About Us

Our Mission
Inside Our Doors
What We Believe
By the Numbers
Our Staff
Our Boards
Reports

Our Mission

Growing Through Compassion

The Doorways’ mission is to provide lodging and support for patients and their loved ones
who need to be close to the hospital but not far from the feeling of "home."

Our History

Ziegler House to 7th and Marshall

Ziegler House - where The Doorways (Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond)
was established in 1983

In 1983, the compassionate members of the MCV Hospital Auxiliary of VCU Health purchased an eight-room, 19th-century brownstone—the Zeigler House, located two blocks away from MCV Hospitals—to provide lodging for patients who had to travel to Richmond for critical medical treatment. The 28-bed facility, then known as Hospital Hospitality House, served patients and their caregivers until 1994 when the need to accommodate more guests increased. That’s when a new 117-bed hotel located at 7th & Marshall Streets in downtown Richmond was purchased and renovated.

In April 2015, the former Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond became The Doorways, making it one of the largest hospitality houses in the country.

Current 117 room building at 7th and Marshal Streets since 1994

Inside Our Doors

Growing Through Hospitality

Experiencing a medical crisis is hard enough. Dealing with it away from home can make it even harder. That’s why we do what we do.

The Doorways provides a healing, emotionally supportive environment for those who need to be close to the hospital but not far from the feeling of “home.” We’re Richmond’s premier provider of temporary lodging and non-medical services to patients and their families referred through our participating Richmond-area hospital partners, including:

VCU Health
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Virginia Treatment Center for Children
Sheltering Arms Hospital
Veritas Collaborative

Our guests will find a healing, emotionally supportive environment in a place where community generosity and compassionate care come together. There are also:

117 private rooms with baths
Dedicated floors for pediatric and transplant patients
Fully stocked kitchens, pantry and family dining rooms
TV lounges, a library, chapel, fitness room and 24-hour laundry room

We believe in

We believe in generosity.
We believe in the simple truth that everyone needs help eventually.
We believe that it’s our joy in life to improve the lives of others.
We believe in the human spirit, the stubborn oh-yes-I-will determination that trumps any get-well-soon card.
We believe in being there until we’re not needed instead of leaving when we get tired.
We are absolutely certain that we can love people we don’t know.
We regret that we have only one life to spend in the service of others.
We believe life is meant to be shared.
We refuse to turn anyone away.
We are continually impressed by the people of Richmond.
We think Southern hospitality is a universal life skill, not a regional curiosity.
And when there’s nothing more we can do, we’ll do more. Give More. Love more.
We are The Doorways. Between healing and home.

By the Numbers

Growing Through Support

1983 the year The Doorways was founded. Originally called Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond
175,000+ patients, family members and caregivers who have stayed at The Doorways over the past 40 years
$8,200 cost to operate The Doorways for one day. In 1989, it cost $250 a day to operate the original facility located at the Ziegler House
53% of guests cannot make a contribution towards the suggested donation of $15 per night
10,000+ guests stay at The Doorways every year
3,300+ hours of volunteer service performed at The Doorways each year helps support our staff
117 guest rooms at The Doorways, each individually decorated with private baths and other amenities

50 states and 31 foreign countries are represented in The Doorways' guest book
144 average number of guests staying at The Doorways each night
365 days per year that The Doorways welcomes guests
6.4 is the average number of days a guest stays at The Doorways. Some guests stay just a day or two, while transplant patients may reside at The Doorways for six to eight months.
85+% of patients receive care at VCU Health
10% of patients receive care at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System

HELP US THRIVE

View our FY23 Impact Report here!

Our Staff

Growing Through Teamwork

Stacy Brinkley

Shawn M. Walker

Sarah Melvin

Lola Vautrin

Michael Blumberg

Tobie Mayer

Jessica Hale

Alyssa Castronuovo

Margaret Wilson

Corey Baedke

Our Boards

Growing Through Leadership

Board of Directors

The Doorways' Board of Directors serves as the leadership and foundation of our mission. Comprised of local community and business leaders, our Board of Directors helps ensure we are achieving our mission and looking forward to future opportunities to serve.

Learn More

Young Professionals Council

The Young Professionals Council is a dynamic group of individuals united by a desire to increase the visibility, understanding, and community support of The Doorways in the RVA community through fundraising and awareness events.

Learn More