Whitman-Walker Health

Suspected ear infection, made an appointment, was seen by a PA within the hour. The staff was courteous and very professional. The place was very clean and orderly. No waiting. Highly recommend.

This is the most poorly managed and disorganized medical office I have ever encountered. The staff are incredibly rude to patients and they are completely uninformed. Additionally, there is absolutely not confidentiality when checking in or out.
In the same week I waited over an hour and a half on two separate occasions to have samples taken for STI testing. Now, a week and a half later, the results are not back AND no one in the medical department can tell me whether the samples were taken, where they are, if they were analyzed or when I can expect results. This is utterly unacceptable for a medical office.

Whitman Walker is capable of meeting an array of medical needs (primary, mental health, dentistry, cosmetic, etc) all in one location. Although the facility employs numerous specialists skilled in managing HIV/​AIDS, LGBT and transgender issues, Whitman Walker is certainly a suitable medical option for patients of all populations, not only those of a particular subgroup.
Of course my wife and I are obviously a same sex couple, but we do not have any specific health or financial requirements driving our choice of healthcare providers/​facilities. We initially chose to make Barbara Lewis, a Physician’s Assistant at Whitman Walker, our primary medical provider because she has over 35 years of practice experience treating women in the DC community. Since becoming our provider, Barbara has proven to have an excellent bedside manner, listening closely to us (no matter how long we talk), always showing a willingness to learn about anything she doesn’t already know, and forever being eager to «think outside of the box» when necessary. We’ve grown to consider her our constant ally in our healthcare journey. ** I would definitely give Barbra Lewis five stars. **
In addition, we feel it’s a bonus that our copays and insurance payments might in some small way support a facility striving to help the underserved.
General Notes:
+ The new Whitman Walker facility is beautiful! Everything about it is organized, sleek and very modern.
+ The facility offers multiple cosmetic procedures, including some dental options. It can be a one-​stop shop, depending on your preferences.
+ The Whitman Walker patient portal system is very convenient. You can communicate with your provider, receive lab results, print info, etc.
+ I think the blood lab is spectacular! They’ve succeeded the first try every time (and I’m a difficult case).
+ The attached pharmacy is skilled at saving you money. Make an appointment to go over your meds (during a slow period!). They saved us $ 40 on a single script!
I’m assigning four stars because:
— Practitioners do not cover for each other during absences. If your provider is on vacation when you get sick, you’ll be forced to go elsewhere for care. The same may be true if you need a refill on meds when he/​she is away, but that’s on a case-​by-​case basis. (This becomes a major problem if your provider works less than full-​time.)
— The referral process does not typically flow smoothly. It’s hard to pinpoint why, but it appears to be a complicated red tape issue that generally results in my wife and I making our own phone calls to find a specialty provider. If our insurance benefits required referrals from our primary care provider, this would potentially be a deal breaker.
— The only other in-​house service provider we ever tried to use, the acupuncturist, cancelled our appointment three times. Eventually, after my wife suffered in pain for seven weeks, we opted to use someone from another private practice.

Am so impressed with how organized, professional, and compassionate this health center is. I am so thrilled that Dr. Barry Clark is my GP. He is friendly, intelligent, open-​minded, and very skilled. I have also been impressed with how quickly and rapidly problems have been corrected.

I was a patient at Whitman Walker for over a year, prior to moving, and I can say that it is the best care that I have received ever. Especially since I’m a FTM, it’s super nice to have primary Drs, mental health, labs, pharmacy and dental all in one place. The staff is super friendly, always helpful and I never spent hours sitting and waiting for anything. I’ve even considered continuing my care at Whitman Walker and traveling back every 6 months from Florida.
This is a great place!

After not having healthcare for over 2 years, it was extremely refreshing to get insurance through the ACA and connect with Dr. Selenza as my PCP. She is extremely knowledgeable in trans-​health and über personable. Her bedside manner makes you feel as if you’re having a convo with someone at the grocery store. The woman who drew my blood was extremely wonderful and I didn’t feel the needle at all. The facility looks impeccable as if something from a movie. The only reason I didn’t give my experience 5 stars is because of the guy at the front desk on the 5^th floor didn’t really seem to enjoy his job. His personality wasn’t great for the front desk. Also, the med assistant mentioned something to the extent of «I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that my sister is gay». I was extremely shocked to hear an employee at a place with WW say that. I feel from a HR perspective, they (the company) should really seek to diversify their staff with professionals who are LGBT or strong allies. I’m sure WW serves all people, however, they are known historically for being equipped especially to serve the LGBT population. Service isn’t totally the mechanics of the job, but also the creating a comfy environment for the patients being serviced.

My PCP is here, and hes great. One of the most friendly physicians Ive had. Aside from him, you can expect subpar service as you would get at any other health clinic… The front desk wasnt attentive and not sure if he spoke english, had my blood drawn and it was one of the most painful ones done that took 2x longer than usual, and the pharmacy is extremely slow… Slower than dmv…