CareFirst Announces New Washington, D.C. Headquarters
New Met Square location enhances CareFirst's commitment, influence and connectivity in advancing healthcare solutions regionally and nationally
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), one of the country's largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations dual-headquartered in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, announced a new headquarters location in the District. Serving nearly 500,000 members in the District, CareFirst’s new office space at Met Square strategically enhances CareFirst’s ability to advance policy change at the highest level and reinforces its commitment to community impact in the District.
“This location enhances our ability to bring together the community, stakeholders, and partners it requires to advance our vision of accessible and equitable care for all members,” Brian D. Pieninck, CareFirst President and CEO, said. “We value our relationship with the District, which has been instrumental in connecting residents to the quality care they need. This new location builds on that foundation, allowing us to further strengthen these vital connections.”
The new office located at 655 15th Street NW consolidates six CareFirst locations across D.C. into a single, more efficient space. This move does not reduce the company's footprint but rather reimagines its space and place to better meet the needs of CareFirst’s workforce, community partners, customers and members.
CareFirst serves residents in commercial, Medicare and federal employee lines of business who have access to nearly 30,000 providers within the District. They understand health exists beyond the walls of a provider’s office and therefore are committed to making high-impact and sustainable investments in community health and social impact initiatives designed to improve quality of life and make healthcare easy to afford, easy to use and available to everyone.
The space also fosters a more collaborative work environment proximate to vital city landmarks and is rich in amenities.
“This location sets up our team for success,” Angela Celestin, Chief Human Resources Officer for CareFirst, said. “Our proximity to policymakers, as well as the community we are serving, gives us greater insight into our work. Additionally, the location of the new building and the amenities in the building itself provide our employees with an experience that advances a culture of health and wellbeing.”
In 2023, CareFirst’s investments in Mid-Atlantic communities yielded $233 million in regional economic impact efforts to improve accessibility, affordability, safety, quality and overall health of the region.
Partnerships are crucial to this effort. CareFirst works with 117 partners in Washington, D.C. to address key health challenges for residents and advocates for inclusive healthcare policies at local, state and federal levels, aiming to provide quality, affordable care to all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity or citizenship status.
CareFirst’s new D.C. headquarters at Met Square, a recently renovated, 670,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified property will foster collaboration and networking opportunities. Added benefits include a tenant-only 15,000-square-foot amenity zone with a lounge, fitness center, conference facility, collaboration zones and a stunning rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the White House, Treasury Building, Old Executive Office Building, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, National Cathedral and the Potomac River.
"The move by CareFirst to Met Square is a testament to Met Square's appeal as a fully amenitized, high-quality asset in the heart of Washington, D.C.,” said Newmark's Chairman of Asset Services for the Washington, DC Metro Area, Brendan Owen. “This transaction reflects the strong leasing momentum we've experienced at the property due to its ability to bring employees back to the office through best of class amenities and location.”
CareFirst was represented by Phil Leibow and Bobby Blair of JLL and Newmark's Brendan Owen, Ed Clark, Max Planning and Blare McGavin represented ownership. CareFirst will occupy the eighth floor of the 12-story building and is scheduled to move in September 2025.
About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
In its 87th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit healthcare company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.5 million individuals in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2023, CareFirst infused $233 million in support of regional community impact to improve overall health and advance accessible, affordable, equitable, high-quality healthcare. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit www.carefirst.com.
About Newmark
Newmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK), together with its subsidiaries (“Newmark”), is a world leader in commercial real estate, seamlessly powering every phase of the property life cycle. Newmark’s comprehensive suite of services and products is uniquely tailored to each client, from owners to occupiers, investors to founders, and startups to blue-chip companies. Combining the platform’s global reach with market intelligence in both established and emerging property markets, Newmark provides superior service to clients across the industry spectrum. For the year ending December 31, 2023, Newmark generated revenues of approximately $2.5 billion. Newmark’s company-owned offices, together with its business partners, operated from approximately 170 offices with 7,400 professionals around the world. To learn more, visit nmrk.com or follow @newmark.