Whitman-Walker, a leader in comprehensive health services for LGBTQ+ health care, primary care, HIV care, research, education and policy, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Max Robinson Center in the Congress Heights community.
“The Max Robinson Center is the realization of more than a decades-long dream for Whitman-Walker,” the organization’s Health CEO Naseema Shafi said. “Our new Max Robinson Center has given us the opportunity to address systemic barriers to health care, while creating an affirming environment with a best-in-class health care team who treat everyone with dignity and respect. We are all honored to work side-by-side toward what we have already been able to achieve here in one year’s time and look forward to the next decades of work.”
In September 2023, Whitman-Walker unveiled its new center, at 1201 Sycamore Drive SE, on the campus of St. Elizabeths East. The opening ceremony honored the site’s namesake and showcased the 118,000 square-foot center featuring more than 60 exam rooms, 12 behavioral health suites and eight dental chairs, and more for surrounding Ward 7 and 8 residents.
After a year in the Congress Heights community, the Max Robinson Center has expanded an array of health care services to underserved residents east of the Anacostia River, providing closer access to critical diagnostic services, including x-rays and mammograms.
Further, the center has expanded to“community-oriented research programs and facilities for Whitman-Walker Institute scientists and researchers to engage with community members to conduct applied, social/behavioral, and public health research to inform policy and practice dedicated to eliminating health inequities,” according to a recent press release highlighting the health center’s one-year anniversary.
One of the center’s most innovative programs is current research and studies related to cancer called INCLUDE. Whitman-Walker is offering cancer testings free of charge, allowing community members to screen for over 50 different cancers through a simple blood draw. Those who receive a “signal detected” result will receive navigation support through the health center’s partner Cancer Support Community.
Among the extension of service and resources to the Congress Heights community, the Max Robinson Center maintains a cozy, yet artistic atmosphere, allowing residents to feel comforted while receiving critical care in a traditionally resource-scarce community.
“A year in, and we’re just getting started in connecting with this extraordinary community. I’m really proud of how staff are thinking about how we can get to know the people around our new Max Robinson Center and impact lives and counter health disparities in positive ways,” said Dr. Heather Aaron, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health System.