents Association and other volunteers gather in the municipal building before heading out to clean township roadways.

• Has anyone wondered How to Protect Your Native Plants? Longwood Gardens can help. On Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m., people can join Longwood Land Stewardship and Ecology Technician Ellen Oordt for an inside look at how Longwood identifies, manages, and prevents the spread of invasive plants as part of our commitment to healthy, resilient landscapes. Discover how science-led stewardship supports the balance and diversity of native habitats and gain practical tips for recognizing and safeguarding your own garden from aggressive, non-native species. The event, held in the Fountain Room, is free with garden admission.

The Kennett Collaborative’s plant sale is this weekend.

• Kennett Collaborative invites people to shop for their spring annuals and perennials at Pratt’s Greenhouse on May 2 and 3 during the annual Plant Sale benefitting the Beautification Committee, which provides seasonal flowers in the planters and small garden spaces throughout Kennett Square. Each year, volunteers fill the planters with flowers in the spring and summer and holiday greens during the winter. This year, in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the planters will feature red, white, and blue flowers, as well as American flags made possible by the Chester County Community Foundation. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 2, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 3.

• It’s called Mirth and Friendship, but it’s about disability in the late 18^th century. A mezzotint in Winterthur’s collection called Mirth and Friendship shows a perfectly normal scene in mid-18th-century London—a group of men drinking in a tavern. Join Esme Krohn, Fellow, Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, as she explores how this print shows the complicated and often contradictory realities of being disabled in 18th-century England. The date is May 5, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Registration required. Free Register here.

Follow the coffee bean from the slavery-based plantations of the Caribbean and South America, through the brew we know today.

• On May 17 at 7 p.m., Hagley Museum will offer a talk by author Michelle Craig McDonald on her book, Coffee Nation: How One Commodity Transformed the Early United States. Coffee is so ever-present in our lives today that its roots are under-appreciated – especially the contributions of Philadelphia-based merchants in the very early days of our nation to coffee’s popularity. In her talk, McDonald will follow coffee beans from the slavery-based plantations of the Caribbean and South America, through the storehouses and ships of Atlantic world merchants, and then into the brew that was so popular in early America’s coffeehouses, stores, and homes. The event will be in the Soda House Auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Registration will be via Eventbrite.

• The Brandywine Museum of Art will display Betsy James Wyeth’s role as the curator and archivist of the Wyeth family’s rich history and collections in “Treasures from the Family: The Gift of Betsy James Wyeth.” The exhibition consists of art and archival material from the major bequest she left to the Brandywine Museum of Art upon her death in 2020. The exhibit opens May 22.

• The KSQ Farmers Market returns to its weekly rhythm on Friday, May 1, in the heart of Kennett Square. Every Friday from 3-6 p.m., shoppers will find more than twenty small local farms, food businesses, and makers gathered in the parking lot of 600 S Broad Street to sell their fresh, locally-grown, and locally-made goods.

The May Second Saturday features a food drive, and something called Tea & Fire.

• This month’s Second Saturday at the Barn Shops includes a food drive in support of KACS, an outdoor tea salon called Tea & Fire, plus local artists.

• The Brandywine Pops Orchestra is presenting a free concert on Monday, May 18, at 7 p.m. at St. Cornelius Parish Life Center, 160 Ridge Rd, Chadds Ford. This concert will feature the world premiere of River Songs, composed by BPO Conductor Dr. Michael Larkin, especially for the orchestra. River Songs features excerpts of American melodies such as “Ol’ Man River,” “Shenandoah,” and “Down by the Riverside.” The program also includes light classics from Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, and others.