September 4, 2000
DC General Hospital
What exactly is going to happen to the facilities at the DC General Hospital campus?
Throughout its many years of service to the city, DC General has evolved and changed to better meet the medical needs of the community. Under the Hospital Board's new proposal, the new facility would have an emergency room, primary care and specialty clinics, and doctors' offices, as well as a couple of dozen beds that patients could occupy for up to 23–36 hours. There would be no inpatient beds for longer stays. The new facility would be known as DC Community Access Hospital.
What exactly is a Community Access Hospital?
A Community Access Hospital is a facility that provides 24–hour emergency care to all insured and uninsured residents. Board–certified emergency room physicians, experienced nurses and other expert staff will provide one or more of the following services:
- Treat patients on an emergency basis.
- Stabilize patients with more serious conditions and transfer them to an appropriate hospital facility.
- Connect patients with a community–based primary care facility in their neighborhood.
Almost 90 percent of patients who currently come to DC General's Emergency Room will receive treatment on-site that includes assessments by specialists, and 24–hour full–service laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services.
Where will gunshot victims be taken once DC General is no longer a Level I trauma center?
Once DCGH's transition to a Community Access Hospital is completed, patients with life–threatening trauma, such as gunshot victims that require major surgery, will be transported directly from injury site to one of five remaining Level I trauma centers in the city.
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