D.C.'s oldest hospital has started its new life as an urgent care facility.
The old Providence Hospital closed April 30, after the city dropped a lawsuit meant to prevent the hospital from ending many services. It reopened this week as the Providence Urgent Care Center.
The full-service hospital had faced serious financial problems in recent years, but its closure left a big gap in emergency care for residents in the eastern half of the District. Washington Medical Center in Northwest D.C. and Adventist HealthCare Washington Hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland, are now the nearest full-service hospitals.
Ascension, the healthcare organization now operating the hospital, says the center will be the first urgent care facility in Ward 5.
The urgent care center will operate seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. According to the center, urgent care staff can treat those suffering from common, non-emergency illnesses including the flu, strep throat, and asthma, broken bones, sprains and strains. Radiology, vaccinations and lab services are also available.
