First few Article Sentences
Teaming up with the Alabama-based specialty health care provider Bridgecare Hospitals, Providence Health Systems opened St. Elias Specialty Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska in December, 2006. Designed to provide the state’s first long-term acute care, St. Elias fills a gap in Alaska’s fast-growing health care industry according to CEO Chad Carpenter. While most hospitals have limited intensive care facilities, St. Elias is designed specifically for patients with serious issues, needing around the clock care, with stays averaging twenty-five days or more. “We act as a pressure relief valve; we take patients from ICU’s directly into our hospital,” says Carpenter. “That allows them to keep their doors open and that’s critical.”