$22.5 Million for Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center at St. Elizabeths East Campus

Monday, December 11, 2023

Investment to Support Continued Development of Ward 8’s Health Infrastructure and Fund New Research Center at Whitman-Walker

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the U.S. Department of Treasury has approved $22.5 million in federal funding to be invested in the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center, located on the St. Elizabeths East Campus in Ward 8. This investment is drawn from the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund and will support the continued expansion and development of the new Max Robinson Center, which provides critical health care services to the Ward 8 community, with a unique focus on LGBTQ health and HIV care. This funding will support the construction of a new research facility at the Max Robinson Center.

“This investment in Whitman-Walker will spur innovation and create new career and care opportunities for our residents – right here on the St. Elizabeths East campus in Ward 8,”  said Mayor Bowser. “We are grateful for this investment from the Biden Administration and for recognizing the critical role that Whitman-Walker plays in building a healthier and more equitable DC.”

The Capital Projects Fund (CPF) provides $10 billion to states, territories, freely associated states, and Tribal governments to fund critical capital projects that enable work, education, and health monitoring. These funds are addressing many challenges laid bare by the pandemic, especially in rural America, Tribal communities, and low- and moderate-income communities, helping to ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure, including broadband, needed to access critical services.

“Connecting workers and families to training, education, and health care services is central to expanding economic opportunity and prosperity in communities across the country,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “The expansion of Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson Center, financed in part by the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund, shows how the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments are building projects needed to expand access to critical health and educational services.”

The Max Robinson Center is designed to serve residents in the surrounding neighborhoods and offers workforce training and education programs, as well as public access to computers and high-speed internet. The Center also houses the Whitman-Walker Institute, which works closely with residents to seek feedback and to promote research that reflects community experiences and needs. The new CPF funding will allow the Center to build two multipurpose community spaces that will support community health and wellness initiatives, as well as 40 exam/consult rooms, 8 dental suites, and 23 group and psychotherapy rooms that will enable expanded telemedicine services. The investment will also enable workforce training programs, education, and skills in partnership with local universities for D.C. residents interested in administrative and health care roles.

“We are so grateful to the U.S. Treasury and the District of Columbia for this once in a lifetime commitment. Our new Max Robinson Center is a modern and welcoming health care and research facility built for the purpose of expanding health, research and job readiness training for communities with disproportionate health outcomes. From Max we will be able to expand care to 10,000 more people annually; be fully prepared for any future health emergency or outbreak and work to eradicate health disparities for residents in Wards 7 and 8 and throughout the city,” said Naseema Shafi, Chief Executive Officer, Whitman-Walker Health and Cindy Lewin, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Whitman-Walker Health System. “The new site will also provide necessary access to more capacity for community-based research that ensures groundbreaking scientific discoveries. This historic investment at this critical time builds a future for residents of the District of Columbia.”

The Max Robinson Center is the latest addition to the St. Elizabeths East Campusredevelopment in Ward 8. To date, Mayor Bowser has invested over $900 million in the redevelopment, which includes the opening of the Entertainment and Sports Arena, the new 801 Men’s Shelter, the District Townhomes, the Residences at St. Elizabeths, a 750-space parking garage at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, and the Sycamore & Oak retail village. In June, the District celebrated the topping-off of the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Healthfacility, a full-service hospital that will open in 2025.