Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn has expressed an interest in collaborating with the new property owner to "provide a full-service hospital." (Photo by Gary McCarthy)
Story Created:
Dec 23, 2009 at 6:51 PM PST
Story Updated:
Dec 23, 2009 at 8:49 PM PST
INGLEWOOD — Health care advocates are hoping that the recent multimillion dollar sale of the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital to an Inglewood church could signal its return as a full-service medical facility, in a city hit hard by hospital closures in the region.
In a low-key signing ceremony on Oct. 13, the First Church of God, located at 9550 Crenshaw Blvd., took possession of an 18.6-acre property at 333 N. Prairie Ave., with plans to develop it into a health and wellness facility called the Center of Hope.
Founded more than 100 years ago, First Church of God is a full-service ministry representing more than 3,000 members and — excluding its latest acquisition — has stewardship of over $25 million in real estate assets.
According to the church led by Bishop Gregory L. Dixon, the newly coined Center of Hope contains five hospital towers and five additional structures including an education center, a convent, fitness center and an 800-car garage totaling more than 344,000 square feet of leaseable office space.
In its vision prospectus, the center outlined a “re-engineering” of the facility to include the medical component combined with a diverse mix of businesses and community-based programs and partnerships.
Initially, the wellness clinic would be an outpatient center treating conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and house rehabilitation-therapy-and prevention programs as well as a nursing facility and fitness center.
Other services would include programs, in healthy eating and nutrition, financial literacy, dance, self-esteem building and computer instruction.
The third component would be a senior living program, comprising of a convalescent care and senior assisted living facility.
All the potential services would be handled through the church’s nonprofit subsidiary, The First Community Development Corporation.
“We will be interfacing with the press in the new year, but I can say that we are open to a myriad of conversations around the new center,” said Associate Pastor Geremy Dixon, who declined to disclose how much the church paid to buy the property from former owners Centinela Freeman HealthSystem.
“We will be reaching out to organizations and local partners to create a one-stop facility [that would encompass everything from] childcare to education.”
Lark Galloway-Gilliam, executive director of the Community Health Councils, which serves communities throughout Los Angeles and California, welcomed the acquisition.
“We’re fortunate the church is open and cares about the community’s broader needs,” she said. “We’ve talked to the bishop about the vision of possible in-patient services. But for now, the new center could partner with local clinics and that would help to keep local specialists in the area.”
Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn also looked to a future partnership.
“We would love to team up with the church and provide a full-service hospital,” said Dorn. “It would be great for the community and provide thousands of jobs.”
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