Universal Health Services (UHS) says it plans expand the size of the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health in Ward 8 on the St. Elizabeths East Campus.
The expansion is made possible through a $17 million UHS investment and will allow an additional fourth patient floor and larger diagnostic and treatment to be included in the new hospital. The new floor will be able to accommodate 48 additional beds in the future, as need arises – increasing the total number of beds from 136 to 184.
The additional beds and diagnostic space will provide flexibility in responding to future health and regional emergencies.
The project designed by HOK and McKissack & McKissack is being built by Turner Construction Company and MCN Build.
When it opens its doors to patients in early 2025, the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health will be the first inpatient facility to open in the District in over 20 years. The full-service hospital also includes a trauma center, ambulatory pavilion for physician offices, clinics and community space, a 500-car garage, and a helipad for emergency transports.
“With Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health, we are delivering the hospital our community deserves,” DC Mayor Bowser said in Sept. 21 statement. “At every stage of planning this new hospital, we have been limitless in our vision for how we can build a healthier and more equitable DC. Now, we are giving that vision even more room to grow so that no matter what comes our way in the future, our state-of-the-art hospital in Ward 8 will be ready to support the needs of our community.”
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C (adjacent to the new hospital) and Councilmember Vincent Gray, Chair of the Health Committee, are in support and the required regulatory commissions have approved of an expanded facility.
Expanding the hospital will require moving the opening of the new hospital from December 2024 to early 2025. The additional floor is estimated to cost $11.5 million, paid for entirely by UHS. The expanded diagnostic and treatment area is estimated to cost $11 million and will be shared between UHS and the District, at $5.5 million each. The additions add 58,000 sq. ft. to the hospital, for a total of 407,000 sq. ft..
“Our investment in Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health continues to demonstrate UHS’ commitment to providing a wide array of critical healthcare services East of the Anacostia River,” said Kimberly Russo, group vice-president of the Washington, DC Region for UHS and Chief Executive Officer of GW Hospital. “This $17 million UHS contribution is earmarked for the hospital’s expansion, strategically focused on addressing the needs of the community by providing additional space for expanded diagnostic and patient treatment areas.”
The overall hospital will be 407,000 sq. ft.
