Mayor Appoints Emergency Panel on Health Care in DC

On Wednesday, April 19, 2006, Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced the appointment of a Task Force to examine the National Capital Medical Center (NCMC) proposal and to review whether there are alternatives to improving health care in a way that is fiscally sound.  Dr. Gregg Pane, director of the DC Health Department, will chair the Task Force which will deliver recommendations to Mayor Williams and the DC Council on or about July 1, 2006.  Initial members of the Task Force include MSDC’s Executive Vice President K. Edward Shanbacker, MPA, and past president Victor G. Freeman, MD.

The panel will focus on Mayor Williams’ commitment to improving the city’s health care presence in East Washington, primarily by building some type of health care facility on Reservation 13. The panel will review what type of facility would best meet the needs of the community and will consider all types of care including primary, specialty and emergency care services. The panel will look at a full service hospital in the model of the NCMC but will also examine alternatives such as an ambulatory care center, an urgent care center and a healthplex.

The Task Force will identify the District’s most pressing health care issues.  The Task Force will also be responsible for developing recommendations to promote the financial stability of all existing District hospitals and to improving emergency room infrastructure. A primary element of this charge is working to shore up the financial viability and quality of services at Greater Southeast Community Hospital in tandem with ensuring the continued stability of Howard University Hospital.

Mayor Williams has also asked the Task Force to examine the use and allocation of Disproportionate Share Dollars and Diagnosis-Related Group payment weights for District hospitals in an effort to promote the equitable and best use of these monies.