BRANFORD — A proposal for what could eventually become an 80-bed inpatient rehabilitation facility on the former Hilltop Orchard property off East Main Street is headed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, even as the developer awaits a state ruling on whether the project can move forward. Encompass Health, a Birmingham, Ala.-based for-profit company and the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services, is seeking approval to build the facility at 596, 612 and 616 E. Main St. The company operates more than 175 hospitals nationwide and served at least 225,000 patients in 2024. An Encompass spokeswoman declined to comment. The company filed an application last year with the state Office of Health Strategy for a required Certificate of Need, which must be approved before construction can proceed. The proposed one-story facility would total 54,765 square feet and be built on land owned by Wayne Cooke and entities associated with his family. Designed for patients recovering from serious illnesses and injuries, the facility would be constructed in two phases. The initial phase would include 50 beds, while a second phase would add 30 beds and a gymnasium, according to plans filed with the town.
Proposal for $69.5 million rehabilitation hospital heads to Branford planners
