Bringing testing and care to wherever it’s needed
We are a community organization, established by and for the community,” said Dr. Shondra Williams, CEO of InclusivCare. “We live, eat, sleep and breathe the needs of the community. When residents are not thinking about health and safety, we’re doing it for them and finding the resources to support them.”
Formerly known as Jefferson Community Healthcare Centers, InclusivCare is a network of four multiservice community clinics throughout Jefferson Parish. While they serve all residents — hence the name change in 2019 — there is particular emphasis on reaching residents who may otherwise not have ready access to health care.
This mission became even more important during the pandemic, and the network’s post-Katrina roots were a vital asset.
“Being an organization born out of disaster, we are pretty battle-tested, and we have been able to respond to the call of duty,” said Williams. “We were able to galvanize, mobilize and participate in over 40 events that included COVID-19 testing and follow-up services.”
This included seeing patients in community centers, churches and other community gathering places, and partnering with government, the private sector and faith organizations. InclusivCare was the first to bring COVID-19 testing to St. Bernard Parish in May 2020.
“Agility was very important, especially this year,” said Williams. “Being flexible, adaptable, able to pivot at a moment’s notice, required a lot of team building, but our staff was amazing in their stamina and resilience, keeping the community’s needs ahead of their own.”
This challenge was made even greater by the loss of a team member to COVID-19 early in the year, but years of hard-earned resiliency carried the organization through.
While serving so many community members was in itself highly rewarding, Williams was justifiably proud that InclusivCare was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with its 2020 Community Support and Leadership Award. The organization was chosen out of some 700 nominees nationally.
“We’re ecstatic about that recognition, especially in light of the hardships we faced this year,” said Williams, adding that the award is also a boost to Louisiana and particularly Jefferson Parish.
Another year-end highlight for InclusivCare was breaking ground on a new 14,000-square-foot facility on Lapalco Boulevard that will offer community medical and dental services, along with an on-site pharmacy, while creating 40 new jobs.
“2020 was the pinnacle of crisis management,” Williams said. “Now we have truly mastered it, we’ve navigated the constant change, and we are better prepared than ever to serve our community.”
