Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond Inc

The Doorways is a non-profit medical lodging facility operating in a 117-room former hotel in downtown Richmond, Virginia. We were originally founded in 1984 as Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond. Today, we are the second largest hospital hospitality house in the country, providing over 50,000 nights of lodging, meals and support to approximately 10,000 children and adults.

Our facility is open for service 24 hours/day, 365 days/year for both patients and/or their family members/caregivers who are referred by local provider(s) to receive medical care in Richmond. Patients and/or caregivers may stay at The Doorways as long as the patient is confirmed as either an admitted patient or as receiving outpatient services by the referring partner. 

 For guests who are referred to The Doorways, the average duration of overnight travel for treatment is 7 nights; however, more than 50% of our stays are for more than one month. This creates a stressful and financially overwhelming scenario for those in the midst of a medical crisis, especially for those who are uninsured, under-insured or low-income. Our goal is to remove the financial, emotional and logistical barriers for these individuals so they can focus on their health and healing. 

 Each patient and their family members/caregivers are provided one private room with private bath. Rooms sleep 4 (up to 5 with the addition of a cot or crib). Guests also have access to all the following for the duration of their treatment in Richmond: 

• Prepared meals and fully stocked self-serve kitchens
• Downtown parking provided by VCU Health (5 blocks from The Doorways)
• Hourly shuttle service to and from car and/or VCU Health
• Self-serve laundry facilities with all needed supplies
• Wi-fi, library, mail service, local phone service
• Exercise room
• Emotional support from licensed social workers

Our program provides lasting benefits to those who are unable to access the full range of medical services they need to live healthy lives. Because of our program, thousands of families, many of whom are among the most underserved and vulnerable members of our communities, have been able to receive life-saving or specialty medical care that they might otherwise have delayed, or chosen not to access; both of which would have created potentially grave consequences. In addition, without a place like The Doorways, many families would have endured weeks and months of costly hotel and meal expenses while accessing their care.

 The Doorways not only affects the health and wellbeing of individuals who travel to Richmond to access medical care, our program’s impact on entire communities and the nation is far reaching. For every individual we serve, there are countless family members, friends, neighbors, employers and others whose lives are intermingled and impacted by the health status and well-being of their community members. By eliminating the financial burden of paying for lodging during a medical crisis, our program supports economic stability in the communities where our guests reside, all while advancing health equity and ensuring that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

Our program has been operating successfully for 36 years and is sustained through the contributions of referral hospital partners and guests; a combination of individual, foundation and corporate contributions; event fundraising and sponsorships; and investments. Additional support is provided by 800 volunteers and more than 300 in-kind donors per year.