A crucial new health facility opened its doors today in the southeast. Whitman-Walker's new Max Robinson Center is located on the St. Elizabeth's campus right near the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
The new facility will play a pivotal role in providing behavioral health care, cancer research, dental facilities, and nursing care for the community. We have sound with a couple of CEOs involved in the development.
"There’s a huge need for behavioral health care in our community and all our communities, it’s as important as a medical health check-up," Nasseema Shafi, CEO of Whitman Walker Health, said.
The new Max Robinson Center is named after the local news anchor who died of HIV AIDS. The name became synonymous with the treatment of the disease.
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Treatment and research is part of the health facility's mission. Whitman Walker Health received a grant from the NIH to fund some of the AIDS research that is going to be done at the Max Robinson Center.
"Research is a part of what we do, we’ve done it for over thirty years, and we’ve done over a 140 trials and research projects," Cindy Lewin, interim CEO of Whitman Walker Health System, said. Such work has led to advancements in drug development and treatment regimens.
The new Max Robinson Center will also provide pivotal healthcare in other areas, such as:
- Early cancer screening
- Behavioral and mental health
- Nursing care
- Dental facilities
Representatives from Whitman Walker say this is the first facility they designed around their mission, instead of adapting to parameters like available space, and were able to create a well-designed break room for health care workers.
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The new facility allows scientists to expand on work already being done, in areas such as cancer research.
"We're doing this multi-cancer early detection test where you take blood test and screen for fifty different kinds of cancer which is so important in a community like this where people may not have access to care,” Lewin said.
One of the highlights of the new center are the dental facilities. From two chairs at the old facility to eight at the newest one, the Max Robinson Center is well-equipped to handle the dental needs of the community.
"Welcoming everyone who comes through our doors to primary medical care nursing care medical care, state of the art pharmacy and behavioral health," stated Shafi.
The designing process occurred at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, so project leaders included negative pressure rooms to contain the spread of airborne contagions.
From the rooftop, visitors can watch the construction of the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, the first newly built hospital east of the river since Cafritz Hospital in the 60's, now known as United Medical Center.
"We’ll be really excited when the cedar hill regional medical center opens and the way we’ll be able to integrate with the medical care provided there too," WHO SAID THIS
On Friday, there will be a grand opening, where people can get screened and sign up for the center's healthcare services.
