Published on December 04, 2006

Washington Adventist Hospital and Mary’s Center Announce Partnership to Meet Community Demand

Collaboration Creates New Primary Care Center for Under-served Community

Montgomery County , MD – Washington Adventist Hospital is pleased to announce a new partnership with Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, a federally qualified comprehensive health center based in Washington, DC.  The two organizations will collaborate to create a primary care center to provide health care services to local families.  

“Washington Adventist Hospital’s Vision for Expanded Access is working to improve access to health care for members of our community.  We are pleased to begin this important partnership with Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care—an organization that is also deeply committed to providing health care to local families.  We believe that the primary care center will further expand access to health care services for families.  We look forward to working with Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care to strengthen the region’s health care safety net,” noted Jere Stocks, President of Washington Adventist Hospital.

In late 2005, Washington Adventist Hospital announced its Vision for Expanded Access, a strategic vision that  includes seven key elements that are designed to enhance access to care for the community and provide improved health care facilities and services (www.ExpandedHealthAccess.com).  The new partnership with Mary’s Center is just one of the ways that Washington Adventist Hospital is carrying out this important vision. 

“At Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care in DC we serve many who reside in Maryland, traveling the distance to receive quality and culturally appropriate services.  It is an honor to serve families in their own community and to increase healthy outcomes for families and communities.  Our 18 years of experience has taught us that a healthy, well supported family with strong literacy skills will be civically engaged and will always strive to live in a safe and peaceful community,” states Maria Gomez, president and CEO of Mary’s Center.

Washington, DC-based, Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care works to build better futures for local residents through programs that deliver health care, education and social services, regardless of ability to pay.  As a federally qualified comprehensive health care center, Mary's Center demonstrates how improved access to prenatal and pediatric care, coupled with sensitivity to culture and family, lead to healthy mothers, healthy children and healthy families. In addition, the Center’s numerous programs provide a dynamic child development curriculum, intensive home visits for vulnerable families, case management for teen pregnancy prevention and planning, educational training to prevent school dropout, employment referral and placement, and HIV testing and prevention.

Both organizations are currently finalizing plans for the new primary care center, including its location.  Additional information will be announced once plans are finalized.  The center is expected to open in the spring of 2007.

Washington Adventist Hospital  is a 285-bed, state-of-the-art acute care facility located in Takoma Park, Maryland.  Washington Adventist Hospital is Montgomery County's only complete cardiac center, performing 650 open-heart surgeries and more than 7,000 heart catheterizations each year.  Washington Adventist Hospital is part of Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery system based in Rockville, Maryland, that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland.  Adventist Healthcare includes Washington Adventist Hospital, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health System, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living, Adventist Health Careers Training Center, Hackettstown Community Hospital and Adventist Home Health.

Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care is a federally qualified health care center serving the DC Metro area residents.  The mission of Mary’s Center is to build better futures through delivery of health care, education and social services. Mary’s Center saves lives, strengthening communities one family at a time.