Community Health Hub to open in July on second level of new Emergency Department

Vancouver, Wash. – The PeaceHealth Southwest Emergency Department expansion is set to open in July and at the same time, the second level of the new construction will open, housing a new service, the Community Health Hub (CHH).

The Community Health Hub is a unique initiative that will provide 24-hour, non-medical care to PeaceHealth Emergency Department patients experiencing behavioral health issues, addiction, homelessness, food insecurity and domestic violence.

Nearly 7,000 patients visit the PeaceHealth Southwest Emergency Department five or more times a year without a medical need requiring a hospital stay, placing a heavy burden on a healthcare system. The Community Health Hub is designed to help directly address those non-medical needs.

The CHH, which will be staffed by community partners, will focus on collaborating with the Emergency Department in delivering the right care, at the right time in the right place.

“By intersecting outstanding emergency care with essential social services under one roof, we are empowering healthcare providers and community partners to treat the whole person — body and spirit,” shares Brooke Malloy, a licensed social worker who will serve as the program manager of the CHH.

Malloy adds that the hospital expects the number of community partners to expand in the next several months and they are pleased with those who have currently committed, including SWACH, NW Cave, Lifeline Connections, Columbia River Mental Health, Share, Recovery Café, Meals on Wheels, Council for the Homeless, and the Clark County Food Bank.

“We look forward to opening the doors to the CHH later this summer, and launching this unique initiative that speaks directly to the PeaceHealth Mission,” says Liz Cattin, Community Health Director for PeaceHealth Columbia Network. “We believe the humanity, compassion and connection we will provide, in collaborating with our community partners, can greatly improve the lives of our most vulnerable.”

The CHH with have a separate designated, secure, entrance with entry through invitation-only. The space will be equipped with showers, laundry support, confidential rooms to meet with individuals, classrooms, flexible space for community partners to co-locate and collaborate, and a play area for children adjacent to windowed rooms for easy visibility to caregivers/parents.

The Community Health Hub is donor funded. If you are interested in contributing to the long-term sustainability of the HUB, please visit, peacehealth.org/foundation/southwest.

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About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 1,200 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.