DC nurses accuse Mayor of “selling out” residents in new hospital deal

Nurses at United Medical Center say they’re “incensed at the lack of transparency” in negotiations between the District Government, George Washington University Hospital (GW), and Universal Health Services (UHS) to operate the new hospital in southeast DC. “Once again Mayor Bowser is selling out residents East of the River by negotiating behind closed doors on a new hospital that resoundingly fails to meet the health care needs of our residents,” said Edward J. Smith, Executive Director of the DC Nurses Association (DCNA). “People still need a cancer clinic, geriatric center, OB-GYN with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), an upgraded diabetes program, and a Level 1 trauma center.” Forcing UMC nurses to apply for positions at the new hospital “demonstrates a lack of respect for the nurses at UMC who are risking their well being to save the lives of individuals suffering from the corona virus,” said Roberta Lenoir, an emergency department nurse and President of the UMC/DCNA bargaining unit.