Skip to main content

Welcome to Our Hospital

We know that choosing where to receive care after a life-changing illness or injury is an important decision for you and your loved ones. At Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, an affiliate of Encompass Health, we are committed to helping you get back to what matters most. Located in Worcester, we are a leading provider of inpatient rehabilitation for stroke, brain injury, hip fracture and other complex neurological and orthopedic conditions.

When you choose Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, an affiliate of Encompass Health for your rehabilitation, you receive compassionate care from an expert team of physical, occupational and speech therapists; physicians; nurses; dietitians; pharmacists; and case managers who work together to create a plan to help you meet your unique goals.

At our hospital you will receive:

  • Three hours of therapy, five days per week
  • 24/7 nursing care, including nurses who specialize in rehabilitation
  • Frequent visits from a physician*

*We provide access to independent physicians.

Learn what to expect during inpatient rehabilitation

The DAISY Award

Nominate a Nurse Today for The DAISY Award

The DAISY Award is an international recognition program created to enable patients, families and staff to thank and honor their special nurses. Complete the form below to share your story of how a nurse made a difference in your care or that of someone you know.

Share your story

Better Rehabilitation Starts Here

Each patient’s recovery is different. At Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, an affiliate of Encompass Health, our expert clinicians combine the latest technologies, real-world simulations and advanced therapies into a treatment plan that helps you achieve what’s important to you. Our specialties include but are not limited to:

 

 

Superior Amenities at Our Hospitals

Televisions

Telephones

Free WiFi

Courtyard

Pet friendly

Tours available

Support groups

Nonsmoking

Volunteers

Take a Virtual Tour

What to Expect

Take a look at what happens during a stay at our hospital

Watch the videos

Get in Touch With Us

Complete a short form to have someone contact you regarding inpatient rehabilitation.

Contact us

Join Our Team

Learn more about how to become one of our industry-leading professionals.

Careers

We Proudly Display Our Gold Seal of Approval™

Stroke Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in stroke rehabilitation.

Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in brain injury rehabilitation.

Amputee Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in amputee rehabilitation.

Parkinson's Disease Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in Parkinson's disease.

Hip Fracture Rehabilitation

Our hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in hip fracture rehabilitation.

Leadership and Staff

Peter Lancette, CEO
Peter Lancette

Chief Executive Officer

Peter brings a wealth of clinical and healthcare leadership experience to his role as CEO.

Peter brings a wealth of clinical and healthcare leadership experience to his role as CEO. Prior to joining Fairlawn, he served as the associate vice president for UMass Memorial Health’s hospital at home program. Before that, he was the associate chief nursing officer for field hospital operations for UMass Medical Center (UMMC). In that position, he worked with federal, state and local officials to create and manage a 250-bed field hospital to care for nearly 1,000 COVID-19 patients from the greater Worcester area. He was also UMMC’s director of cardiovascular diagnostic and interventional services and manager of the emergency and life flight departments. He previously worked as a staff nurse for 20 years at several area hospitals. Peter is a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves. His service included multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he served as a chief nurse, unit commander and leader of a golden hour offset surgical trauma team. In addition to overseeing a 20-person clinical team treating critically injured servicemen and women in a range of combat scenarios, he coordinated evacuation efforts to separate patients from conflict and administer critical treatment in high intensity situations.

Read more
Debra Twehous
DEBRA TWEHOUS, M.D.

Medical Director

Prior to her appointment as Fairlawn’s medical director, Dr. Twehous was the hospital’s chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Prior to her appointment as Fairlawn’s medical director, Dr. Twehous was the hospital’s chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation. She also previously served as a medical director at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, the Burbank Rehabilitation Center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Farnum Rehabilitation Center at the Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, New Hampshire, and the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California. Dr. Twehous completed her medical degree and an internship in internal medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of California at Irvine. An assistant professor in the department of orthopedics and physical medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Dr. Twehous has also held academic positions at Harvard Medical School in Boston and The University of California at Irvine in Orange, California.

Dr. Twehous is an independent private practice physician.

Read more
Cathleen Butenewicz
Cathleen Butenewicz

Chief Nursing Officer

Cathleen has served in leadership roles for several healthcare systems in Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware.

Throughout her 30-year nursing career, Cathleen has served in leadership roles for several healthcare systems in Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. Prior to joining Fairlawn, she held quality and risk management positions at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, and Salem Medical Center in Salem, NJ. Cathleen earned her doctor of nursing practice through Capella University, Minneapolis and both her bachelor's and master's degree in nursing at Wilmington University in New Castle. She also holds a post-graduate certification as a legal nurse consultant. Cathleen has presented on a variety of topics related to nursing education and leadership at conferences throughout the United States. She is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing, the American Nurses Association and the International Nursing Honor Society Sigma Theta Tau.

Read more
Corey Leblanc
COREY LEBLANC

Director of Therapy Operations

Corey served as a staff physical therapist at Fairlawn until he was appointed physical therapy rehabilitation manager in 2010.

