Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

 

LAPLACE — For the past six years, The Right Choice Project has pursued HIV/AIDS awareness and testing to improve the health of St. John the Baptist Parish residents. That effort has culminated in the opening of a new healthcare clinic to meet community needs with primary care services, vaccinations and much more.

Danis Walker, CEO of The Right Choice Project Healthcare Clinic, said confidential and compassionate primary care services will be offered to children and adults ages 13 and up at 516 E. Airline Highway in LaPlace.

Those services include, but are not limited to, physicals and wellness exams for men and women. A smoking cessation program will also allow access to medications to help curb the addiction.

“We’re also going to be providing state funded vaccines that we can give to children ages 13 to 18 that will be free to the public,” Walker said, adding community members can visit the new clinic to inquire about vaccinations for younger children.

While the healthcare clinic is not solely focused on HIV/AIDS, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases will continue to be a priority. Healthcare professionals on site will offer treatment for hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis and other STDs.

Services were chosen based on surveys of community needs, according to Walker.

“In a primary care or private practice, you see a lot of diabetes and high blood pressure,” she said. “We conducted community surveys in 2015 and 2017 where we went out door to door just to ask people what they feel they need services for. Services for diabetes, blood pressure and HIV are needed. That is what we received from various ZIP codes in the River Parishes.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield and all Medicaid/Medicare plans are accepted, and a valid ID is required to receive services. The Right Choice Project Healthcare Center will soon implement a fee for service plan based on income for patients without insurance.

“We’re excited, and we just want the community support,” Walker said. “I hear so many complaints about how people have to drive so far out to go to a facility. We’re right here. It’s a nonjudgmental, peaceful environment, and we strive for excellence.”

Walker welcomes community feedback about services that could be added to the clinic.

Bishop Antoine Jasmine founded the Right Choice Project after seeing HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns were more prominent in places like Dubai and the Bahamas than back home in the River Parishes, where the needs were still great. According to the Louisiana HIV, AIDS, and Early Syphilis Surveillance fourth quarter 2018 report, there were 183 people with HIV in St. John Parish.

“This clinic is not just an HIV/AIDS clinic, but it was birthed out of that awareness,” Jasmine said. “We saw the percentage of kids who were infected and didn’t know. Our emphasis is medical needs, but we do advocate for awareness in our community.”

The Right Choice Project also provides opportunities to young people ages 13 to 24 through the Youth Initiative. A wealth-building seminar hosted by The Right Choice Project last week was free for young people to attend.

There will also be a networking event hosted soon for adults in the community.

The ribbon cutting for The Right Choice Project Healthcare Clinic doubled as a ribbon cutting for the neighboring Choice the Event Place. The facility is offered for weddings, birthday parties, bridal showers, nonprofit meetings and other occasions.

“We’ve been here for a little while, but we never formally did a grand opening,” Jasmine said. “It is one of the most economic, intimate settings that you can get rentals from. We’ve hosted a few events here with United Way. We want you to know we’re here to service your needs. We’re open to working with nonprofit organizations. We offer discounts to churches as well.”