Press Release: Councilmember Vincent C. Gray’s Statement on the Groundbreaking of the New Hospital on the St. Elizabeths Campus

News Release — Ward 7 DC Council Vincent Gray

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          

February 17, 2022      

Contact: Takiyah “T.N.” Tate

Washington, D.C. – Today, Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent C. Gray, Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Health, joined the Mayor, other D.C. councilmembers and hospital leadership for the groundbreaking and naming of the new hospital on the grounds of St. Elizabeths’ East Campus. When Councilmember Gray returned to the Council, he worked relentlessly with his colleagues to fully restore a budget of $325.8 million to build the new hospital on the St. Elizabeths campus. Because of the work he has done, together with the Mayor’s office and other healthcare providers, this will be the first time that the East End of the District has ever had a real comprehensive health care system.

Upon breaking ground on the new hospital Councilmember Gray released the following statement:

“Building a new hospital and creating a robust healthcare system on the East End of the city has been a goal of mine since my tenure as Mayor. I am grateful that my colleagues supported this vision and saw the vital importance of increasing access to quality healthcare for Ward 7 and District residents.

“The creation of a comprehensive health care system anchored by the new state-of-the-art Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center is one of the best ways we can begin to ensure justice, equity and accessibility in healthcare services to residents of Wards 7 and 8.

“One of my most treasured quotations by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. aptly says, “of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”  This quotation by Dr. King is what has driven me since my tenure as mayor and my return to the Council to focus on creating an integrated and comprehensive health care system for District residents but most importantly for Ward 7 and 8 residents who currently lack equitable access to quality health care services.

“Many thanks to Mayor Bowser, Deputy Mayors Turnage and Falcicchio, Former City Administrator Rashad Young, my Council colleagues, and my staff for getting us to this point today! I look forward to continuing to work together to bring health equity to District residents, especially to those in Ward 7,” said Gray.

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