2021/2022 Highlights

In May 2022, Mary’s Center launched the Maria S. Gomez Scholarship for Nursing, which provides Mary’s Center staff with assistance in funding nursing education programs. The scholarship continues the legacy of our founder, Maria Gomez, by helping staff fulfill their aspirations of becoming a nurse and empowering them to achieve economic stability. Seven deserving staff were selected as 2022 scholarship recipients.

In April 2022, Mary’s Center began a new partnership with Howard University College of Dentistry to address the national oral health care crisis among older adults. Funded by the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the program promotes the connection between oral health and overall health and creates greater equity in the care and treatment older adults receive. Learn more.

On May 14, 2022, Mary’s Center held a community event celebrating the 10th anniversary of our health center in Adelphi, Prince George’s County. Participants, staff, elected officials, supporters, and community partners gathered to celebrate Mary’s Center’s impact in one of Maryland’s most under-resourced counties, with significant health disparities, limited access to care, and lack of insurance. In 10 years we have proudly improved the quality of life of 172,436 county residents with our services.

In 2021, we launched our first Community Engagement Council (CEC) composed of a group of participants who are actively sharing their feedback about their experience at Mary’s Center and Briya Public Charter School, our partner in education, to help us understand the needs of the community so that we can better serve them. Learn more.

VIP Visits

In November 2021 Mary’s Center received two special guests: Dr. Rahul Gupta, the new Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited Mary’s Center’s Petworth site the morning of his swearing-in ceremony to learn about our renowned Integrated Recovery Program. DC Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt joined as well for a fruitful discussion on substance abuse and treatment with our staff.

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen visited Mary’s Center’s Silver Spring site to take a tour and join a discussion with our former President/CEO Maria Gomez and Briya Executive Director Christie McKay on the Build Back Better Act. The Senator also presented Maria with a Senate Citation recognizing her visionary leadership and exemplary service.

At our virtual gala on October 14, 2021, Mary’s Center hosted a roundtable conversation exploring the intersection of health and education with the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. The roundtable was moderated by award-winning journalist Lisa Ling, the host and executive producer of the CNN Original Series This Is Life with Lisa Ling. Through the discussion, the Secretaries shed light on their continued collaboration to ensure all Americans have equal access to quality health care and education. 

Mary’s Center continues to support our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 30, 2022, we conducted over 45,000 COVID-19 tests and administered nearly 50,000 doses of the vaccine to over 27,000 community members, including more than 5,000 children under 12. Mary’s Center received one of the first shipments of Pfizer vaccines for children ages 5–11 on November 1, 2021, and we started administering them hours after the CDC’s approval. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt visited our Petworth site to witness these initial child vaccinations. We have also offered third shots and booster shots to all eligible participants, and in June 2022, we began offering the vaccine to children 6 months–4 years old.

In July 2021, the White House invited frontline workers, including several members of the Mary’s Center nursing team, to a 4th of July BBQ. President Biden addressed the crowd during this special occasion.

In August 2021, Mary’s Center opened a school-based health center at the shared site of Coolidge High School and Ida B Wells Middle School in Washington, DC. This full-service clinic offers routine good exams, sports physicals, catch-up vaccinations, sexual health/contraception, and acute care for minor injuries or ailments. We also have our School-Based Mental Health team onsite to provide partnership for behavioral health services.

In the summer of 2021, Mary’s Center became the first organization in DC to implement the evidence-based Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, which provides a personal nurse to individuals who are pregnant with their first child. A Nurse Home Visitor provides clinical guidance, health education, and care coordination during pregnancy and months beyond, with hopes to improve the health of birthing people and infants and support the goals of families with young children.

Mary’s Center was selected as the first WIC agency in the District of Columbia to pilot the eWIC card to transition from food vouchers/checks to a refillable debit card. After the successful completion of the pilot in March 2022, all WIC agencies in DC transitioned to the eWIC card. Mary’s Center staff member Johana Campos, Breastfeeding Counselor, designed the card now used by the recipients of this program.

• The Mary’s Center & Briya Public Charter School partnership made the list of 2022 USA Top Workplaces, Top Workplaces in the Greater Washington, DC area, and Top Workplaces in the Nonprofit Industry.
• Mary’s Center received the John Benjamin Nichols Award from the Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC) at their inaugural Capital Healthcare Honors in April 2022.
• Mary’s Center received the Innovative Research in Primary Care Award from the Weitzman Institute in May 2022.
• Mary’s Center received the 2022 LGBTQ Champion Award from UnidosUS
• Mary’s Center was named an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Healthcare Equality Index.
• Rolando Delgado, COVID Response Project Manager, was recognized as an Unsung Heroes by the Washington Nationals at their opening game ceremony in April 2022.
• Dr. Sarah Nadia Ali, Director of Infectious Diseases, was named a Washingtonian 2021 Top Doctor.
• Mary’s Center received the 2021 Top-Rated Award from GreatNonprofits.
• Felix Hernandez, Advocacy and Fatherhood Program Manager received the Geiger Gibson Emerging Leaders Award in February 2022 from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
• Mary’s Center received a Certificate of Achievement from the Maryland Primary Care Program Booster Campaign in April 2022 for exceeding a goal of increasing COVID-19 booster shots among eligible participants in Maryland.