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Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson Center—built with support from JPMorganChase—is providing access to medical care in Wards 7 and 8.
October 7, 2024
Southeast D.C.—home to Wards 7 and 8—has been medically underserved for years, forcing residents to visit emergency rooms for basic care. The area also has some of the highest levels of chronic disease in the district.
Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Whitman-Walker, a staple for residents throughout the city, provides essential health and wellness services as well as community-based research. The organization recently expanded to provide care and research to residents in the Congress Heights neighborhood.
Whitman-Walker’s new Max Robinson Center is a 118,000-square-foot facility that opened in late 2023. It features an entire floor dedicated to clinical trials and research studies, as well as more than 40 exam rooms, a dozen dental suites and an in-house community pharmacy. In addition to providing comprehensive primary care, the center offers a range of other services, such as psychotherapy and mental health care.
The facility was made possible in part by a $10 million New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) equity investment from JPMorganChase. The NMTC program plays an essential role in stimulating economic development in low-income communities. Since the program’s inception, it has targeted the most distressed communities around the country—areas that have poverty rates often greater than 30 percent.
“This project services wards that have been medically underserved for years, bringing much needed healthcare services, jobs and opportunities to the community,” says En Jung Kim, Head of the New Markets Tax Credit Team at JPMorganChase.
Delivering more than healthcare
In addition to providing a range of healthcare services and expanding its research footprint, the center—located less than two blocks from the Congress Heights Metro Stop—includes space for local businesses. The center also is expected to employ more than 75 people in the area, where a new hospital is scheduled to open in 2025.
It’s all part of a broad redevelopment project aimed to transform the neighborhood into a vibrant, mixed-use community hub.
“Expanding access to healthcare is only part of how the center is improving the lives of local residents,” Kim says. “This expansion will help attract further investment from developers, leading to sustainable growth for the neighborhood. JPMorganChase is proud to have played a role in this project—and we’re excited to see what happens next.”
Named for the late TV news anchor and civil rights activist, the Max Robinson Center will allow Whitman-Walker to serve over 10,000 more patients per year once it reaches full capacity; it will also triple the number of clinical trials it can run.
By delivering vital services, Whitman-Walker is helping create healthier communities today—and laying the groundwork to improve the health of future generations. The space will further drive Whitman-Walker’s mission to help people “live healthily and love openly and to feel true equality and inclusion in all aspects of their lives.”
Driving impact across D.C.
JPMorganChase’s support for Whitman-Walker is just one example of the bank’s larger commitment to the Washington, D.C., area. The company has worked with local leaders and organizations to uplift communities in the region for over 50 years.
In 2022, the bank made a $75 million, five-year commitment to drive more inclusive growth throughout the area. It has also made commitments to address the housing affordability gap and to support economic and community development in Baltimore.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, nor provide or endorse third party products, services or other content.
