Protecting the Health of All Residents

Health is a core prerequisite to any quality life, and unfortunately, in some areas of our city, our citizens do not have access to quality, affordable health care close to their homes. We can do better. Health care is a driving concern in our city, where our chronic disease and early death rates are affecting too many of our citizens. More than that, in terms of care, we cannot continue to sustain a significantly disproportionate access to care between our residents.

Now that we have established a level of fiscal responsibility in District government, we can make the investments that are necessary to better meet the healthcare needs of our people. My goal is to make sure residents have access to quality, affordable health care regardless of where they live in the District.

When I am Mayor, the city will address our significant health concerns by:

ENSURING THAT ALL RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLETE ACCESS TO PRIMARY AND PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES, AND NO CHILD IS UNINSURED

•  Direct District agencies to work with the D.C. Healthcare Alliance to help increase access to primary and preventive health education and services for all District residents

•  Support development of new hospital facilities—especially focused on trauma and emergency medicine—duly qualified with a Certificate of Need, serving the residents of Southeast and Far Northeast and the entire District in times of emergency such as terrorism

•  Provide economic incentives to developers and establish zoning regulations to ensure mixed use facilities offering more primary and preventive medicine, HIV/AIDS centers and childcare facilities in our neighborhoods

INCREASING THE ACCOUNTABILITY, MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT OF HEALTH AND SUPPORT AGENCIES

•  Team with resource professionals to conduct a “First 100 Day” review and report of our personnel and procurement processes and work to reorganize and streamline a higher standard of primary and preventive medicine for all District residents

•  Make the District's health departments responsible for success by initiating performance-based accountability measures for these departments. Underperforming personnel would be replaced, and successful programs and offices would be used as models for increasing the efficacy of the District's primary and preventive medicine agenda

•  Establish clear standards to monitor health care providers within the D.C. Healthcare Alliance so that District residents, as “consumers,” can be assured that there is meaningful government oversight over the health care system

RESPONDING TO THE HIV/AIDS EMERGENCY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

•  Commit to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS in the District and declaring a state of emergency for HIV/AIDS

•  Promote the comprehensive testing initiative

•  Increase access to prevention services, especially for our youth

•  Increase educational programs on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment

IMPROVING SENIOR CARE

•  Increase funding for more senior centers to help keep seniors active and provide an additional safety net for monitoring and surveillance for chronic conditions such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes

•  Partner with the business community and communities of faith and concern to support all District residents with chronic illness and persistent conditions

•  Commit to support state-of-the-art facilities for persistent and chronic illnesses and conditions for the treatment and care of nursing home residents that are currently being sent to other states.

INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALTHY LIVING TO COMBAT PREVENTABLE CHRONIC ILLNESS

•  Provide economic incentives for District restaurants to offer healthy menu options

•  Work with D.C. Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase the nutritional value of foods in schools and emphasize the physical education programs in our schools

•  Make Diabetes a reportable condition and initiate a surveillance program for Diabetes

•  Increase opportunities for healthy living through physical education programs, adding bike paths and walking trails for Washington , D.C.

•  Support the return of physical education programs to our schools, so our children can make healthy diet and exercise choices.