District of Columbia Panel Vows to Ensure ‘High-Quality’ Care for Poor

The new Washington, D.C., Health Services Reform Commission, established by Mayor Anthony Williams (D) to oversee the city's recently privatized indigent health system, held its first meeting last week, with leaders pledging to "ensure that the city provides high-quality medical services to the poor," the Washington Post reports. The commission will monitor the performance of the D.C. HealthCare Alliance, a group of private organizations that have contracted with the city to provide hospital and primary care services to the uninsured and administer the city's school nurse program. Commission Chair Bailus Walker, a Howard University environmental and health policy professor, said that the commission hopes to "assess overall operations of the program and offer ideas for improvements." However, he said that the privatized indigent health care system "will not magically solve" the city's numerous health problems, including HIV/AIDS and untreated diabetes. Walker also said that the commission would "maintain independence from the Williams administration, hold open meetings, solicit public input and spotlight problems that might emerge with the system." The District will provide the commission with resources to "spot" problems and develop plans to address them, according to D.C. Department of Health Director Ivan Walks. He said that he has assigned seven aides to support the commission (Goldstein, Washington Post, 7/19).