DCPCA and DC’s Community Health Centers to Rally for Primary Care Funding at the Wilson Building on May 22
Washington, DC — May 19, 2025 — On Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM, the DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA), in partnership with DC’s community health centers, will rally on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building to call on District lawmakers to protect and expand funding for primary care services that are essential to the health and wellbeing of thousands of DC residents.
Community health centers in DC provide care to more than 184,000 people, nearly one in five District residents. These centers are rooted in every ward of the city and are a cornerstone of DC’s healthcare system, offering comprehensive, culturally competent care that includes primary medical care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, HIV care and prevention, dental care, and more. Many of the patients served are children, seniors, individuals experiencing homelessness, and others who rely on Medicaid and the DC Healthcare Alliance for coverage. Proposed budget cuts to Medicaid and local health programs now threaten to destabilize this essential system of care.
The rally brings together health center staff, patients, and advocates to send a clear message to District leadership: investments in health centers are investments in both healthcare access and economic stability. DC’s health centers not only provide high-quality care, but they also save the city hundreds of millions of dollars annually by preventing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, while also employing more than 2,300 people and generating nearly $600 million in economic impact.
“DC’s community health centers are trusted lifelines woven into the fabric of every ward in our city,” said Ruth Pollard, President and CEO of the DC Primary Care Association. “This rally is a unified call to action: our patients, our workforce, and our neighborhoods cannot afford to lose access to the care they depend on. We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our health center partners to demand bold, sustained investment in a healthier DC. Community health centers are Medicaid’s best partner, patients’ best choice, and healthcare’s best value!”
The city’s nine Community Health Centers: Bread for the City, Community of Hope, Elaine Ellis Center of Health, Family and Medical Counseling Service, La Clínica del Pueblo, Mary’s Center, SOME, Unity Health Care, and Whitman-Walker Health, serve as a united front in this advocacy effort. Together with DCPCA, they are urging the DC Council to fund primary care for all, protect public coverage programs, and ensure health centers have the resources they need to maintain services, staffing, and facilities.
Members of the public and press are encouraged to attend the rally on May 22 and show support for the future of community-based healthcare in the District.