DePaul Community Health Centers celebrated the grand opening of its new Community Resource Center on Aug. 6 during National Health Center Week. The event welcomed community leaders, partners, elected officials, and supporters to the new facility located at DePaul's Central City Health Center at 1300 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., Suite B.
The new 4,305-square-foot Community Resource Center was created to better connect patients and community members with essential resources that address social determinants of health, including food insecurity, housing, transportation, insurance enrollment, financial assistance, and other community support services. The center includes workspace for 20 Community Health Navigators, education and meeting spaces, and storage for community resources, allowing DePaul to further expand services that improve health beyond the exam room.
DePaul's Vice President of Mission Integration, Matthew Picard, opened the ceremony with a prayer before introducing DePaul’s President and CEO, Michael Griffin, MSPH, D.Sc., FACHE, who welcomed attendees and spoke about the importance of investing in resources that improve health outcomes and strengthen communities.
"DePaul's founders, the Daughters of Charity, have charged us with being one with the people we serve," said Griffin. "Through this new Community Resource Center, we can connect individuals and families with the resources they need to improve their overall health and well-being."
The center is located within H3C Apartments, a 192-home affordable housing community developed by Gulf Coast Housing Partnership. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to improving health outcomes by combining affordable housing with convenient access to healthcare and supportive services.
Louisiana State Representative Alonzo Knox also attended the event and expressed his appreciation for DePaul's continued investment in the community through the opening of the new center. Kevin Krejci, Chief Capitalization Officer for Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, spoke about the impactful collaboration between H3C and DePaul to expand access to affordable housing, health care, and supportive services for those in need. The ceremony concluded with Demetric Mercadel, representing Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr.'s office, presenting DePaul with a congressional proclamation recognizing DePaul’s commitment to improving healthcare access and serving the community.
DePaul was also honored to receive and display a proclamation from the City of New Orleans recognizing National Health Center Week.
This project was supported through the Community Economic Development (CED) discretionary grant program, awarded by the Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.