Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Center (Courtesy of Simpson & Simpson)

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, along with representatives from the Department of Public Health, several elected officials, and members of the South Los Angeles community will attend the program to inaugurate the center. 

According to Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’ office, it will mark the completion of the first of three phases to launch a new Martin Luther King Jr. medical facility. The other two phases consist of the construction of a new MLK hospital and the construction of a Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center (MACC). The entire project is projected to cost $400 million.

The facility is funded by a $20 million-grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

This center will help further Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’ existing initiative on sexual health and especially sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment. He recently launched a program in September that allowed women to pick up home tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea from kiosks and a mobile health van. This program is an extension of the “I Know” project intended to raise awareness about STDs and increase testing.

The grand opening of the new MLK Center for Public Health will be at 9 a.m. Friday at the center, located at 11833 S. Wilmington Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90059. 

Reach staff reporter Gabriella Hecht here.