The Clinic Today

St. Thomas Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, (FQHC), is a comprehensive Primary Care Facility serving both insured and uninsured patients in the New Orleans area. St. Thomas CHC has five full time primary care providers-3 physicians and 2 nurse practitioners, as well as a number of consultative providers. St Thomas CHC has also been recognized by the National Council for Quality Assurance as a Level III Patient Centered-Medical Home. The clinic opened in 1987, with the original site for the clinic being in the St Thomas Housing Development. In 1991, the clinic remodeled a gymnasium in the Redemptorist School complex and located in its present site at 1020 St Andrew Street.

St Thomas CHC operates four sites, the main site at 1020 St Andrew Street, a newly renovated 11,000 sq ft primary care facility at 1936 Magazine, a clinic at 2405 Jackson Avenue at the Mahalia Jackson School complex and a Wellness Center at 2010 Magazine.

Hours of operation are from 7 am to 5 pm on weekdays, and 8 am to 1 pm for Saturday Mammography at the St Andrew site.

The St Andrew site offers a full range of prevention and primary care services, with many consultative specialty services also available on site. The clinic offers same day appointments to established patients whenever possible, and also strives to accept as many new patients each week as possible. Because the clinic works to offer same day access to as many of our patients as possible, walk in new patients are not able to be accommodated. In addition to the primary care services of Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics, St Thomas also offers Obstetrical care through collaboration with Ochsner Clinic Foundation.

In addition to the primary care services of Internal (adult) medicine, pediatrics and Obstetrics, St. Thomas CHC offers additional services:

St Thomas is part of the CDC-supported Louisiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program which offers both screening and diagnostic mammography, colposcopy and surgical consultations. Mammography with breast exam is offered Monday through Saturday on a walk in basis. For women age 40-65 there is no charge for this service. Arranging follow-up treatment for uninsured women with breast cancer is another of our major activities. The Clinic is supported in this care by grants from the CDC and from such supportive foundations as the Komen Foundation, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, and others.

Optometry is offered on a daily basis through a partnership with the Eye Ear Nose and Throat Foundation. The clinic provides treatment of eye disease such as glaucoma and diabetes, and provides eye glasses at minimal charge to the patient.

Medical Specialty consultations in offered on-site in Rheumatology, Nephrology, asthma, and Cardiology. In addition to providing on-site cardiology consultations and non-invasive cardiac testing, St Thomas patients are able to receive interventional procedures such as cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, and stenting through a collaboration with Ochsner Clinic Foundation.

Allergy testing and asthma management programs are offered.

Mental health programs are offered to the community in the form of ongoing Cognitive Based Therapy programs. These programs are being offered to patients suffering from Anxiety and depression, obesity and in conjunction with the diabetes Disease management program.

The specialty services offered by St Thomas CHC are made available to patients of the other “safety net” providers in the community (i.e. those facilities who see patients regardless of their ability to pay).

Begun in 1987, St. Thomas CHC has been an independent, non- profit clinic. In 2009 St Thomas was designated a Federally Qualified Health Center, and also in 2009, St. Thomas CHC was also recognized by the National Council for Quality Assurance as a Level 3 Certified Patient Centered-Medical Home.

Since the re-opening of St Thomas clinic in October, 2005, the clinic has provided ongoing comprehensive primary care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. St Thomas CHC accepts most major health insurance plans. For patients without insurance, St Thomas CHC sees patients on a sliding fee scale based on the patient’s ability to pay. Fees may, on occasion, be waived where appropriate. Patients who are homeless are not charged for services.

 

New 11,000 sq ft Primary Care Facility

In addition to the current sites, construction was completed late 2011 on a $5 million dollar primary care center at 1936 Magazine St, located across the street from the original St Andrew site. Financial support for this construction have come from a Community Development Block Grant from the City Of New Orleans, as well as grants from the Louisiana Primary Care Assn, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Sustainability

Since its inception, St Thomas CHC has been an independent, not-for-profit clinic. The majority of patients have little or no insurance. Being independent has given the clinic the opportunity to be flexible and quickly responsive to community direction and needs. Independence has also meant ongoing challenges to financial security and sustainability. Revenue generation, grants, and donor contributions remain critical. Cost effectiveness and efficiencies are constantly reviewed. While the revenues generated by being a Federally Qualified Health Center are crucial, continuation of all St Thomas CHC services will continue to require ongoing grant support. St Thomas CHC is one of a group of Primary Care clinics in the New Orleans region that is supported by a federal grant designed to support a network of primary care clinics that have developed or, in our case, expanded post Katrina.