WASHINGTON 鈥斕� Ambulances raced听toward the emergency room, as they have for decades,听delivering those who need help, while community members and Howard University Hospital staff rallied in support of the 278-bed hospital.
The financially ailing听hospital, currently in the hands of听California-based Paladin Health Care,听has begun to right its financial ship, but the university has raised the prospect of selling the hospital that has been treating Washingtonians for 150 years.
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With music filling the air, rally attendees gathered in the park-like setting in front of the hospital’s main entrance.
“We cannot afford to lose this,鈥� said Kimberly Mitchell, a lifelong Washingtonian. 鈥淭his is something that is part of our history, and I would hate to see it gone and be what? Another condo or grocery store?听 We don’t need another one of those,” she said听
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Mitchell praised the hospital for its treatment of her late mother.
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“One of the people who were actually taking care of my mom actually goes to my church,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淪o, I had that comfort that someone who lives in my community was here looking after my mom.”
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Hospital management and its unionized workers joined hands in a bid to boost community support for the hospital.
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While the hospital has lost millions of dollars the past few years, under Paladin’s cost-cutting plan it recently turned a profit, raising the possibility it could become the target of a takeover.
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“We’re here to stay, we’re coming back strong and we’re open for business,” said Jim Edwards, CEO, Howard University Hospital.
