Michigan Park Citizens Association
February 6, 2018
Turkey Thicket Recreational Center
President David Conrad opened the meeting at 6:38 PM. Paul Wood led members in the Pledge of Allegiance.
PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL Ms. Ruth Pollard, Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Providence Hospital, spoke about recent and planned changes at Providence Hospital, the longest operating hospital in D.C. Over the last two years Providence Hospital had major financial losses of more than 30 million dollars. Recently, Providence closed its maternity ward and its extended stay residential mental health services. Both of these services were major sources of loss as they required 24/7 services of specialists and staff for a relatively small number of patients. For example, the hospital had a small 5 bed neonatal unit that required the same staffing requirements as Children’s Hospital. Therefore, it made no sense for Providence to maintain its small unit when one of the country’s best children’s hospital was just a mile away.
Providence Hospital will refocus its services to being a wellness center with doctors and offices located at Providence who will send their patients for tests using the hospital’s equipment. The hospital also hope to provide outpatient clinics that will help their doctor’s patients make the changes that will improve their health.
The hospital will have in/out surgeries and will have beds available for those patients needing overnight monitoring. However, the hospital will no longer have an emergency room but will become an acute care center seeing patients with non life-threatening emergencies. As with the patients having in/out surgeries, the hospital will have beds for these patients who may need additional monitoring after coming in as acute care patients. Patients coming to the hospital needing emergency room services will be stabilized and sent to another hospital for appropriate care.
TREASURER’S REPORT. Treasurer Beulah Sutherland read the treasurer’s report. Membership fees of $10 is for the calendar year.
TRAFFIC. Much discussion focused on the newly renovated intersection at 10th and Michigan Avenue. The mixture of buses, commuter vans, illegal turns and pedestrians is dangerous. Mr. Ralph Bucksell noted that some photos of the situation may elicit attention from DDOT to this problem intersection. Kelley Cislo, Constituent Services for Council Member McDuffie can assist.
President Conrad envisions more collaboration with the D.C. Federation of Civic Associations (Michigan Park Citizens Association is a member of the D.C. Federation of Citizens Association).
Ms. Marita Riddick, representative to Council Member Kenyan R. McDuffie, discussed neighborhood issues and answer questions. Much discussion was focused on the need to attend public meetings despite demands on one’s time during the work day.
Mr. Lionel Gaines, representative to Mayor Muriel Bowser passed out literature and answered neighbor’s questions about the Mayor’s efforts to reduce homelessness. Residents noted that they would like to see more of the Mayor’s accomplishments to reduce homelessness reflected in the distributed literature.
Reducing homelessness is a major priority of the current city’s administration, and more details would be welcome.
The meeting ended at 08:10 PM.
