Hospitals Reaching Out to Their Neighbors Through Development

A hospital in Columbus, Ohio, seeks to improve the lives of area residents by investing in the surrounding neighborhood.

2 minute read

September 27, 2018, 5:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Laura Bliss examines the relationships between hospitals and the communities in which they locate, with a focus on Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The Southern Orchards neighborhood around the hospital had been in decline for many years, and in 2008 Nationwide Children’s began investing in the community, starting with a real estate development initiative, reports Bliss:

Over the past nine years, Nationwide Children’s put $6 million into this combined effort, joining the city and other donors to [the] Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families [initiative]; all told, what began as holding up its end of a tax deal became a nearly $23 million investment in 272 single-family homes and dozens of rental units around the South Side.

Bliss points out that Nationwide Children’s had incentives for investing in Southern Orchards. For one, an improved neighborhood is an employee benefit. In addition, improving the quality of life and health of area residents helps the hospital. Since it is reimbursed for each Medicaid and Medicare patient, rather than for services provided, healthier patients mean lower medical costs for the hospital.

However, the actual effects and outcomes of these investments remain somewhat unclear, reports Bliss. One of Nationwide Children’s next goals is getting a better sense of how improvements in the neighborhood have affected the health of children. “Over the next three years, the hospital will try to assess this by a number of metrics, including readmission rates, the number of emergency room visits, inpatient days, and the particular health issues kids from the neighborhood are bringing in,” says Bliss.

Bliss also says that development investments by Nationwide Children’s and hospitals in other cities have seen their fair share of controversies. In some places, projects have moved too slowly or the promised community benefits never materialized. Concerns about gentrification and displacement have also challenged development efforts. Advocates and researchers say measuring displacement of residents, developing strategies to prevent it, and figuring out ways to reconnect with displaced people should be goals at the forefront of future investment activities. 

Friday, September 21, 2018 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Public Market sign over Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington with pop-up booths on street.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure

After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

May 15 - Cascade PBS

Yellow and silver light rain train in downtown Long Beach, California.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?

In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

May 15 - Secret Los Angeles

Man reaching for young girl sliding down playground slide.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure

New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?

May 15 - Happy Cities