Catholic Health World
| December 1, 2010 |
Volume 26, Number 21 |
Providence Hospital celebrates 150th anniversary with health events
Providence Hospital of Washington, D.C., is celebrating its 150th anniversary year by promoting healthy behaviors.
In a message to the community, Providence President and Chief Executive Amy Freeman said that by focusing on wellness the hospital "will not only be celebrating history, (it) will be making history" through health improvement.
In July, it sponsored a health and fitness day that included health screenings, a farmer's market and entertainment. In September, the facility hosted a "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day" with free health screenings and information. It has challenged community members to shed 150,000 pounds collectively by the end of the anniversary year in June 2011.
In addition to working to reduce obesity, Providence is ramping up public health education with a series of seminars, promoting prenatal care with the objective of reducing infant mortality, and educating community members on how to identify the signs of mental health conditions and how to prevent an escalation of these conditions.
The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul founded Providence in 1861. President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress to charter the facility, which cared for both Union and Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. Congressional support and appropriations were essential to starting and completing several of the buildings on the original campus, which planners at the time estimated would cost about $110,000.
Credited as the capital's longest continuously operating hospital, Providence has moved several times over its history. Today it is a 408-bed community hospital specializing in maternity care, oncology, behavioral health, wellness and geriatric care. The Providence network also includes an eldercare facility, family medicine center, primary care clinic and wellness center.
Copyright © 2010 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
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