Washington, D.C. – Earlier today, the D.C. Council confirmed five nominations to the Board of Directors of United Medical Center (UMC). They include Dr. Anthony E. Watkins, Maria S. Gomez, Virgil C. McDonald, Bishop Charles Matthew Hudson, Jr., and Winifred Y. Carson-Smith. Watkins and Gomez were nominated by the Council, while McDonald, Hudson, and Carson-Smith were nominated by Mayor Vincent Gray.
· Dr. Anthony E. Watkins is currently a cardiologist at Washington Hospital Center. He served as the Associate Director of the Hospital Center’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and the Director of the Emergency Room.
· Maria S. Gomez, R.N., M.P.H., is the founder and President/CEO of Mary’s Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary care and other services to underserved, underinsured and uninsured immigrants primarily from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
· Mr. Virgil C. McDonald serves as the past immediate Chair of the Carolyn Boone Lewis (CBL) Health Care Center, a 183-bed nursing home located in Southeast, Washington, D.C.. CBL is one of the largest businesses in Southeast Washington, with nearly 250 employees.
· Bishop Charles Matthew Hudson, Jr. is the Senior Pastor at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church of Southeast Washington. Bishop Hudson also sits on the Board of Directors for the Anacostia Coordinating Council.
· Ms. Winifred Y. Carson-Smith is the Chief Operating Officer of Carson Company, a healthcare consultancy and research firm focused on health disparities and strategic planning.
United Medical Center is the only hospital located east of the Anacostia River. UMC was near bankruptcy in 2007 when the District assisted in its sale with $79 million of grants and loans. Since its sale on November 7, 2007, UMC has made major improvements in quality of care, customer service, and patient safety. UMC’s leadership team has replaced most patient care diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic equipment. Over 75 physicians have joined the medical staff in recent months.
In September of 2010, Children’s National Medical Center opened a $14 million state-of-the-art Pediatric Emergency Department on the UMC campus. Recently, UMC began a partnership with Washington Hospital Center to enhance its obstetrics program. The hospital’s financials have also continued to show improvement. Through the first four months of the fiscal year, UMC posted $3.2 million in operating income.
