King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services is looking to give George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., control over the development of an emergency department as Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center HW Health’s operations “continue to struggle,” the GW Hatchet reported May 11.
UHS proposed the change in responsibility over the construction project, which has yet to break ground, in a filing with the D.C. health and planning department March 27. It would establish a standalone emergency department under the purview of District Hospital Partners, which operates GW Hospital.
The project has faced “significant delays” according to the report while Cedar Hill manages leadership turnover and vacancies. The project was first announced by UHS in 2024. At the time, district officials said the development of the facility was part of its efforts to increase healthcare access to D.C. residents who live east of the Anacostia River and have historically faced healthcare disparities, according to the report.
Cedar Hill, which is currently set to be in control of the ED, first opened in April 2025 under an agreement between UHS and district officials. The property is still owned by the district and is yet to be transferred to UHS.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, UHS confirmed the proposal and noted that it is “administrative in nature and will have no impact on the original scope of services.”
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