August 27, 2007

News Release

Washington Adventist Hospital and Mary’s Center Announce Location of New Primary Care Center for Under-served in Maryland

Collaboration Expands Health-Care Access, Strengthens Region’s Health Care Safety Net

Long Branch , MD – Washington Adventist Hospital is pleased to announce the location of a new primary care center in Long Branch, MD, in partnership with Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, a federally qualified, comprehensive health center based in Washington, DC.

The primary care center will be located at 8709 Flower Avenue in Long Branch and will become the first Mary’s Center location in Maryland . It is scheduled to open in November.

“We believe our growing partnership with Mary’s Center and the opening of the primary care center in Long Branch will further expand access to health-care services for families in the communities we serve – a key element in our Vision for Expanded Access initiative,” said Jere Stocks, President of Washington Adventist Hospital. “Together we are strengthening the region’s health-care safety net.” (For more information about Washington Adventist Hospital’s Vision for Expanded Access, go to www.expandedhealthaccess.com.)

The 3,600-square-foot primary care center will provide the full range of services that will include: prenatal care, pediatric/adolescent health services, adult health services and women's services, including obstetrical and gynecological care. These services will be provided by a multidisciplinary health-care team. With financial help from Washington Adventist Hospital , Mary’s Center will be able to expand health-care access to more families in the region, regardless of their ability to pay.

"We, at Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, are constantly striving to serve the needs of our community. We are happy to extend these services to those who reside in Maryland . Our new partnership with Washington Adventist Hospital will allow Maryland families to receive quality and culturally appropriate services, thereby bridging the gap and promoting healthy outcomes for families and communities," stated Maria Gomez, president and CEO of Mary's Center.

Washington, DC-based, Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care works to build better futures for local residents through programs that deliver health care, education and social services, regardless of ability to pay.  As a federally qualified comprehensive health-care center with 18 years of experience, Mary's Center demonstrates how improved access to family medical care, coupled with sensitivity to culture and language, lead to healthy  families and safer communities. In addition, the Center’s numerous programs provide dynamic child development services, intensive home visits for pregnant women and their new infants, case management for teen pregnancy prevention, educational training and mentoring services to prevent school dropout and encourage college enrollment, employment referral and placement, outreach information used to increase the enrollment of the uninsured into health care plans and training for safe and nurturing day care centers.

Washington Adventist Hospital  is a 294-bed, state-of-the-art acute care facility located in Takoma Park, Maryland.  Washington Adventist Hospital, home to the first complete cardiac center in Montgomery County, performs 650 open-heart surgeries and more than 7,000 heart catheterizations each year.  Washington Adventist Hospital is part of Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery system based in Rockville, Maryland, that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland.  Adventist Healthcare includes Washington Adventist Hospital, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health System, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living, Adventist Health Careers Training Center, Hackettstown Community Hospital and Adventist Home Health.

Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care  is a federally qualified health care center serving the DC Metro area residents.  The mission of Mary’s Center is to build better futures through delivery of health care, education and social services. Mary’s Center saves lives, strengthening communities one family at a time.  www.maryscenter.org