Prince George's County ER Wait Times Task Force Meeting - September 22, 2026

The Prince George's County Council Emergency Room Away Times Task Force met on September 22, 2026, at 4:45 PM ET to review and consider a revised draft report, address state concerns, and discuss next steps. The meeting included roll call, adoption of prior minutes, a presentation of the revised report, and extensive member discussion about the removal of key sections. The task force decided to invite HSCRC representatives to a future meeting to clarify state concerns before voting on the report.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The task force adopted the minutes from the February 2, 2026 and April 13, 2026 meetings. Motion by [member], seconded. Roll call vote: 8 ayes, 1 abstention (Dr. Archinnard, who was not present at those meetings). Approved.

Discussion Items

• Revised Report Overview: Staff member Anya presented a summary of the revised draft report, which was condensed from the original 60-page, 32-recommendation version to a 19-page, 9-recommendation version. The revision was led by former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Erica Turner in response to concerns from the state (specifically HSCRC and the Governor's office). Removed sections included analysis of HSCRC's role and global budget revenue methodology, bed capacity trend data, urgent care structural barriers, post-acute care, fire/EMS staffing, and equity infrastructure. The health department (Andrew Ballard) provided a comparative analysis, noting the revised report retains core data and direction but in a condensed format, and offered no objection to adoption.
• Member Concerns: Mr. Bill Miller expressed strong concern that the original report represented two years of work and that removing sections (e.g., HSCRC payment program, urgent care access barriers) materially changed the findings. He questioned who requested a concise report and felt an outside force (state/governor) altered the task force's product. Councilmember Bligay acknowledged the political pressures—the Governor's office reached out, and county officials needed state buy-in—but argued the revised report still makes the key points. Dr. Archinnard suggested including an appendix or note acknowledging the longer version. Another member asked for clarity on why the full report was rejected, noting confusion about whether HSCRC or the Governor's office drove the changes.
• Path Forward: Councilmember Bligay made a motion to adopt the revised report. However, due to lack of a second and member unease, the motion was not voted on. Instead, the task force agreed to invite HSCRC representatives to a virtual meeting within two weeks to explain their concerns directly. Councilmember Bligay noted her term ends in late November; if the report cannot be finalized by then, the task force may dissolve or be handed to another council member.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved from February 2 and April 13, 2026.
• No vote on the revised report; motion was not seconded.
• Directive: Task force staff to schedule a meeting with HSCRC representatives within two weeks (by early October 2026) to discuss state concerns.
• Materials: A side-by-side comparison of the original and revised reports will be distributed to members.
• Deadline: Councilmember Bligay indicated a desire to release a report before her term ends in late November 2026; if unresolved, the task force will be suspended and potentially reassigned.