On July 28, 2023, we celebrated 15 years of service in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the 5th anniversary of our newest clinic in Silver Spring. When we opened our first location in 2008, we witnessed the urgent need for a larger location and additional services. In 2018, we moved to our current location and were able to add new services such as dental in 2020 and sonography in 2023. This steady growth has now tripled our capacity in Montgomery County with more than 58,000 encounters in 2022. Through our collaborations and partnerships, we can offer participants a myriad of resources and services.
During our anniversary celebration, we were honored to be joined by special guest elected officials who have supported our work for years. These special guests included U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, and Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass. We were also joined by Pedro Biaggi, Radio Host & event Emcee, and Lilian Mass, Telemundo Community Reporter & event Emcee.
In 2023 Mary’s Center has been supporting participants impacted by the long-term effects of COVID-19 with symptoms lasting several weeks. Studies show one in five people who have contracted COVID-19 experience these Long–COVID symptoms, and through our Long-COVID clinic, our Infectious Diseases team is providing comprehensive care and treatment to hundreds of participants experiencing such long-term effects, with additional support from our different programs.
Since 1988, Mary’s Center has made increasing efforts to aid migrants as they adapt to living in the DC area. In response to the current migrant influx from the border to the DC region, Mary’s Center has been active on multiple task forces within the DC Office on Migrant Services and other local organizations, to help alleviate the immediate needs of these migrants and advocate for policy changes and service needs. In early 2023 Mary’s Center launched a Migrant Essentials online drive to help alleviate the immediate needs of these migrants.
Thanks to the Healthy Babies Equity Act, effective July 1, 2023, noncitizen pregnant individuals in Maryland of any immigration status will now have access to Medicaid coverage. The benefit will provide coverage during pregnancy and for four months after the baby is born. This is important for our work, as prenatal care is our flagship service, immigrants are our main clientele, and Medicaid offers us a high reimbursement rate.
Mary’s Center and our partner in education, Briya Public Charter School, were both chosen as 2023 Washington Post USA Top Workplaces for the second year in a row. Since 2016, we have also been recognized by Washington Post Topwork places in the DC area, and this national recognition results from the hard work and dedication that our staff put forth daily to create a lively and cheerful work environment.
We proudly offer dental care at 3 of our locations and handle an average of 3,300 encounters per month across all three sites.
In our efforts to continue to address the growing public health crisis related to oral health, we will be expanding our dental program in early 2024 by adding multiple new dental chairs and one wheelchair-accessible dental chair for participants with special needs at our Petworth location. This expansion is made possible through the financial support of the Robert I. Schattner Foundation. Additional expansion plans are in the works for 2024 in Maryland.
Long before the pandemic started, Mary’s Center began using telehealth methods to reach more of our participants through our Facilitated Telemedicine Program. Such early practice and training on virtual appointments allowed Mary’s Center to hit the ground right when COVID-19 impacted the DC region. With amazing advancements in technology and the widespread availability of smartphones, tablets, and computers, telehealth has become increasingly popular and beneficial for participants seeking medical support.
This year, our Facilitated Telemedicine Program has seen an increase in adherence to treatment plans and health outcomes and we continue to help our participants keep their appointments from the comfort of their own homes. While a medical provider speaks with them virtually, our skilled medical assistants go to their homes carrying everything needed to conduct a full screening and diagnostic examination.
