Good morning Chairperson Allen and members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify at this oversight hearing on the DC Healthcare Alliance.

A year ago we lived in a different America. A year ago we lived in a different District of Columbia. A year ago we suffered with a broken public health care system. Our doctors were routinely unable to refer their primary care patients for specialty and inpatient care. Patients were routinely unable to get through on the central scheduling line to make appointments. Clinical as well as fiscal information was inaccurate or absent. As the multi–year decline in public utilization of our general hospital and the resultant decline in revenue continued to mirror national trends, the District spending to subsidize the Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) continued to soar. There was little or no accountability for health services delivery and an inability to identify or quantify the uninsured. Each year we were spending more and getting less. There was little "public benefit" in the PBC.

We reported a life expectancy for African–American men in the District 10 years lower than the national average. We reported that the District has the highest national rates for HIV infection, infant mortality, and diabetes. There was little focus on primary care and prevention. The ongoing poor health of our neighbors here in the District mandated a change.

Page 1 of 8        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8