MARY'S CENTER RECEIVES $100,000 FROM WORLD BANK!

Great news! Mary’s Center has just received a very generous grant of $100,000 from the World Bank Community Connections Fund. The grant money – which will be used to make much-needed improvements in Mary’s Center’s information technology infrastructure – will be matched by the DC Primary Care Association.

With this support, clinicians at Mary’s Center will have better access to electronic medical records, and administrative staff will be able to work more efficiently. The IT staff at Mary’s Center will spend less time troubleshooting problems with computer systems.

“This grant is such a blessing,” said Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary’s Center, “We are thrilled and so thankful. On behalf of the clients, staff, and Board of Directors at Mary’s Center, we extend our deepest gratitude to the World Bank and its employees. We are tremendously grateful for this support of Mary's Center.

The World Bank Community Connections Fund is a non-profit arm of the World Bank Group. According to Viki Betancourt, manager of outreach for fund, the $100,000 comes from undesignated employee contributions, as well as a 100% corporate match for these undesignated donations. (Viki Betancourt, a long-time Mary’s Center supporter, is pictured here on the left with her daughter, Christina Johnson, (right) and holding her granddaughter, baby Vivian. Maria Gomez is in the center.)

The gift comes at a critical time for Mary’s Center. With the U.S. economy in shambles, and unemployment rising, patients at Mary’s Center are struggling harder than ever to deal with the economic downturn.

“The need for our culturally-competent services is growing,” noted Ms. Gomez. “By building our administrative capacity, Mary’s Center will be well-equipped to meet the ever-increasing needs of the District’s most vulnerable residents.”