Southeast Dc Community:UMC New Hospital Manager Promises Change
WASHINGTON D.C.— The D.C. Council approved a deal to make Mazars USA LLP the new operator of United Medical Center, following a partially closed meeting with the Committee on Health last Friday.
The $5 million contract that will be implemented February 26, allows Mazars to operate the Not-for-Profit Hospital Corporation, also known as the United Medical Center, for an eight month period. In January, the Not for Profit Hospital Board announced Mazars as the winner of the contract out of eight other contenders. The Southeast hospital was previously operated by Veritas Washington LLC. The D.C. Council ended its relationship with the consulting firm following blunders including the close of the UMC maternity unit, and a growing deficit.
D.C. Health Chairman Vincent Grey addressed his concern for the Southeast community. “The United Medical Center is in desperate shape,” he said. “We have a long way to go to be able to feel like we have a health asset on the East End that is worthy to serve the people.”
Before the private meeting, Mazars health principle and potential UMC project manager, Ira Gottlieb, outlined areas he would focus on for the first 60 days of the overhaul. Gottlieb said the firm will focus on improving gaps in care, making sure that the cost are manageable for patients so that they will pay what insurance can not cover and hiring and retaining staff.
Gottlieb also said his team has worked with challenging socioeconomic areas before and will work to improve the reputation of the troubled hospital with the community. “ We will spend most of our time getting the correct quality of services in wards 7 and 8,” Gottlieb told the room.
The public and the UMC board were given an opportunity to direct their questions and statements to the Committee on Health, who would later question Mazars. Walla Blegay, nurse association attorney representing nurses of UMC, asked the committee when nurses would be paid the increased wages they earned in a June 2017 ruling. She also said nurses are questioning how the District-owned hospital could afford to pay for new management and not its nurse’s increased wages. President of Hologram Institute for Medical Hearts and Humanity, Kim Lee, asked “What does Mazars know about black people?"
FTI Solutions, a hospital consulting firm in D.C. and former bidder for the contract, also had questions. Tom Layton, managing director at FTI Solutions, questioned if Mazars had the experience necessary for such a challenging turn around. Layton said he had never heard of the company in his 30 years of experience. “When the board decision announced on the 26, I was one of the only bidders there. I had an interest,”Layten said. “I asked, did they make a spelling mistake? Layton said. He urged the Health Committee to not recommend the contract to D.C. Council.
Although the deal was later approved there is still a chance the offer could be withdrawn. FTI Solutions put in a protest to the D.C. Contract Appeals Board in early February accusing the council of improperly obtaining the Mazars contract.
