The Council recognized by proclamation St. Thomas Community Health Center founder and CEO Dr. Donald T. Erwin for his work in providing comprehensive primary care to under-served patients regardless of their financial or insurance situations.
The St. Thomas Community Health Center is a successor to the St. Thomas Health Services Clinic formerly located in the St. Thomas Housing Development. After Hurricane Katrina, the Clinic was closed due to lack of financial and personnel support. The Health Center was established to provide the same services in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Presenting before the Council, Dr. Erwin highlighted the many services provided to patients by the St. Thomas Community Health Center and multiple other centers across New Orleans, including primary care for adult and pediatric patients, women’s health and prenatal services, behavioral health, mammography and eye care. All services are provided regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
Councilmember Head said, “The St. Thomas Community Health Center has grown into one of New Orleans’ largest and most accessible safety net providers, with six locations expected to serve nearly 45,000 patients this year. Dr. Erwin and his team are committed to providing health care in a cultural competent manner that is of the highest quality to some of the most vulnerable in our community. It was the Council’s great privilege to honor their work today.”
