The community east of the Anacostia River must contribute to the rebirth of Greater Southeast Community Hospital. On May 22, Greater Southeast was renamed “United Medical Center.” According to hospital officials and city leaders, this is not just a renaming but a rebranding. It is an attempt to unite the hospital and the community to provide state-of-the-art health care to an underserved area of Washington, DC. This month’s column is a call to the community to become involved in setting the future agenda for UMC.

A Remnant of Skepticism
When I first learned that the DC government was giving money to Greater Southeast, I was skeptical and quite upset. I wondered why the city had allowed DC General Hospital to be taken apart, program by program and nearly brick by brick. I saw this Greater Southeast “bail-out” as another example of our being led by the nose by corporations and newcomers to the city, and above all, by self-interests of city officials.

Admittedly, I attended the Greater Southeast Name Unveiling Ceremony with much skepticism. However, I wore my health correspondent hat and was as objective as possible. Therefore, I was able to hear the voices of longtime staff who echoed goodwill and optimism about the past and future directions of a hospital that for years had lived in the shadows of other DC hospitals.

Eric Rieseberg is president of Specialty Hospitals of America, the corporate owner of Greater Southeast Community, Hadley, and Washington-Capitol Hill Hospitals. I asked how Specialty Hospitals plans to serve the overlooked segments of our community. I expressed that DC General was the premiere provider of services to the homeless, the prison population, those who live with addictions, the poor, the underinsured, and the recent immigrant. Rieseberg responded that Greater Southeast’s mission includes “taking care of people, even those without insurance; but we also have to pay the bill.” I admired his candor. Though his corporation is committed to being part of a safety net for the city’s underserved populations, hospital administrators are charged also with remaining fiscally solvent. In fact, three of the hospital’s four cornerstones are improvement of quality of care, new programs and financial stability.

A New Name
United Medical Center was one of several new names presented by the hospital’s staff. “United” is the operative word. It suggests that UMC would be a team comprised of staff, administration, corporate owners and the District government. Most important, it signified the hospital’s commitment to working with the community to build strong relationships and provide quality health care. Ten hospital staffers who voted for the winning name won prizes to local restaurants.
Rieseberg stated, “We are united, and we will be united. Our centers of excellence [will be] so good that others of other regions will come here to get the best health care.” Rieseberg added that the main mission, however, is to serve the 160,000 people in the area surrounding UMC.

New Programs
The community has a rare opportunity to get in at the ground level to help set UMC’s agenda. A hospital is not limited to brick and mortar. The community has the responsibility to inform the hospital of its needs beyond the boundaries of 1310 Southern Ave. SE. We must identify programs that we believe will improve the health and well-being of our children, our youth and our seniors. We must become active partners in bringing initiatives to the table. For those who are interested in careers in health care, UMC may be a great place to work in paid and volunteer positions.

Improved Services
I interviewed Rieseberg before the press conference. He was referring to me when he indicated from the podium that “a lady” asked him how they would support the community. Rieseberg announced, “We’re a hospital. That’s what we’re here for.” He thanked At-Large Councilmember David Catania, chair of the DC Council Committee on Health, “for making it possible for us.”

The facility was not given the proper care and maintenance, said Rieseberg. “This facility is better than ever before. [It is] cleaner. Have you seen these floors? We’re making strides in regulatory compliance. We have new equipment coming in. We could not be where we are if we had not been united.”

Gary Rowe, UMC’s interim chief executive, stated, “Some people who had left have come back. We are beginning to be able to recruit people of different backgrounds. Get word out that we have improved over six months ago.” Rowe added, “The Department of Health is helping us to come along. They’re tough on us, but we know that they are there to protect the public.”

Support of City Officials
Catania voiced strong support for UMC. “This does not mean that we are out of the woods. We have a lot of rebuilding to do to celebrate those things we can do when we are united as opposed to the tradition of what we can’t do.” Catania stated, “Do not dwell much on the past. Staffing shortages are no longer a problem.” He added, “This is the first of many good news stories.” Catania noted that Mayor Adrian Fenty’s response to supporting the hospital was, “We will spare no expense because the people of this section of our city are worth every penny of our investment.”

Mayor Fenty thanked the employees who helped improve UMC. He noted that the hospital is making payment in lieu of taxes. UMC was given a $20 million operating loan. UMC presented the city with their first repayment installment for $1 million.

Former Mayor and Councilmember Marion Berry, Ward 8, greeted the audience with, “Good morning! Good morning, Southeast! Berry stated, “This hospital has meant, will mean a great deal in this city. Wards 7 and 8 have the highest health disparities.” He noted, “This place was of great stature at one point, but it fell down.” He praised former and current UMC employees for sticking to the hospital “while the former owners were raiding the treasury.” Berry described how hospital staff operated with “no supplies, no bandages, no x-ray supplies.” He remarked that he used to get health care from Greater Southeast: “I came here until it went down.” Berry noted that he had a choice to go elsewhere due to “excellent health insurance.” He questioned, “What about those who do not have good health insurance?”

On the city’s $79 million investment in UMC, Berry stated, “Catania brought it to the table. The mayor tweaked it to protect our [the city’s] money. I stand ready to stand in solidarity to make this the finest medical facility in the world.”

Re-Inspired Hospital Staff
Two hospital employees spoke off the record. One explained that she had returned in October. She had been laid off when the hospital was experiencing financial problems. She stated, “It’s just fantastic.” She added that she has a greater appreciation for her coworkers since her return to the hospital: “These are the most friendly, dedicated people.”

The other employee has been with UMC since the 1960s. “They called me back [from retirement of a few months]. I love this place. This had been a fantastic hospital in the past. It went down, but there has been a great improvement in the last two months.” She added, “It’s really a family with the employees. I’m so excited about it [the hospital revitalization].” About why she never gave up on the hospital: “All you have to do is stand and have faith. It’s going to get better.”

B. Michelle Harris McQureerir, PhD, MPH, RD, is assistant professor at the University of the District of Columbia. Her focus is public and community health through education, information and research. Contact her at bharris@udc.edu .