Cook County Health (CCH) is proud to announce the opening of an observation unit at Provident Hospital, part of Cook County’s continued investment in the historic South Side hospital.

“Cook County Health continues to make important investments at Provident Hospital to ensure patients have access to the comprehensive, compassionate health care they deserve, right in their neighborhood,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “I am grateful to the work the team at Provident is doing to elevate services and close the health equity gap on Chicago’s South Side.”

The new 11-bed short-stay observation unit is for patients who come to the Provident Hospital Emergency Department but may not require full inpatient care. Providers can also streamline imaging, testing, and treatment for patients under observation, enhancing the patient experience and improving efficiency.

Some conditions that may require observation include chest pain, dehydration, asthma, abdominal pain, kidney stones, and minor infections. Previously, patients would have been admitted to the hospital’s inpatient unit, leading to longer stays and higher costs.

“The addition of an observation unit at Provident Hospital builds on its long legacy of care and innovation. This is a testament to Provident Hospital’s resilience and dedication to meeting the health care needs of the patients it serves,” said Commissioner Bill Lowry, Vice Chair of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Health & Hospitals Committee, member of the CCH Board of Director, and Commissioner of the 3^rd district, where the hospital is located.

Provident Hospital has 45 staffed inpatient beds and sees more than 28,000 emergency department visits each year. The build-out of the new observation unit cost more than $800,000.

“We are proud of Provident Hospital’s essential role as a cornerstone of health and wellbeing for our community,” said Dr. Erik Mikaitis, CEO, Cook County Health. “The new observation unit will enhance our patients’ healing and optimize hospital resources, and represents just one of the many investments we are making in the Provident campus.”

The observation unit is just the latest milestone in ongoing efforts to enhance patient care at Provident Hospital.

In August, CCH announced plans to open a new community health center at 467 E 31^st Street in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. The 26,000-square-foot facility, expected to open in early 2025, is projected to see 85,000 visits in its first year and will include family medicine and behavioral health care services, 44 exam rooms and a gym space for therapy services. It will offer new, modern space for patients who currently receive primary care services at Provident Hospital, and will also free up space within the hospital for the growth of additional specialty services.

In the coming months, CCH will also open a Clinical Triage & Stabilization Center at Provident Hospital where patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis can receive assessment, treatment and referrals.

Cook County Health has invested more than $9 million on upgrades to Provident Hospital in recent years, including the opening of a new dialysis and lifestyle centers in 2021, the addition of diagnostic imaging services in 2022, the establishment of an ICU and resumption of ambulance services in 2022, and the ongoing expansion of outpatient specialty and surgical care.

In 2023, Provident Hospital was named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s Great Community Hospitals.