St. Petersburg rehabilitation hospital names new CEO

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of St. Petersburg, an inpatient hospital expected to open to patients this October, has appointed a new CEO. 

The company announced earlier this month that longtime employee Molly Arau, 55, will take on the role of CEO at the 50-bed hospital under construction at 1000 Tyrone Blvd. N., St. Petersburg. 

“I care deeply about providing high-quality care for patients recovering from a life-changing illness or injury,” Arau says in the announcement. “It is an honor to bring the level of care Encompass Health is known for to St. Petersburg and the surrounding communities."

Arau brings more than a decade of experience in executive health care and 30 years nursing experience to Encompass Health’s new St. Petersburg location. She most recently worked as CEO of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo, and was an associate administrator at the hospital’s Spring Hill location from January 2020 to May 2021. 

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Before joining Encompass Health in 2020, Arau worked as a chief nursing officer in multiple acute care hospitals within the HCA Healthcare network. 

“Molly is a servant leader who is driven to make a patient’s experience the best it can be,” Lori Bedard, president of Encompass Health’s Southeast region, says in the announcement. “She will have great success in building and leading the team at St. Petersburg.”

The St. Petersburg location is one of five hospitals Encompass Health is opening in Florida in 2025, the company says. Encompass Health is the largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the US, with a national footprint that includes 169 hospitals in 38 states and Puerto Rico.