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A Resolution of the Ward 6 Democrats November 21, 2005 Whereas: the City Administration has proposed in conjunction with Howard University to build a $400 million, 250-bed hospital with Level 1 trauma capabilities, a medical office building and a research complex to be know as the National Capitol Medical Center (NCMC); Whereas: the NCMC would be located on Reservation 13 in Ward 6; Whereas: the most serious unmet health needs of Washington residents are primarily for chronic care conditions such as asthma, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and HIV-AIDS, conditions which are better treated with comprehensive primary care and outpatient specialty clinics and offices rather than in a hospital, emergency room or trauma center; Whereas: the stark inequity of children living in poverty in the District leads to a lack of access to early and comprehensive health care and a disparity in health outcomes and chronic conditions; Whereas: according to City Administration expert consultants, construction and operation of the NCMC is likely to result in the closure or dramatic downsizing of the current Howard University hospital and Greater Southeast Community Hospital and result in a negative impact on the viability of Prince Georges Community Hospital; Whereas: the loss of these medical facilities due to the construction the NCMC will decrease access to health care for already underserved areas east of the Anacostia River in Wards 7 and 8; Whereas: a more appropriate health care facility on Reservation 13 could both strengthen the existing health care facilities as well as provide a needed link for expanded health care in underserved areas; Whereas: the cost of the NCMC will put heavy burdens on the District’s ability to borrow funds for other needs, such as school modernization; Whereas: the proposed agreement between Howard University and the District may put the District at risk for ongoing and continued annual outlays of expenditures for the operation of the NCMC; Whereas: the City Administration has proposed to legislatively circumvent the District’s established Certificate of Need process specifically for this project; Whereas: any significant investment of public dollars in building new health care facilities needs to be objectively reviewed for both need and community impact by health care experts through the Certificate of Need process; Be it therefore resolved that the Ward 6 Democrats: 1. Oppose the National Capital Medical Center as currently proposed; 2. Believe the Reservation 13 site to be an appropriate location for health care services to be delivered; 3. Oppose the City Administration’s intent to circumvent the District’s Certificate of Need process and believe health care experts should make health planning decisions not the Council of the District of Columbia; and 4. Call on the City Administration and the Council to develop an alternative health care facility proposal – based on documented health care needs and that can be supported by objective health care data – which will meet the needs of the residents of the District of Columbia, especially those living in the Eastern half of the District, and create the type of health care infrastructure the District needs to eliminate the staggering health care disparities that currently exist. |
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