Providence Health System in Washington, D.C., owned by St. Louis-based Ascension, will close acute care services and focus on services to support community needs and population health initiatives.
The transition is slated to take effect by the end of this year. It will involve moving to a more "community-focused perspective" that provides services such as care coordination, telehealth/virtual care, primary and urgent care, home care, community-based behavioral healthcare, and senior care, according to Providence. The 283-bed hospital also plans to focus on services outside of healthcare geared toward improving patients' well-being.
"We know that 15 percent of a person's life is spent in actual healthcare, which means the remaining 85 percent is spent in other areas that either positively or negatively impact their overall well-being," Keith Vander Kolk, Providence president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. "That is where the greatest opportunity to make meaningful change lies, and we must put our focus and energy on advancing a model of transformation that will serve the district in new and lasting ways."
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