Councilmember Vincent C. Gray Responds to the Decision of Providence Hospital to Cease Acute Care Services by the End of 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                           

JULY 26, 2018

Contact: Takiyah “T.N.” Tate

COUNCILMEMBER VINCENT C.  GRAY RESPONDS TO THE DECISION OF PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL TO CEASE ACUTE CARE SERVICES BY THE END OF 2018

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Providence Hospital announced that it intends to close acute care services by the end of the year, which represents a continuation of their decision to exit inpatient psychiatric services and obstetrical care services.  Providence announced that it will concentrate on ambulatory and outpatient services in a health village model.  D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray (Ward 7) responded to the announcement by saying:

“While not entirely unexpected, I am deeply troubled to learn about the decision by Providence to further eliminate inpatient services.  Providence was a hospital of choice for many residents in Ward 7.  The closure puts further strain on Washington Hospital Center’s emergency room services and continues a disturbing trend over the last year, in which hospital services in the eastern quadrants of the District have continued to be scaled back. The decision by Providence to eliminate these services exacerbates the maldistribution of beds and will further disadvantage people on the East End of the District.”

Councilmember Gray indicated he will schedule a Committee on Health performance oversight hearing of the Department of Health in the fall to examine the Executive’s strategy for health systems planning to ensure health care services are adequate and conveniently available to residents in all wards of the city.

Gray also said, “This closure creates additional urgency for the Executive to quickly select a permanent operator for the new hospital to be constructed on the St. Elizabeths campus.  I have said publicly on many occasions that we need to have the new hospital opened by no later than December 31, 2021, and perhaps that timeline should be further accelerated after Providence’s announcement yesterday.”

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