Mautner Project Joins With Whitman-Walker Health

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization, today announced a collaboration with Whitman-Walker Health (WWH).  Mautner Project's mission to provide health and wellness education and outreach to Washington's lesbian and bisexual community will now occur through WWH, giving both organizations access to larger populations and expanded service offerings.

"We are very excited that we'll be working with Whitman-Walker Health," said Leslie Calman, Executive Director of Mautner Project.  "It has a long, prestigious history of providing culturally sensitive health care services to Washington's LGBT community." Calman added, "This collaboration will allow us to offer more critical services to a greater number of women who need those services throughout the region; it's a natural fit."

"Mautner Project has been dedicated to the health and wellness of Washington's lesbian community for over 20 years," said Don Blanchon, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health.  "We've been looking for a way to expand our health care services to women and Mautner Project's programs and reach within their community will help us fulfill that mission."

This historic collaboration will bring the Mautner Project program and staff under the umbrella of Whitman-Walker Health.  The Mautner Project services will continue to operate at the WWH 14th street headquarters uninterrupted, led by Jacquetta Brooks, the current Director of Client Services at Mautner Project, along with Meghan Davies, the Director of Community Health at Whitman-Walker Health.  Mautner Project's current Executive Director, Leslie Calman, will move on to serve as the CEO of Engineering World Health, a global health organization.

Mautner Project's health and wellness programs, like weight loss, smoking cessation, access to critical cancer screening, and culturally sensitive peer and support groups will continue.  New programs like mammography and breast health services, gynecology, dental and pharmacy services, and legal support can now be accessed through WWH.

In addition to bringing more clients to Mautner Project's programs, and more women to Whitman-Walker Health, the programs' collaboration was made desirable by ever-diminishing grant opportunities, particularly for direct service activities.  Grant dollars are more likely to flow to organizations that can provide research with a substantial base of clients and staff, and where overhead costs are held to a minimum.

The much-lauded social and charitable benefits the Mautner Project community has enjoyed will remain in tact through the collaboration with Whitman-Walker Health.  In addition, CAMP Mautner Cares, a collaboration with CAMP Rehoboth, Delaware will continue as before under the guidance of Mautner Project staff.

The leadership of Whitman-Walker Health has committed to protecting the strong tradition of charitable giving to Mautner Project through a designated fund for Mautner Project for lesbian and bisexual women's health.  Mautner Project will continue to provide valuable health, wellness and community information on its page on the WWH site, which can be accessed at: www.whitman-walker.org.

About Mautner Project
Founded in 1990, Mautner Project is committed to improving the health of women who partner with women including lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, through direct and support service, education and advocacy. The organization offers a series of groundbreaking programs to raise awareness of the unique needs of its population within the health care field, programs to provide support and referral to services.  Mautner Project is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More information can be found at: http://www.mautnerproject.org.

About Whitman-Walker Health
Established in 1978, Whitman-Walker Health is a non-profit community health center located in Washington, DC. Our mission is to be the highest quality, culturally competent community health center serving greater Washington's diverse urban community, including individuals who face barriers to accessing care, and with a special expertise in LGBT and HIV care. Whitman-Walker Health offers primary medical and dental care; mental health and addictions counseling and treatment; HIV education, prevention, and testing; legal services; and medical adherence care management.  We are especially committed to meeting the health needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and people living with HIV/AIDS.

CONTACTS: 
MELANIE DOUGHERTY THOMAS (MAUTNER PROJECT)
[email protected], 202-390-7887
CHIP LEWIS (WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH)
[email protected], 202-797-3514

SOURCE Whitman Walker Health