Yesterday, the Whitman-Walker Clinic announced plans to restructure itself, with a focus on expanding its medical services. With the restructuring comes layoffs from within its nearly 240 member staff as early as today. WWC didn’t specify how many would be let go, and published news reports currently give inconsistent figures; Metro Weekly says up to 10 percent of staff will be cut, while the Washington Post reports closer to 25 percent.

The staff reduction will allow the clinic to hire staff specializing in clinical care and outreach. Toward that end, executive director Donald Blanchon announced the hiring of Dr. Raymond Martins, the clinic’s new chief medical officer. Additionally, some current staff will be re-assigned, and new positions will also open up.

Whitman-Walker is the region’s largest provider of HIV-AIDS services, has operated for over 36 years and expects to see over 13,000 patients this year. The clinic’s planned changes will allow those patients to receive more comprehensive care. D.C. has the highest HIV-AIDS infection rate in the nation. Each week, Whitman-Walker sees two to five patients die of AIDS, and ten to 20 new patients infected.

Among other changes, the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center will add new programs such as crystal meth addiction program and a transgender health clinic.

Photo by katmere, used under a Creative Commons License