Washington, D.C.-based Providence Health System, owned by St. Louis-based Ascension, is looking to build a "health village" to replace its 408-bed hospital in Northeast D.C.
Providence officials attributed the decision to transform the hospital campus into a health village to an excess of hospital beds in the Washington, D.C. area and changing community health needs, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Providence seeks to provide services at the 30-acre health village that can have a positive impact on community health by establishing partnerships with outside organizations. Providence said several services are being considered for the village, including primary care, telehealth, expanded post-acute care and urgent care. The health village will also include recreation space and walking trails.
"Transforming our Washington, D.C. health facility into a Health Village will enable us to sustain our mission of serving all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable," Steve Strazzella, chair of Providence Hospital's board of directors, said. "The new approach will create a campus that is better able to meet the needs of a changing and growing community, working in partnership with other community organizations and service providers to serve people's needs in the ways that are most convenient and best for them as individuals."
Providence Hospital is currently seeking a partner to help design and identify community partners for the new hospital village.
The current hospital campus has primary care offices, a bariatric surgery center, an orthopedic care center and a center for geriatric medicine. Providence did not disclose how the transformation would impact those services.