The St. Thomas Community Health Center of New Orleans, Louisiana in its entirety offer our sincerest thoughts and prayers to the family of Mr. George Floyd, an African American man who was murdered while in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers. While we understand that nothing can bring Mr. Floyd back, we join in solidarity with others who are purposeful in demanding critical systemic reform on the use of unnecessary force by law enforcement and discrimination. As an antiracist institution whose mission is to reduce health disparities, we acknowledge the role of institutionalized racism as a significant contributor to these disparities. We are keenly aware of the effects of racism on the population we serve as we provide care to all patients despite their race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, what was demonstrated by the Minneapolis Police Department reveals the continuation of systematic racism, oppression, and the unnecessary use of deadly force that led to yet another senseless death. 

St. Thomas Community Health Center recognizes that there is a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done to eradicate institutionalized racism and systemic intentional and unintentional bias. The health of our nation greatly depends on it. We are committed to being a part of the solution for change. We will continue to provide the highest quality care to reduce disparities and offer equitable care across the lifespan to those who might not otherwise receive it. We will continue to support efforts towards substantive change for the betterment of humanity by supporting movements that positively affect policies that remove injustices. We will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do even in the midst of chaos and provide support and stability for everyone we serve.