United Medical Center's replacement hospital could be half its current size: 5 things to know

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposal to replace the troubled Washington, D.C.-based United Medical Center suggests a facility less than half its current size, according to The Washington Post.

Here are five things to know.

1. The proposal details District officials' plans to decommission UMC and replace it with a more modern and economically viable facility to care for a large percentage of Medicaid-reliant patients.

2. The replacement hospital, which would be constructed on the campus of Washington, D.C.-based St. Elizabeths Hospital, would have 106 beds and would open to patients in 2023. UMC currently has 234 beds.

3. The replacement facility is estimated to cost $248 million to construct, according to the proposal. The mayor's office set aside money in the budget to cover this cost; however, a D.C. council could influence the budget.  

4. The replacement hospital would be run by a private healthcare company. Officials plan to announce a private-sector partner in the next few months.

5. UMC is a public hospital that ran into trouble in the past few years. In August 2017, D.C. officials closed the hospital's maternity ward after an investigation found dangerous medical errors. Additionally, in February, D.C. regulators faulted UMC for care lapses that contributed to a patient death.  

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