The George Washington University Hospital is located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is affiliated with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The current facility opened on August 23, 2002, with 371 beds in a 400,000 sq. ft. building, housing more than $45 million of medical equipment and costing over $96 million to construct. The hospital is licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and accredited by the U.S. Joint Commission.
Since 1997, the George Washington University Hospital has been jointly owned and operated by a partnership between a subsidiary of Universal Health Services and the George Washington University.
History
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Founded in 1824 as a medical department in Columbian College (now called the George Washington University), the GW Medical School was the 11th in the nation and the first in the nation’s capital.
- 1824 The first GW medical department was located in downtown Washington, D.C. on 10th and E Streets near Ford's Theatre. In the 1840s, it moved into a larger building at Judiciary Square as an infirmary, which subsequently became the first general hospital in the nation's capital.
- 1853 When the GW Infirmary was enlarged to allow the curriculum to formally include clinical studies, which meant that the college became one of the first in the nation to teach clinical medicine.
- 1861 The infirmary was reclaimed by the government for use as a military hospital for Civil War casualties, and was destroyed by fire shortly thereafter.
- 1863 The medical college reopened, post-fire, in the Constitution Office on E Street.
- 1868 The hospital and medical school are moved to the former location of the Army Medical Museum's specimens, 1335 H Street.
- 1904 The Columbian University Medical School and Hospital were rededicated The George Washington University Medical School and Hospital. At this time, the faculty boasted many of the nation's most prominent doctors, including Major Walter Reed, who identified the mosquito as the carrier of yellow fever; Dr. Theobald Smith, whose pioneering research identifying germs as the cause of diseases changed the course of medicine; and Dr. Frederick Russell, who introduced typhoid vaccine into the Army.
- 1928 The Department of Medicine became the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and the University Hospital.
- 1948 The GW Hospital moves to Foggy Bottom at 901 23rd Street (directly across from present location) and housed 501 patient beds. At the time of its dedication, it was the largest private building in the District of Columbia.
- 1981 The President of the United States rushed to GW's Emergency Department after the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, suffering from gunshot wounds in the chest and in the lower right arm. The center is later renamed for Reagan, who survived.
- 1996 The GW Medical Faculty Associates' mobile mammography program aims to make life-saving early detection of breast cancer possible for all women in D.C., regardless of their ability to pay. This vital program is still being offered today.
- 1997 Universal Health Services buys an 80% stake in the hospital and takes over day-to-day operations from the University
- 2002 GW Hospital moves across the street to 900 23rd Street, NW. The 371-bed, state-of-the-art facility is the first new hospital in D.C. in over 20 years. The first patient was Mr. Floyd Godfrey. On August 24, 2002 at 12:51Â a.m. the first baby was born in the new hospital: Genesis Ann Palmer, weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces was born to parents Marquita and Gerald Palmer.
Services
Emergency medicine
The department cares for nearly 85,000 patients each year, including serious injuries, as a Level 1 Trauma Center.
GW's Emergency Department consists of:
- 52 Emergency Department beds
- 2 Trauma Bays
- 6 Critical Care Stabilization Bays
- 5 Negative-Pressure Isolation Rooms
- 12 Fast Track treatment rooms
Center for Trauma And Critical Care
The George Washington University Hospital is an ACS verified Level I Trauma Center which is the highest level that a hospital can receive and means that GW is a comprehensive regional resource that is a tertiary care facility central to the trauma system. A Level I Trauma Center is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury â€" from prevention through rehabilitation. GWUH receives the most critically injured trauma patients from Washington DC and Northern Virginia area, as well as hospital transfers from Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Trauma Team is in house 24 hours a day to respond to any trauma activations as well as trauma consults within the hospital.
