Family members and hospital staff alike are celebrating after the safe delivery of the first baby born at Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health in Ward 8 since its opening on April 15.
Parents Regina Crowder and Ronnell Fletcher welcomed baby Reign, born on Sunday, April 27 at 1:12 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, and 18 inches long — the fourth at the new Southeast medical facility.
As Cedar Hill CEO, Anthony B. Coleman emphasized the hospital will continue to prioritize quality maternal and infant care, aligning with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s overall health care goals.
“Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health is delighted to deliver healthy babies born to Washingtonians in the community where they live,” said Coleman. “Every baby born at Cedar Hill represents Mayor Bowser’s promise made — and promise kept — to provide Washingtonians east of the River quality healthcare. We wish Reign’s parents and siblings our very best as they settle in their newest family member.”
Since the closing of United Medical Center’s maternity ward in 2017, families east of the Anacostia River were left to travel a distance outside of their community to deliver babies.
Opening on April 15, Cedar Hill is the first new hospital erected in the District in 25 years, located on the St. Elizabeth’s East Campus at 1200 Pecan Street SE, and featuring 142 beds with the potential to progress to upward of 190 beds in the near future.
Cedar Hill nursing staff said they were delighted to have served the Crowder family.
“Our mission is to provide excellent healthcare to this community, wrapped in love, respect, and kindness,” said Lesia Douglas, director of Cedar Hill’s Women’s Health Center and Services, Labor & Delivery. “We’ve assembled a team of caring, experienced nurses at Cedar Hill, many of whom live in this community.”
While the new facility is working to engage residents and build trust across Wards 7 and 8 and throughout the District, Crowder said she is pleased with the provided care and service.
A Ward 8 resident, Crowder deemed her daughter’s birth at Cedar Hill as “the best labor and delivery experience” among her nine total deliveries.
“We were treated with love, care, and respect,” she said.