Hailey Tran
Providence Hospital, founded in 1861 in Washington, D.C., was the district's longest continuously operating hospital until its closure in 2019. The hospital's owner, Ascension Health, a non-profit healthcare network, faced opposition from the community, healthcare professionals, and local elected officials over the decision. An investigation was launched into the closure, and while it has since ended, the development of the hospital's former campus is being closely monitored.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of closure | 2019 |
| Owner | Ascension Health |
| Location | Northeast D.C.’s Michigan Park neighborhood |
| History | Founded in 1861, it was the District's longest continuously operating hospital |
| Reason for closure | Declining patient volume and revenue |
| Future plans | Redevelop the campus into senior housing, mixed-income housing, market-rate housing, and public community space |
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What You'll Learn
Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. was founded in 1861
Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1861 at the urging of President Lincoln. The hospital was constructed on land owned by Major Augustus Nicholson of the U.S. Marine Corps. His widow, Mrs Nicholson, rented the property to the Sisters of Charity, who also ran the hospital alongside Dr. Joseph M. Toner. The hospital opened on June 10, 1861, just six weeks before the Battle of Bull Run, and it served both the Washington civilian population and wounded soldiers from nearby Virginia.
Providence Hospital was the only civilian hospital in Washington at the time, as the military had confiscated the other one, the Washington Infirmary. It was also the District's longest continuously operating hospital and one of just two remaining hospitals on the city's East side. The hospital was a driving force in continuous innovations towards higher standards in medical care. For example, it had the first surgical amphitheatre in 1882, and the Sisters of Charity were committed to continuous social work and affordable care. A soup kitchen for the unemployed was housed in the basement of the hospital, serving the community through seven different economic depressions.
In 2018, Ascension Health, a national non-profit healthcare network based in Missouri, announced it would be closing Providence Hospital. Ascension had controlled the hospital since January 2000. The announcement was met with widespread criticism from the community, healthcare professionals, and local elected officials, who were concerned about the loss of care for the largely Black and lower-income patients who depended on Providence. In response to the pushback, Ascension forgave $130 million in debt that Providence owed, ensuring that the hospital's assets remained in the District. Despite this, Providence Hospital closed the majority of its campus operations in Northeast D.C.'s Michigan Park neighbourhood in 2019.
Following the closure, Ascension Health announced plans to develop an innovative "Health Village" on the hospital's former site, intended for "frail and elderly patients, especially individuals in the lower socioeconomic spectrum". The future of the hospital's campus is still uncertain, with no timeline or budget for its redevelopment. However, Ascension has hired local developers to draft potential reuses, including senior housing, mixed-income housing, market-rate housing, and public community space.
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The hospital was closed in 2019
Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., closed in 2019. The hospital was founded in 1861 and was the district's longest continuously operating hospital. It was owned by Ascension Health, a national non-profit healthcare network based in Missouri.
The decision to close the hospital was met with widespread criticism and opposition from the community, healthcare professionals, and local elected officials. Many were concerned about the impact on the largely Black and lower-income patients who depended on Providence for care. Despite the opposition, Ascension moved forward with the closure, and in 2019, Providence Health System officially shut down its acute-care services.
The closure of Providence Hospital was the result of a long battle between the hospital and those who wished to keep it open. In 2018, Ascension announced its plans to close the hospital, citing declining patient volume and revenue as reasons for the decision. The District even filed a lawsuit in December of that year over Providence's closure plans, but it was dismissed by a D.C. Superior Court judge.
In the end, Ascension prevailed, and the hospital closed in 2019. After the closure, Ascension hired two local developers to draft potential reuses for the hospital's closed campus. The company announced plans to develop an innovative "Health Village" on the site, which would provide outpatient care for frail and elderly patients, especially those in the lower socioeconomic spectrum.
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Owner Ascension Health is transitioning the site to an outpatient healthy village
Providence Hospital, located in Washington D.C., was founded in 1861 and is the District's longest continuously operating hospital. The hospital was constructed on land owned by Major Augustus Nicholson of the U.S. Marine Corps and was rented to the Sisters of Charity, who also ran the hospital along with Dr. Joseph M. Toner. The hospital served both the Washington civilian population and soldiers wounded in nearby Virginia. It was also one of the driving forces for continuous innovation towards higher standards in medical care.
In 2018, Ascension Health, a national non-profit healthcare network based in Missouri and the owner of Providence Hospital, announced its plans to close the hospital. This decision was met with widespread criticism from the community, healthcare professionals, and local elected officials. Many were concerned about the impact on the largely Black and lower-income patients who depended on Providence for care.
