New Health & Resource Center Coming to Atlantic & South Capitol Streets SE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 3, 2010
Contact: Kelly Sweeney McShane, (202) 407-7746, kmcshane@cohdc.org

Community of Hope’s Facility Will Provide Medical, Dental, and Mental Healthcare

 Washington, DC – Community of Hope, a D.C. nonprofit that provides healthcare and housing for low-income and homeless families, will build a new Health andResource Center in Ward 8, an area identified by the Department of Health and the DC Primary Care Association as in great need of an additional community health center. Today marks an important first step with the purchase of the property.

 The purchase and subsequent development of land at South Capitol and Atlantic Streets, SW, is made possible by funding from DCPCA and DOH under the Medical Homes DC Initiative, a project which leverages dollars and provides support and expertise to expand primary care access in underserved areas such as a Ward 8. When completed in early 2013, the Health and Resource Center will provide new access to medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare for approximately 8,500 residents of Ward 8.

A 2008 RAND Corporation report stated that, although an estimated 88 percent of Ward 8 residents possess some type of healthcare coverage, many lack access to a usual source of care and had generally higher rates of chronic disease and premature mortality than their peers in other wards.  Especially with the Affordable Care Act, it will be important to create new options for access to care.

The new Health and Resource Center will be a 50,000 square foot building that will include eighteen medical rooms, nine dental chairs, a laboratory, and space for educational classes, enrollment in benefits, social services, and individual and group counseling.  The building will be LEED-certified and include state-of-the-art equipment including electronic health records.  Construction is projected to start in the summer of 2011 with the building opening in early 2013. This project is part of the development of a larger parcel owned by South Capitol 

Revitalization LLC that will include office space, residential units, parking, and retail.

Community of Hope’s Executive Director Kelly Sweeney McShane, says, “We are thrilled to make this big step to increase access to quality, affordable healthcare in Ward 8.”  DCPCA’s Chief Executive Officer Sharon A. Baskerville says, “We applaud Community of Hope’s mission and organizational commitment to bring quality health care and supportive services to families in Ward 8.  This new facility is one of twelve projects across the city made possible through strong partnerships between DCPCA, DOH, and our safety net community health centers like Community of Hope.”

Community of Hope provides primary medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare services to approximately 3,800 DC residents in its Adams Morgan health center.  The organization transitioned to electronic health records in July 2010 with stimulus funds, and is a federally qualified health center.

Please visit www.communityofhopedc.org for more information on Community of Hope’s important work serving the most vulnerable DC residents.  For more information on DCPCA’s Medical Homes DC Initiative, visit www.dcpca.org. 

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Community of Hope, in its 30^th year, works to improve health and quality of life for low-income, homeless, and underserved families and individuals in the District of Columbia by providing healthcare, housing with supportive services, educational opportunities, and spiritual support.

The DC Primary Care Association is a health action and advocacy organization improving health care and health coverage for the District's low-income, uninsured, and medically vulnerable residents.  DCPCA works with its members to advance policy and develop programs like Medical Homes DC that help ensure that everyone gets the right care, at the right time, and in the right place.

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