Washington D.C.’s community health centers share a common mission: to promote healthier communities and eliminate the barriers to equitable care that persist in our nation’s capital.  As D.C.’s only freestanding birth center, Community of Hope’s Family Health and Birth Center provides a safe and affordable alternative to traditional hospital births with wrap-around services to address the physical, mental, and social needs of the whole family.  Unity Health Care is D.C.’s largest network of community health centers, and recently collaborated with Howard University Hospital to bring specialist care to an underserved part of the city to help close the gaps left by recent hospital closures.  Through these two case studies, this webinar will set the context for why community health centers are central to a resilient public health infrastructure, and it will illustrate the role design can play in fostering community engagement and empowerment.