D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced plans to open a free-standing emergency room on the Fletcher-Johnson Campus in Ward 7, expanding access to health care in some of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.
In a Wednesday news release, Bowser said it’s part of an agreement with Universal Health Services to invest $75 million in health care needs east of the Anacostia River. When it’s finished, the $20 million facility will have 40 medical and professional staff members.
The 24/7 facility, which is scheduled to open in 2027, will offer emergency services for all patients, ranging from pediatrics to seniors. The emergency department includes lab services, imaging and a medication room. It’ll be equipped to help patients experiencing life-threatening injuries too, such as stroke symptoms or chest pain. Patients who need to be admitted will have to be transferred to other hospitals.
The emergency room is the latest project in D.C.’s plan to expand access to routine health services. The Cedar Hill Urgent Care GW Health facility opened in Ward 8 in October 2022, and Bowser’s office said it serves over 12,000 patients per year. Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health is scheduled to open in 2025 on the St. Elizabeth’s East campus.
“We’re really excited about this new opportunity,” resident Jemila Kia Daniels said. “We haven’t had anything like this for a long time in Ward 7.”
Davis said the free-standing emergency room “will not only save lives, but save time.”
Daniels delivered both of her children at Sibley Hospital in Northwest D.C. because there wasn’t a maternity ward in the community. She expects the emergency department to be a valuable addition for kids and seniors, who sometimes have to wait for transportation to take them to a doctor’s appointment across the city, she said.
“Health care should be available to everybody, no matter where you live in D.C.,” she said.
Natasha Dupee, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 7, called the move a “win for residents east of the river and a win for the District.”
Urgent cares close around 8 p.m., Dupee said, and having a 24/7 health care facility closer to home could mean patients don’t have to take off as much time from work or school.
The facility is something neighbors have been asking for, Dupee said.
“I was elated,” she said, upon learning of plans for the project.
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