By News Staff |

RUSSELL, Ky. (WSAZ) — King’s Daughters Medical Center reopened the Vitality Center Monday, returning pediatric rehabilitation services to Russell, Kentucky.

It has been more than two months since families could visit the facility.

Parent Lori Rachel Nichols says she has been taking her kids for more than eight years. However, just a few month sago, she didn’t know if they’d ever be able to return.

“We didn’t know if we’d get to this point or not,” said Nichols. “We found out maybe a week or two before everything went down that the facility was going to stay open.”

The center provides pediatric rehabilitation including physical, occupational, and speech. It was previously owned by our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, which announced in January it was closing its doors for good.

Nichols says for awhile, the uncertainty of the facility’s future consumed her.

“There was a lot of sleepless nights mostly just worrying about stuff,” said Nichols. “Where the kids were going to go, what’s going to happen…”

Those questions were answered shortly before the hospital’s closure.
King’s Daughters Medical Center announced it was taking over the vitality center and keeping most of the former staff.

The announcement was a relief to employees and parents.

“Our oldest for a long time was really wary of anybody but now he does a lot better,” said Nichols. “I think it would completely throw him off if we went somewhere else.”

King’s Daughter’s Medical Center also opened an urgent care center and an orthopedics office in Russell, Kentucky Monday.