Casey announces $400,000 for Philadelphia LGBTQ+ health and wellness center

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) visited the Mazzoni Center on Thursday to announce $400,000 in community project funding for the center. 

“This community project funding will modernize the center’s basic equipment, like vitals machines or security systems, or air conditioning. It will also enable Mazzoni to purchase a generator,” Casey said.

“We know for many of our clients, this is the only place they feel safe coming for care,” Mazzoni Center executive development and communications officer David Weisberg said. He said the comprehensive health and wellness center is the largest LGBTQ nonprofit of any kind in Philadelphia, serving 15,000 clients a year, with a staff of 130.

Dr. Stacey Trooskin, executive medical officer at the Mazzoni Center, said the center provides medical care, including gender affirming care, HIV care, medication for opioid use disorder and primary care. 

“We are priding ourselves on being a one stop shop for all of our patients,” she said. 

Last year, the Mazzoni Center provided over 5,500 vaccines to its patients and lab work for over 7,200 visits, including more than 100 patients every month receiving HIV medication, Trooskin said, emphasizing that having access to electricity at all times is vital for the center to care for its patients. 

“We are incredibly grateful and quite relieved to have access to a generator that will protect us from service dysfunction,” Trooskin said. 

The federal money will also go to expanding its low threshold services for STI testing, HIV testing and viral hepatitis testing at their Washington West location, she added. 

“I’m just grateful to be here during Pride month to be able to announce some good news from Washington, which doesn’t happen every week,” Casey said.

Sultan Shakir, president and executive officer of Mazzoni Center said the funding will “make a real impact on our ability to provide culturally competent care to individuals who need it in our community.”

The funding was secured as a part of the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bill.