Elements of Level I Trauma Centers include:
- 24-hour in-house coverage by general surgeons, and prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric and critical care
- Referral resource for communities in nearby regions
- Provides leadership in prevention, public education to surrounding communities
- Provides continuing education of the trauma team members
- Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program
- Operates an organized teaching and research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care
- Provides program for substance abuse screening and patient intervention
- Meets minimum requirement for annual volume of severely injured patients
Cardiovascular Center
GWUH is home to a comprehensive program for advanced treatment of heart disease and vascular disorders, noninvasive diagnostics, 24-hour Interventional Cardiologist and Cath Lab, cardiac catheterization, heart rhythm disorders and treatments and cardiovascular surgery. In conjunction with the Emergency Department, The District of Columbia Fire and EMS, Arlington Fire, Alexandria Fire, and Reagan National Airport Fire and EMS GW aggressively treats myocardial infarctions through the use of the "cath attack" program. When DCFEMS paramedics in the field recognize a patient experiencing a STEMI (ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction), they can transmit the ECG directly to the GWUH ED Physicians. This program allows patients experiencing ST elevation MI (STEMI) to many times bypass the ED and go directly to the cardiac catheterization lab thus significantly reducing the time to open the vessel. GWUH is one of only three hospitals in Washington DC that has been designated for the EMS transport of patients with a STEMI.
Comprehensive Stroke Center
GWUH is home to a Comprehensive Stroke Center offering 24-hour acute stroke services treating ischemic strokes, hemorrhagic strokes, and subarachnoid hemorrhages. Coverage for acute endovascular treatments, neurosurgical procedures, and thrombolytics is provided around the clock. Stroke care is provided via a team-based approach with teams composed of vascular neurologists, neurointerventionalists, neurosurgeons, intensivists, neuroradiologists, physiatrists, and other specialists as determined by patient requirements. GW hospital houses an acute rehabilitation unit, thus allowing stroke victims to receive all of their care in one location. GW Hospital is one of only two hospitals in Washington DC to carry the distinction of a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Leadership
Barry A. Wolfman, joined the George Washington University Hospital as CEO/Managing Director on April 23, 2012. With more than 25 years as a healthcare executive, he has served as a multi-system senior executive, hospital CEO and medical school board member. His most recent position was with Providence Health and Services, as chief executive at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Prior to that, he was with Kaiser Permanente and in various capacities with Tenet Healthcare for more than 20 years. He holds a master of health services administration degree from the George Washington University. He also holds a bachelor of science, management degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and completed the Kenan-Flagler Business School Advanced Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina.
Kimberly Russo, MS was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the George Washington University Hospital effective April 1, 2009. Prior to this appointment, she served the hospital as associate administrator since August 2006, and previously as executive director of rehabilitation services. She holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, through a collaborative leadership program with Gallup, a master of science in speech language pathology from Rush University in Chicago, Illinois, and a bachelor of science in speech language pathology and audiology from Illinois State University.
Tammy L. Razmic, joined the George Washington University Hospital as chief financial officer in November 2013. She has more than 20 years experience in health care finance. Previously, she served as assistant vice president, associate administrator, and chief financial officer at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. Prior to working at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, she served as the director of financial services/controller at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and also served as a vice president of financial services at Adventist HealthCare, Inc., in Rockville, Maryland. She previously worked at GW Hospital as a controller and as chief financial officer. She graduated from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas School of Business and Economics with a bachelor's degree in accounting and financial administration.
Gary Little, MD, FAAEM was named Medical Director of the George Washington University Hospital in March 2009. He is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the George Washington University Medical Center. Prior to coming on board as medical director, he was chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland.
Rose A. Labriola, RN, BSN, MSN, Ed.D., is the chief nursing officer at the George Washington University Hospital, having been in this position since September 2013. In her role as chief nursing officer, she is responsible for the Division of Nursing and all professional nursing practices throughout the hospital. She develops goals and strategies to ensure that care provided at the highest levels utilizes safe practices. Most recently, she served as vice president and associate chief nurse officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas. She also served as chief nursing officer and senior vice president of Patient Care Services for the Frederick Regional Health System in Frederick, Maryland, and as Vice President of Patient Care Services at Milwaukee’s Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare System/St. Francis Hospital. She earned her bachelor of science in nursing and her master of science in nursing administration at St. Xavier University in Chicago. She earned her doctorate in education at Northern Illinois University.
Previous leadership
Trent Crable, MBA, CPA, CHE was appointed Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of the George Washington University Hospital in January 2009 after serving as interim CEO since June 2008. Previously he had served as the hospital's chief operating officer since May 2005.
Richard B. Becker, M.D. was named CEO/ managing director of the George Washington University Hospital after serving as interim CEO since March 1, 2004. He previously served as the hospital's medical director and was appointed August 1998.
Daniel P. McLean was appointed CEO and managed the hospital from August 8, 2000 until March, 2004.
Phillip S. Schaengold, J.D. served as CEO from 1997 - 2000.
References
