Featured Programs

LGBTQ+ Affirming Care

Mary’s Center is committed to creating an environment where participants of any sexual orientation or gender identity feel safe and comfortable talking about their health, their thoughts, and any unique challenges they may face. At a moment when some lawmakers are taking rights away from our LGBTQ+ neighbors, Mary’s Center has strengthened our healthcare offerings for this community and trained our workforce in the provision of culturally competent care.

Over the last few years, Mary’s Center has coached over 400 participant-facing staff on the principles of LGBTQ+ and Trans-Affirming Care. New patient visits for transgender participants have increased exponentially, and we established a multi-disciplinary team committed to a 12-month TransECHO program to improve and expand these life-saving services. Due to increased need, Mary’s Center also created a behavioral health service line for participants seeking LGBTQ+ affirming therapy, and a Trans/Gender-Expansive Processing Group.

In recognition of our efforts, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation named Mary’s Center as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer in their 2022 Healthcare Equality Index.

Learn more about our LGBTQ+ services.

Supporting our Older Adults

As our community evolves, so has Mary’s Center. The pregnant participants Mary’s Center served in our early years are now becoming grandparents with a new set of needs as they age. In recent years, Mary’s Center has expanded our services for older adults to give them the customized, holistic care they need to thrive:

Nutrition: We ensure older adults have healthy food on their plate for every meal through our “Eat Well, Live Better” Senior Nutrition Program, which has delivered over 15,000 boxes of fresh produce, whole grains, nutrition education, and wellness materials to over 800 homes since September 2020.
Vaccines: Mary’s Center is committed to protecting those at high risk of severe infection from COVID-19, and we have vaccinated nearly 2,500 people over age 60. We have a dedicated staff member to help older adults make appointments for vaccines and booster shots, and even coordinate free transportation to reduce barriers to care.
Mental Health: Mary’s Center supports older adults in addressing the emotional challenges that arrive in later years, from job transitions to aging bodies to loss of loved ones. We offer individual therapy and wellness groups specifically for older adults at our two Senior Wellness Centers.
Oral Health: 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.