The Central Intelligence Agency, United Nations, World Health Organization, and World Bank all view infant mortality rates as a key indicator of the overall health of a country. If a society can’t take care of its youngest and most vulnerable residents (newborn babies) then they most certainly will have failed. But, while the U.S. infant mortality rate is 6.1 infant deaths per 1,000 births, the rates in parts of Washington, D.C., are significantly higher and unfortunately resemble the infant mortality rates of a low-income country instead. These are certainly not the kind of statistics you’d expect from the most powerful city in the world – our nation’s capital.
In 2012, the infant mortality rate in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 was 14.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. In contrast, the infant mortality rate in Ward 3, D.C.’s most affluent ward, the infant mortality rate was only 1.2.
In 2014, then-Mayor Vincent Gray announced a district-wide initiative called “Stronger Together: One City 4 Healthier Babies.” This historic public-private partnership included more than 40 local partners around D.C. with one objective: to address health disparities and to lower the infant mortality rates in Wards 7 and 8.
But when Mayor Muriel Bowser was sworn into office less than six months later, one of the first things her new administration did was to eliminate the “Stronger Together: One City 4 Healthier Babies” initiative. Reducing the infant mortality rate was no longer a priority, despite many of the 40 Stronger Together public-private partners meeting with the mayor’s office and Director of Health LaQuandra Nesbitt testifying at hearings before then-D.C. Health Committee Chairwoman Yvette Alexander to request that this important initiative stay in place.
But Bowser, according to officials, felt the money would be better spent supporting her homeless initiative instead. A noble cause indeed, but at the expense of saving newborn babies?
But it doesn’t stop there. In August 2017, Nesbitt, in an unprecedented move, ordered the only full-service hospital on the East End of the city, United Medical Center, to temporarily stop delivering babies because of “dangerous” mistakes made by hospital staff with regards to the care of pregnant women and newborn babies in delivery and nursery rooms.
However, the problems within UMC’s obstetrics ward shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Bowser or Nesbitt. These grave and serious issues didn’t just develop overnight. They chose to ignore them. And to further complicate matters, neither Bowser nor her administration were open and transparent about the reasons leading to the temporary closure of UMC delivery and nursery rooms. Optics are everything, and as every seasoned leader knows, it’s not the crime, but it’s always the cover-up that creates the most problems.
And it gets worse.
On Dec. 13, United Medical Center’s board voted in a session that was off-limits to the public to permanently close the nursery and delivery rooms, leaving families in Wards 7 and 8 without a place to give birth, receive prenatal care, or emergency services during a pregnancy. According to UMC’s board chair, the hospital would have to request an additional $19 million from the District to reopen the obstetrics ward.
This humanitarian crisis in our nation’s capital is a direct result of a failure of leadership, and it starts with Bowser. Since her very first day in office, she has made it clear that the health and safety of mothers and newborn babies in Wards 7 and 8 are not her priority. Why? Because they are poor and on the East End of the city.
Under Gray, who served from 2011-2015, the infant mortality rate went down. But under Bowser, the rate has gone back up according to statistics provided by America’s Health Rankings. The key takeaway? Bowser has consistently turned her back on her most precious constituents, beginning with her decision in 2015 to eliminate the Stronger Together: Once City 4 Healthier Babies initiative. And now residents in Ward 7 and 8 are without an obstetrics ward at the only hospital that provides medical services to residents on the East End of the city because of what officials are labeling as “dangerous” mistakes in the nursery and delivery rooms.
Imagine if a hospital in an affluent upper Northwest Washington, D.C., neighborhood had closed their obstetrics ward. There would be mass public outrage and congressional hearings. And you’d most certainly be hearing from the mayor herself, instead of through a spokesperson as we see today.
The tale of two cities in Washington should disturb you as much as it disturbs me. Unlike any other city in the country, or around the world for that matter, Washington represents global power, prestige, and influence. And although this is a local story, it’s not, because nothing that ever happens in Washington is local.
The true heart and test of a representative of the people is someone that shows care and compassion to the most vulnerable citizens under their care – newborn babies. And with regards to that test, Bowser has completely failed.
Mark Vargas (@MarkAVargas) is a tech entrepreneur, healthcare adviser and contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.
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