Washington D.C. Medical Center Nears a New Chapter
By Fay Harvey
WASHINGTON — After construction broke ground in 2022, and topping out was celebrated in 2023, construction at Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center is steadily making progress.
Last week, members of the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health team were invited to tour site and see progress. The hospital, constructed by the New York-headquartered Turner Construction through a joint venture with MCN Build of Washington, is expected to open in the early months of 2025.
The $434.4 million project will be the first inpatient facility to open in the district in 20 years and is seen as the start of a new chapter for the region’s health care, according to a statement from Washington D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser. “I hope the message we’re sending is loud and clear: while DC government is rightfully getting out of the business of running a hospital, we are fully present at St. Elizabeth’s East and fully committed to all the Washingtonians who will come to the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center [George Washington] Health to get world-class care,” she said.
The new 365,000-square-foot medical center will feature 136 beds, dedicated adult and pediatric emergency departments, maternal and women’s health services, clinics, community spaces and an ambulatory pavilion with staff offices. Additional amenities include a 500-car parking garage, solar energy integration and a helipad for emergency patient transport, providing rapid access to the certified trauma center for severe injuries, blunt trauma and penetrating trauma cases.
Practitioners, physicians, and academic medicine at the new medical center will be provided by the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates and the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Children’s National Hospital pediatricians, nurses, and physician assistants will provide infant and pediatric care. Specifically, members of the Children’s National neonatology program in Washington, which has been ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, will operate the hospital’s pediatric emergency department and neonatal unit. Local physicians and graduate medical students will merge academic medicine and pediatric care at the facility by offering a range of specialties, including but not limited to, orthopedic, liver, heart, kidney, brain, bone and joint care.
Behavioral mental health will be treated at Cedar Hill with the addition of 16 behavioral health beds, which will provide voluntary and involuntary health services. Outpatient services such as physical therapy, chemotherapy and dialysis are also included in the project plans.
“The George Washington University is honored to partner with the district to develop a new hospital to deliver high-quality comprehensive health care services to the citizens of Ward 7 and Ward 8,” said Mark S. Wrighton, former president of George Washington University, in a statement. “Our university faculty of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the GW Medical Faculty Associates are committed to providing world-class, patient-centered care while addressing disparities in health outcomes and expanding our teaching, research, and clinical footprint in the district.”
“Health equity and access to care are fundamental human rights,” said Trayon White, Ward 8 councilmember, in a press release. “Residents must have access to the health services they need when and where they need them. The new full-service hospital east of the Anacostia brings us a step closer to providing equitable health care access to all Washingtonians, especially residents in Wards 7 and 8.”
During the project’s nearly three-year construction process, it will generate at least 50 apprenticeships and support around 2,000 jobs, with more than 300 workers on-site daily at peak activity. This economic boost in Washington aligns with the District’s Project Labor Agreement as well as Certified Business Enterprise and First Source requirements.