Sea Pines Hospital evacuated, closed after catastrophic flooding
After serving Brevard County patients for decades, Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital in Melbourne is facing an uncertain future after historic flooding forced the facility to close indefinitely. Just days after celebrating 40 years of service to the Space Coast on Oct. 29, the hospital was overwhelmed by floodwater from record-setting rains Nov. 1-2, forcing the evacuation of patients and staff from the 90-bed facility. Sea Pines, a joint venture between Encompass Health and Holmes Regional Medical Center, provides inpatient physical rehabilitation following major illness or injury through intensive physical, occupational and speech therapy programs. Following the storm, hospital officials said all staff are accounted for, and all patients were safely admitted to other medical facilities, or discharged home. “We are enormously grateful for the heroic efforts of our hospital staff and the first responders in ensuring the safety of our patients during this catastrophic weather event,” Pat Tuer, Encompass Health's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in a news release. “Sea Pines has served the greater Melbourne area for more than 40 years, and we are committed to restoring and enhancing our capacity to do so.” And while the damage to the facility is “substantial,” Tuer said reopening
