Mary’s Center completed a major rebranding to reflect the organization’s growth, diversity, and ongoing mission of providing high quality services to individuals from ALL communities across the DC metropolitan region. Since its inception in 1988 when Mary’s Center opened a small basement clinic to provide prenatal care to Central American women fleeing war and poverty, the organization has broadened its services and population. Today, Mary’s Center serves over 54,000 individuals a year from more than 50 countries. The new look reflects the organization’s growth, diversity, and inclusivity. Learn more
The number of Mary’s Center participants unable to afford care increased in 2019, so Mary’s Center increased its expenditure of free care by 19%. Mary’s Center is extremely grateful for the generosity and commitment of our donors, which helped us cover the cost of over $9.5 million in free medical, dental, and behavioral health care for our most under-resourced participants. In the past five years, this generosity has enabled us to provide $33 million in free care. By covering these costs, Mary’s Center can give our community members access to the latest treatment trends, resulting in high quality patient care outcomes for our most under-resourced patients.
On April 1st, we officially opened the medical suite at our new 344 University Boulevard West location in Silver Spring, MD. Since we moved to the new building in the fall of 2018, we were providing medical services in an area temporarily adapted to meet our medical needs while we finished the construction work. In addition to medical services, we also provide behavioral health, social services, health education, and nutrition services at this location. Construction is underway for our first dental suite in Maryland. This new comfortable building will allow us to serve nearly 15,000 participants a year.
In the fall of 2019, Mary’s Center released the final report by the Urban Institute that examines the organization’s Social Change Model and its unique approach to addressing the social determinants of health in the DC metropolitan region. The report includes analysis conducted by the National Institutes of Health. Overall, the report demonstrated the benefits and challenges of providing quality, integrated care across diverse programs. One national study of 176 community health centers found that only 10 percent of them provided adult education services, and only 22 percent provided workforce development services, both of which Mary’s Center provides. Learn more.
In July 2019, Kresge Foundation selected Mary’s Center for the second cohort of its national Next Generation Initiative. Mary’s Center has joined nine other private nonprofit and public human services organizations advancing the social and economic mobility of children and families with low incomes around the country in this two-year learning program. Learn more.
The Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program launched Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) for Opiate Use Disorder. Project ECHO is a national program that trains and mentors primary care providers on care coordination and connects them to other organizations facing similar challenges. At the first ECHO meeting, 23 providers participated from several clinics in DC.
