During National Community Health Week (Aug. 2 – 8), LCMC Health is recognizing the ways it is improving the health of the Greater New Orleans community beyond traditional patient care.
During the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, LCMC Health united physicians, nurses, clinicians and team members from across the health system to provide free health education, preventive screenings, and direct connections to care. The system-wide activation reached more than 1,000 community members and provided nearly 1,500 health screenings, while physicians participated in multiple educational panel discussions focused on cancer prevention, women's health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke prevention, nutrition, and healthy living.
LCMC Health is also piloting an innovative food sustainability initiative at UMC that seeks to maximize surplus food while reducing waste.
Working alongside Morrison Healthcare, which manages the food programs at all eight LCMC Health hospitals, the program identifies safe, high-quality prepared food that would otherwise go unused and redirects it to community members experiencing food insecurity. The initiative is designed to benefit vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, families facing food insecurity, burn patients and others in need. Beginning this week, meals will be available to qualified patients in the UMC Heart & Harvest Pantry.
As part of National Community Health Week, LCMC Health will donate unused medical supplies and equipment to nursing schools across the region, including Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) School of Nursing, providing students with hands-on learning resources while reducing unnecessary waste.
This year's donation includes approximately nearly 2,000 medical supplies with an estimated value of $30,000, allowing nursing students to gain valuable hands-on clinical experience using real healthcare materials.
LCMC Health's community engagement efforts continue throughout the year with upcoming initiatives including participation in the Black Men's Wellness Walk on Oct. 10, along with numerous outreach events, educational programs, and partnerships across the region.