WASHINGTON (7News) — As Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center marks one year of operations, the hospital is coming under scrutiny at a D.C. oversight roundtable on Monday morning.

When 7News first revealed deep concerns inside Cedar Hill in its first report back in October, we questioned whether the hospital was ready to be open. 7News learned that there were concerns months before the April 2025 ribbon-cutting.

During the first hearing with a full table of hospital leadership on Monday, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wyne Turnage confirmed, when he was questioned by councilwoman Christina Henderson, that four months before the hospital opened, it did not have a Human Resources department set up.

Even on opening day, Henderson added that the UHS-operated facility had staffing issues, and nearly a year after being opened, not all services and beds are open and available. Monday, Henderson asked Turnage the question 7News has been posing since October.

RELATED | CEO of Cedar Hill Hospital to resign less than a year after facility opened in DC’s Ward 8

“Did UHS say at any point, ‘we’re not ready,’ did they have space to say that?” Councilwoman Christina Henderson asked Turnage.

“I informed the mayor this would be a go on April 15, 2025,” said Turnage. “If they came to be and said we are not ready, I would have gone to the mayor and said we’re not ready. The only person who said we may not have staff was Dr. Nesbitt. She was the only person who said it would not be ready. UHS never said put the brakes on.”

Dr. Laquandra Nesbitt leads the planning and implementation of the clinical, educational, and research programs at the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center – GW Health. She was also at the hearing.

Turnage said once construction was done, it would have had a negative impact to let the hospital sit empty.

“I want to make sure the push for opening the hospital wasn’t a political move, that it wasn’t just about the ribbon cutting,” said Henderson.

“It was me who went to the CFA, and the Mayor who said we can open in April,” said Turnage.

Next week will mark a year since the hospital opened. Turnage said in six months, the community can expect to see the hospital stabilize with a permanent Ceo and annual reports available to the public. It has already started to close major staffing gaps and said its hospital ER wait time is averaging less than an hour.

By July, hospital leadership said the community can expect all outpatient services to be open and that it is ramping up outreach to bring community doctors in.

HOSPITAL CITATION

In March, the D.C. Department of Health slapped the hospital with a citation for dangerous levels of non-compliance.

7News has also spoken to a former employee who has raised serious concerns about conditions inside Cedar Hill, including severe staffing shortages.

Hear from a former Cedar Hill employee about conditions within the hospital below:

Gerzayn Hernandez, a former ER tech at Cedar Hill, is speaking out about conditions at the hospital. (7News)

This is not the first oversight hearing for the hospital. Another one was held in February.

“What’s happening inside is not OK,” Councilman Zachary Parker said at the time.

Monday’s hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. The roundtable is invite-only, but the public may submit written testimony through the Council’s Hearing Management System.