Community leaders, health professionals, and local residents joined members of the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the GW Cancer Center to celebrate the official ribbon-cutting of the new GW Cancer Prevention and Wellness Center, located on the historic St. Elizabeths campus in Ward 8.
Attendees included Julie Bauman, MD, MPH, Dr. Cyrus Katzen Family Director of the GW Cancer Center; Barbara Lee Bass, MD, FACS, vice president for health affairs and dean of GW SMHS; Sherrie Wallington, PhD, associate center director for community outreach and engagement; members of the Community Action Committee; and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White.
“Today is a very personal and emotional moment for me,” said Sherrie Wallington, PhD, associate center director for community outreach and engagement at the GW Cancer Center and professor of nursing. In her remarks, Wallington recalled working on her dissertation on prostate cancer as a young Howard University doctoral student, interviewing men at different stages of their prostate cancer journey.
“I first heard directly from patients that they longed for a space in their own community — a place where they could gather, receive preventive education, and access care that would help them, and their families live healthier lives. That vision stayed with me, and today, standing here with all of you, I see that vision becoming a reality.”
Located just a short walk from the Congress Heights Metro Station in Southeast Washington, D.C., the newly opened center will serve as a hub for cancer prevention, education, and wellness. Its mission includes increasing representation of underserved populations in cancer care and research. In the future, in addition to expert-led health events and wellness activities, GW Cancer Center plans to offer screenings and access to clinical trials focused on prevention, supportive care, and survivorship.
“As educators, researchers, and clinicians, we stand at the forefront of the fight against cancer,” said Dean Bass, noting that the GW Cancer Center is a cornerstone of the school’s academic medical enterprise, and its institutional pillars: education, clinical care, research, and population health.
“Our unwavering commitment to these missions, combined with strong partnerships across the community, empowers us not only to discover new ways to treat cancer, but also to advance prevention and improve overall health.”
More than just a physical space, the Prevention and Wellness Center represents a long-term commitment to health equity and a catalyst for change. It will help address cancer disparities by focusing on risk reduction, early detection, and survivorship to improve outcomes across the District of Columbia and surrounding areas.
“Today, as we cut the ribbon on this beautiful new Prevention and Wellness Center,” Bass continued, “we celebrate what is possible when vision meets collaboration and when we work side by side to serve our community.”
As she welcomed attendees, Bauman reflected on the center’s transformation from the “spark of an idea” to a reality.
“From the very beginning,” Bauman said, “we made a conscious effort to bring our community into the process. What you see was not something that was brought forth in isolation.”
The center, she stressed, reflects the GW Cancer Center’s interdisciplinary approach, blending science, compassion, and community.
“It’s a place where innovation meets empathy, and where every person is welcomed with dignity and care.”
Grounded in the six pillars of lifestyle medicine — nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances — the center aims to foster community wellness and reduce cancer disparities in the most affected neighborhoods.
“I look forward to seeing how our researchers and practitioners will bring their insights into this community, promoting engagement in research that is inclusive, impactful, and deeply rooted in the lived experiences of those we serve.”
Speaking on behalf of the Community Action Council, Janice Ferebee, MSW — author, public speaker, GW Cancer Center patient, and two-time stage 2 fallopian tube cancer survivor — expressed her enthusiasm about raising awareness and building community support.
“I am grateful that I’m a cancer survivor, cancer sucks! Let me repeat that, cancer sucks,” Ferebee said. “That’s why I’m especially excited and be a part of [developing] this amazing space. For me, ‘Wellness Starts Here’ means creating pathways for women to heal, grow, and thrive in every aspect of their lives.”
