Demolition of the Former St. Vincent Charity Medical Center will help pave way for the future

The Sisters of Charity Health System (SCHS) is very excited to share that they are diligently preparing for a tomorrow on East 22nd Street in the Central Neighborhood of Cleveland. Through the commitment of collaborators and partners, planned new development is beginning to take place on East 22nd that will improve the delivery of services to residents of the Central Neighborhood of Cleveland and bring new vibrancy to the area. Together, a group of initiatives, including partnerships, will create a “Health and Healing Hub” in the Central community—providing enhanced health and human services to the residents of Central.

The developments and partnerships that will help create a “Health and Healing Hub,” include:

• A well-respected and trusted provider, The Centers, purchased the SCHS Medical Office Building (MOB) just west of and across the street from the St. Vincent Charity and will be providing behavioral health services, providing wider and deeper levels of service. They will rehab the MOB starting in 2025 and move into the space in 2026.
• Neighborhood Family Practice (NFP) is continuing to work towards establishing a new Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) site in Cleveland's Central Neighborhood, planned for property on East 22nd Street. NFP is committed to expanding access to much-needed health care services for families and children in the area, including family medicine, women’s and children’s healthcare, behavioral health, and community education. Additional information will be provided when the agreement is finalized.
• Women Religious Archives Collaborative (WRAC) will establish a 30,000 sq. ft. Heritage Center on 1.5-acres of vacant land, across East 22nd Street from the SCHS building. Their efforts are now international as they preserve and celebrate the unique histories and contributions of more than 40 congregations of Catholic Sisters from the US and Canada. A capital campaign to support construction is underway for a groundbreaking in March of 2025 (archivescollaborative.org).
• The SCHS ministry, Joseph & Mary’s Home, Cleveland’s only provider of post-hospital medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness, has launched its campaign, “A New Home for Healing,” to renovate and relocate its facility for men, located just east of the Sisters of Charity Health building. The project is scheduled to be completed next summer.
• The pharmacy has relocated to the SCHS Building, 2475 East 22nd Street, across the street from the St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center, where it was once housed.
• Outpatient Behavioral Health and Rosary Hall, which provides addiction treatment, will continue. These services have relocated to the SCHS Building, 2475 East 22nd Street, across the street from the St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center. Rosary Hall was located in the Medical Office Building, that will now be home to The Centers.
• The work of Mission Kitchen, which provides hot meals, canned goods and fresh produce to residents of Central, will continue biweekly at the William Patrick Day Head Start building, 2421 Community College Avenue, through an agreement with Cuyahoga County
• SCHS will continue its support and funding of Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood, a collective impact initiative which fosters community leadership and innovation in Central.

In tandem with these efforts, the Sisters of Charity Health System and St. Vincent Charity Community
Health Center (SVCCHC) are moving forward with the planned demolition of the former hospital on the E. 22nd Street campus. This marks a pivotal step toward developing a future vision of a Health and Healing Hub that will continue the cherished mission and ministry of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood. The demolition expected to start in the first quarter of 2025. Proceeding with demolition of the facilities comes after extensive evaluation. It was determined that, because of the high maintenance costs of the aging facilities, an adaptive reuse is not financially feasible or sustainable.

The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine are steadfast in their commitment to investing in the E. 22nd Street campus and the Central neighborhood, dedicated to creating a sustainable future that honors their enduring legacy of service.