The Louisiana Primary Care Association is proud to congratulate Teche Action Clinic as they celebrate 45 years of providing exemplary care to patients across South Louisiana. Teche Action Clinic is a proven leader and well-established medical home for thousands of patients across Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. Over the past four and a half decades, Teche Action Clinic has overcome cultural, geographical, and funding barriers to become one of America’s premiere health centers.

Health centers are a major part of health care delivery in the United States and Louisiana. They are an essential source of primary and preventive care for the uninsured and underinsured. Health centers operate as medical homes for their patients, providing a broad array of additional services including dental, vision, behavioral health, and pharmacy. There are over 10,400 individual Community Health Centers across the United States. These health centers serve over 28 million patients, or nearly 1 in 12 Americans.

In 1974, Teche Action Clinic became Louisiana’s first Community Health Center dedicated to providing primary care services to low-income and underserved communities. On the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, Teche Action Clinic brought much needed care to the area’s African-American community and other minority populations who worked in the region’s agriculture industry. From its humble beginning in Franklin, the health center now serves over 25,000 patients across St. Mary, St. James, St. John, and Terrebonne Parishes. By keeping patients out of the emergency room and emphasizing preventive care, Teche Action Clinic has a $32 million economic impact on the local economy. For 45 years now, Teche Action Clinic has stimulated local economic growth through facility expansion, capital improvement, and workforce development.

The success of Teche Action Clinic would not have been possible without the visionary leadership of CEO, Dr. Gary Wiltz and his Board of Directors. Having recently served as Board President of the National Association of Community Health Centers, Dr. Wiltz is a national leader in community-driven healthcare. Time and time again, Dr. Wiltz has served as a respected voice and passionate advocate for progressive policies that would improve the health of our state.

What is most exciting is that this is still just the beginning! Teche Action Clinic continues to grow and expand, reaching an ever increasing number of patients. We cannot wait to see what the next 45 years have in store for this organization!

 

Ryan Sinitiere
Marketing & Communications Manager
Louisiana Primary Care Association

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