LAS CRUCES, NM |
Original article can be found at: http://www.lcsun-news.com/
____
St. Luke’s Health Care Clinic will celebrate National Health Center Week with a kickoff of our long awaited renovation project on Wednesday morning from 9 to 10. This project more than triples the size of our clinic and is funded by state capital outlay and city of Las Cruces Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
In requesting this funding, the leaders of St. Luke’s made one thing clear – clinics like ours make a huge difference in the lives of our neighbors, our friends and our families. Just ask our family nurse practitioner, Dorothy Portillo, our longest-serving volunteer and staff member and one of many experienced providers we have at the clinic.
Dorothy was a Registered Nurse with the New Mexico Department of Health for 25 years, and upon retiring she came to work at St. Luke’s as clinic manager and pharmacy supervisor. Dorothy went back to school and became a family nurse practitioner in March 2016.
“With my background in caring for this population at St. Luke’s, as a nurse practitioner I could provide more patient-centered care,” Dorothy said. “I have known many of these people for a long time – their families, their challenges and struggles, I knew I could make a difference.”
Dorothy’s commitment to St. Luke’s is a commitment shared by all our staff and volunteers. She said that’s what drives her to come to work every day. “It makes me proud to be a part of a team so genuine in its care and compassion — so committed to patient care”.
In August 2016, St. Luke’s became a part of the national health center movement when it became a federally qualified health center (FQHC ). That important designation transformed St. Luke’s by providing funding for salaries, equipment and supplies to expand our medical and mental health services to the community. It also includes many program requirements: we have a patient-majority on our board of directors, provide comprehensive primary care to anyone regardless of their ability to pay, and have a sliding fee discount policy.
National Community Health Center Week serves to recognize the need for and services provided by health centers to improve community health, and our national wellness. In many data measures, health centers provide services at a lower cost and have better outcomes in a wide range of clinical measures. What a great week to kick off our renovation.
St. Luke’s is situated on the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope campus — a closely knit community of five agencies offering services to people who are in poverty or homeless. The campus agencies, and the people who work here, volunteer here, and come for services here, are an integral part of our whole community.
Occasionally, I have heard that our campus is an eyesore, since some of those who frequent our agencies may be disheveled or dirty, or struggling with demons that we cannot see.
But we see ourselves as a jewel in the desert: A place where dignity is served up daily to anyone with any need.
Pamela Angell is CEO of St. Luke’s Health Care Clinic, 999 W. Amador Ave. Suite D, Las Cruces, NM
Share this Post
