Activism on social media and in the Washington DC community from Howard University stakeholders prompted a legislative change from the City Council this week, as members amended plans for a new hospital in the city to include training pathways for HU medical students.
The City’s East End Health Equity Act, which was originally drafted without consideration for Howard medical training or service provision, will now be presented for a full vote on Dec. 18 to greenlight a new facility in the city’s Southeastern district to provide enhanced access for more than 160,000 residents and a large number of low-income families.
Howard, which had long served as the primary healthcare resource for Ward 7 and 8 in the area, lost in its bid to manage the new facility to George Washington University. But university officials praised the amendment and the the advocacy from HU students and graduates who rallied online and in the city council meeting on Tuesday.
We
Are
Still
Here! #HowardMedicineMatters pic.twitter.com/3qRDkSZuMu— Howard University (@HowardU) December 4, 2018
“Together, we made a significant impact. I am deeply appreciative for the myriad ways our community rallied in support of #HowardMedicineMatters,” said Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick in a statement. “Thousands of alumni, faculty, staff and students wrote letters, emails, and participated in thought-provoking dialogue across social media. I am especially humbled and impressed by the vigilance of our students, our future health care leaders who, for countless hours, attended the day-long D.C. Council meeting and demanded that their voices be heard. They were heard and should be applauded!”
The final vote will be taken up in the days following the conclusion of classes at Howard.
This is great news. I am glad HU alum and stakeholders stepped up to remind the DC Officials about the importance of including 1 of 3 HBCU Medical Schools in the new plans for a hospital serving the 7th and 8th Wards. However the only thing that was left out was funding to HU Medical School. How will the new hospital affect long term funding to HU Medical School. Building and support a new hospital is not free you know.
This is TERRIBLE News, this Hospital will surely FAIL! And Believe the OUTCRY was not coming from the Wards that the Hospital is to Serve. For those of us with Good Healthcare and Employee Provided Health plans, we will continue to leave our communities for our Health and Urgent Care needs (from elsewhere) and continue to bypass HUH as well.