D.C. mayor
proposes funds for Whitman-Walker Clinic

Washington, D.C., mayor Anthony Williams has proposed to divert more than $2.1 million in District health department funds to the cash-strapped Whitman-Walker Clinic, which provides HIV treatment services to hundreds of HIV-positive people, The Washington Post reports. The District city council is set to vote on the proposal this week. The grants would come from two administrations within the health department and would include $100,000 for an adviser who would review the clinic's finances, recommend changes, and track the agency's spending for one year. The proposal also would require Whitman-Walker to conduct a review of its long-term financial stability and to engage in more direct fund-raising activities.

Whitman-Walker in May experienced a severe cash flow problem that forced the agency to not cover its payroll for the first time in its history. Clinic administrators in early June announced a series of $2.5 million in cost-cutting measures, including widespread layoffs at the agency and the closing of suburban clinics in Maryland and Virginia. The agency also planned to eliminate or scale back such services as its food bank, emergency financial assistance, case management, and housing programs. District officials have been working to secure funding for the clinic so it can continue to serve HIV-positive people in the D.C. area.