Financial Support

Throughout our 19 year history, St Thomas has enjoyed financial support from a variety of sources, including corporate, faith based and private philanthropy. Our status as an independent, not for profit, corporation has allowed us to receive wide ranging support. The opportunity to develop our programs and determine our focus is protected by this independent status, but it has also prevented us from having the certain financial base we might have if we were a federal, state or local agency.

Critical and timely support from The LSU Health Care Network, LSU School of Medicine, the LSU School of Public Health, and the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Louisiana were instrumental in providing the resources for us to resume operations post Katrina. The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana is one of the mainstay organizations for our support. They not only helped us become operational after the storm, but they continue to provide financial and operational support in an ongoing basis.

Other national charitable organizations such as the National Association of Free Clinics, AmeriCares Corporation, Komen Foundation, American Breast Cancer Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Morehouse School of Medicine, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceutical Corporation, La Primary Health Care Corporation, the Louisiana Public Health Institute, as well as private donors, came quickly to our aid as we resumed operations after Katrina.

The Louisiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention program located at St Thomas Community Health Center is sponsored by the LSU School of Public Health, and is also supported by grants from the Komen Foundation, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, the Avon Corporation, the American Breast Cancer Foundation, among others, and enables St Thomas to provide screening and diagnostic mammography, as well as screening for cervical cancer to all women regardless of ability to pay.

St Thomas is also able to provide screening and testing for cardiovascular disease thanks to support from the Association of Black Cardiologists, Morehouse School of Medicine, the American College of Cardiology, Cardiac Science Corporation, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceutical Corporation, Ochsner Clinic Foundation Department of Cardiology, Cordis Dow Corporation, the Toshiba Corporation, as well as the support of community cardiologists.

We are beginning to provide mental health services in an adjacent facility. Our primary focus will be supporting children, adolescents and families affected by the trauma of Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing stress related with the delayed recovery of services in New Orleans. Our financial support for this focus includes the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, Trinity by the Cove Church in Naples Florida, and other generous donors. We are working with community leaders, mental health professionals from several medical institutions, the Robert Wood Johnson REACH-LA program, among others, to develop this initiative.

We also appreciate the national recognition that came with recently being awarded a Bush-Clinton Katrina Grant.

We anticipate that our ongoing financial sustainability will be a continuing challenge long term. We have been blessed with significant support from Katrina-related charities and donations this year. We anticipate that, we will be more certainly self sustaining due to a combination of: a) our traditional revenue sources from local and state government resume their previous level of support; b) revenues are generated from higher percentage of patients having Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other health insurance as we continue to grow; c) facility-component fees from cardiovascular and early cancer detection studies are generated; and participation in block grants from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Our mission continues to be what it has been from the outset -to provide care for the uninsured community of New Orleans. We remain an important source of care form the uninsured, as the healthcare system in New Orleans remains overloaded. Our new demographics indicate we may also be able to serve both insured and uninsured patients, and that patient revenues from these new sources will help us achieve financial stability and sustainability.

We appreciate the interest and relationships we have been able to develop over the years, and especially since Hurricane Katrina, and we look forward to continuing support and assistance.

Making A Gift

We look forward to the opportunity to personally discuss the many ways your donation can help provide outstanding health care services to the communities of New Orleans — today and for generations to come. To learn more about Saint Thomas Community Health Center facility or to make a gift of any size, please phone or email us at your convenience (full contact information can be found below).

Your gift, of any size, can make a tangible difference. As a nonprofit 501c3 corporation, donations to Saint Thomas Community Health Center are deductible to the fullest extent of law. To discuss more ways you can help, please E-Mail us at dterwin@stthomaschc.org or call us at (504) 529-5558.

Thank you for supporting the mission of Saint Thomas Community Health Center.

St. Thomas Community Health Center
1020 Saint Andrew Street
New Orleans, LA  70130
tel 504-529-5558     fax 504-529-884