Joining Fairlawn in 2002, Corey served as a staff physical therapist until he was appointed physical therapy rehabilitation manager in 2010. In 2015, he assumed his current position as director of therapy operations. He holds a doctorate degree in physical therapy from Simmons College and a master’s degree in physical therapy from Boston University. Named Fairlawn’s Clinician of the Year in 2008 and Employee of the Year in 2014, Corey is a member of the Physical Therapy Clinical Advisory Board at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences.

Read more
John Flaherty
JOHN FLAHERTY

Controller

John joined the team at Fairlawn in October of 2004.

Prior to assuming his position at Fairlawn in October of 2004, John served as an audit manager for Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co., P.C. in Westborough, Massachusetts. He also previously worked in several financial services positions for UMass Memorial Healthcare, Worcester, Massachusetts. A certified public accountant, John earned his certificate in accounting at Assumption College. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.

Read more
Samantha Gauvin
SAMANTHA GAUVIN

Director of Quality & Risk

Samantha joined Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2016.

Samantha joined Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2016 as a registered nurse and grew into her current role as a director of quality and risk in 2022. In this role she helps to create an environment and culture that enables the facility to fulfill its mission by meeting or exceeding its goals, conveying the hospital mission to all staff, facilitating staff accountability for their performance, and motivating staff to improve their performance. She is also responsible for the quality and delivery of patient care services within the hospital.

Read more
Samantha Gould
SAMANTHA GOULD

Human Resources Director

Samantha joined the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2021 as the administrative supervisor.

Samantha joined the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2021 as the administrative supervisor and in 2023 advanced into her current role as the human resources director. She graduated from Worcester State University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in public health with a minor in psychology. Samantha began her human resources career in long-term care before transitioning to the inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Read more
Joy Helgerson
JOY HELGERSON

Business Development Director

Joy joined Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital as the business development director in February of 2022.

Joy joined Encompass Health in 2019 and moved to Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital as the business development director in February 2022. In this role she leads a team of clinicians who assist hospitals, families and patients access the acute rehabilitation care they need and deserve. As a physical therapy graduate of Quinnipiac University, her career has spanned multiple healthcare settings. Joy brings with her more than 25 years as a senior leader in healthcare operations and management across regional and national markets with a focus on post-acute services, including home health, outpatient, skilled nursing and acute rehabilitation.

Read more
Michael Kermani
MICHAEL KERMANI

Director of Pharmacy

Dr. Kermani completed his bachelor's degree at Clark University

Dr. Kermani completed his bachelor's degree at Clark University and received his doctorate in pharmacy from MCPHS University. He has been a member of Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital since 2008. He loves the Worcester community and is dedicated to serving patients. Dr. Kermani finds helping patients very rewarding.

Read more
Jessica Marinelli
JESSICA MARINELLI

Director of Case Management

Jessica Marinelli joined the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team as a case manager in 2015 and advanced into her role as the director of case management in 2022.

Jessica Marinelli joined the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team as a case manager in 2015 and advanced into her role as the director of case management in 2022. In this role, Jess oversees the interdisciplinary plan of care and the discharge planning process to ensure the effectiveness and appropriateness of services. She is a dedicated patient advocate who strives to ensure that services are delivered to meet the needs of patients and their families, and that the utilization of resources is appropriate. Jess has a bachelor’s degree from Western New England University and a master’s degree from Assumption University. She is a licensed social worker (LSW), a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and a certified case manager (CCM).

Read more
Charles Schleich
CHARLES SCHLEICH

Facilities Management Director

Charles joined the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2020 as the maintenance supervisor.

Charles joined the Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital team in 2020 as the maintenance supervisor advancing into his role as the facilities management director in 2023. Chip was self-employed for 34 years building log homes all over east of the Mississippi before joining Fairlawn. He went to college at the age of 15 completing a dual bachelor's degree in criminal justice and psychology. Charles also completed a PMBA in business administration in 1995.

Read more

Fairlawn’s Patient-Family Advisory Council

Listening to those who entrust us with their care is one of the most effective ways to ensure that we serve patients and families to the best of our ability.  Seeing the delivery of care through their eyes and then collaborating with them to improve that care is the goal of Fairlawn’s Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC).

The Council, comprised of several senior management/staff members and four individuals from the community, meets every three months at Fairlawn. Also, through its Ambassador Peer Visiting Program, PFAC members are available to patients and families to share the peer experience of illness, recovery and life after Fairlawn.

In its efforts to facilitate patient and family participation in hospital care, decision-making, and policy/program development, the Council utilizes the Institute for Family Centered Care core concepts of dignity and respect, information and sharing, participation and collaboration.

The PFAC plan, policy and annual report are available publicly via electronic means by completing “Contact Us” email section on this website.

New members welcome:
Fairlawn’s PFAC welcomes new members.  If you are interested in being a part of the Council, please complete the “Contact Us” email section on this website. The Council’s chairperson will respond to your inquiry.

Patient Satisfaction Ratings