Following the announcement, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in D.C. opened an investigation into the closure, specifically examining whether Ascension acted improperly in installing a new board of directors and in its notification to Providence donors. The investigation also looked into whether Ascension imposed excessive fees on Providence as a way to improperly remove non-profit assets from the District.
During the investigation, it was revealed that some of the fees Ascension charged Providence were likely excessive. As a result, Ascension forgave $130 million in debt owed by Providence, ensuring that Providence's assets remained in the District to continue providing non-profit healthcare for residents.
Despite the opposition and investigation, Providence Hospital closed the majority of its campus operations in 2019. Owner Ascension Health is now transitioning the site to an outpatient "healthy village", with a focus on serving frail and elderly patients, particularly those in the lower socioeconomic spectrum. While there is no set timeline or budget for the redevelopment, Ascension Health has hired local developers to draft potential reuses for the campus, including senior housing, mixed-income housing, market-rate housing, and public community space.
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Providence was Washington D.C.'s longest continuously operating hospital
Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1861 at the urging of President Lincoln. The hospital was constructed on land owned by Major Augustus Nicholson of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Sisters of Charity, who rented the property from Mrs Nicholson, ran the hospital alongside Dr. Joseph M. Toner. The hospital opened on June 10, 1861, just six weeks before the Battle of Bull Run.
Providence Hospital was the only civilian hospital in Washington at the time, as the military had confiscated the Washington Infirmary. The hospital served both the civilian population of Washington and soldiers wounded in nearby Virginia. Providence was also a driving force for innovation in medical care, becoming home to the first surgical amphitheatre in 1882. The Sisters of Charity were committed to continuous social work and affordable care, operating a soup kitchen for the unemployed in the hospital basement.
In 2000, Ascension Health, a national non-profit healthcare network, took control of Providence Hospital. In 2018, Ascension announced it would be closing the hospital, which was met with widespread criticism. Providence was Washington D.C.'s longest continuously operating hospital, and one of only two hospitals on the city's East side. There were concerns that the largely Black and lower-income patients who relied on Providence would no longer be able to access care.
Following Providence's closure, Ascension announced plans to develop an innovative "Health Village" on the hospital's former site.
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The closure was met with widespread criticism
Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1861 at the urging of President Lincoln. It was the District's longest continuously operating hospital, and one of only two remaining hospitals on the city's East side. The hospital was constructed on land owned by Major Augustus Nicholson of the U.S. Marine Corps and was rented to the Sisters of Charity, who served the Washington civilian population and soldiers wounded in nearby Virginia. The hospital would go on to be a driving force for continuous innovations towards higher standards in medical care, becoming the first to have a surgical amphitheatre in 1882.
In 2018, Ascension Health, a national non-profit healthcare network based in Missouri and the owner of Providence Hospital, announced it would be closing the hospital. This announcement was met with widespread criticism from the community, healthcare professionals, and local elected officials. Many were concerned that the largely Black and lower-income patients who depended on Providence would no longer be able to access care. The hospital's planned shutdown caused significant pushback over fears of gaps in care, and when Providence's Board of Directors protested the closure, Ascension fired and replaced most of the Board members.
The District of Columbia opened an investigation into whether Ascension acted improperly when installing a new board of directors to wind down the hospital's operations and whether it gave proper notice to Providence donors regarding the closing. The investigation also considered whether Ascension imposed excessive fees on Providence in an attempt to improperly remove non-profit assets from the District. Expert review revealed that some of the fees Ascension charged Providence were likely excessive, prompting Ascension to forgive $130 million in debt that Providence owed the health network.
Despite the closure, Providence's assets will remain in the District and continue to be used to provide non-profit healthcare for residents. Ascension has announced plans to develop an innovative "Health Village" on the hospital's former site, which will cater to frail and elderly patients, especially those in the lower socioeconomic spectrum.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Providence Hospital in Washington DC closed the majority of its campus operations in 2019.
Providence Hospital closed due to declining patient volume and revenue. The hospital's owner, Ascension Health, a national non-profit healthcare network, plans to transition the hospital's former site into an innovative "Health Village" for "frail and elderly patients, especially individuals in the lower socioeconomic spectrum".
Nearby hospitals, such as MedStar Washington Hospital Center, received a substantial surge in patient volumes after Providence began winding down services. DC Health is also working closely with impacted patients to ensure they receive the care they need.
Ascension Health has hired two local developers, Menkiti Group and Bethesda-based EYA, to draft potential re-uses for the hospital's closed campus. Potential uses include senior housing, mixed-income housing, market-rate housing, and public community space.
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