CrescentCare to Hold Grand Opening for New Health Clinic in New Orleans; HOPE A Financing Partner on the Project

New Orleans – Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Council Member Jared Brossett will join CrescentCare, a Federally Qualified Health Center which grew out of the NO/AIDS Task Force, to officially launch the 56,000 square foot health care center in the St. Roch neighborhood on Saturday, February 9 at 11 am. 

The new construction has doubled the capacity of the agency which has grown at an exponential pace in the past few years to meet the growing needs of the community.  The new site offers primary medical care, behavioral health, HIV and STI services and other supportive services for the greater New Orleans area.  Dentistry will be coming soon. The new facility is funded in part by New Market Tax credits provided by the Primary Care Development Corporation, Hope Enterprise Corporation, and Chase. Gould Evans was the architect. Donahue-Favret was the construction contractor.

According to CEO Noel Twilbeck, upon the building’s soft opening a patient was overheard saying, “I can’t believe they built a place like this for me.”

In addition to the state-of-the-art amenities of the building which includes 36 exam rooms and five dental operatives, the hallways and exam rooms offer “a cultural, visual experience,” Twilbeck said.  Arthur Roger of Arthur Roger Gallery in the Warehouse district supported the project by getting more than 100 pieces of art donated.  Works of New Orleans artists such as George Dureau, John Scott, Willie Burch, and John Burton Harter grace the walls of the building.

“These works of art can be considered part of our health care experience,” Twilbeck said.  “They are meant to transcend our patients beyond their daily struggles and challenges and give them a visual experience that frees their mind.”

CrescentCare’s two primary locations present valuable opportunities for individuals and families in the neighborhoods surrounding them to access quality health care services which might otherwise be out of reach. Additionally, the centers operate at various hours that make it possible for workers in the service industry to be seen outside of traditional business hours. The 8th Ward neighborhood and the community at-large stand to reap significant benefits from this facility.  The facility on the outskirts of the historic St. Roch neighborhood will assist in revitalizing an area that is slow to come back after Hurricane Katrina.  CrescentCare employs 285 employees currently and will add to its staff bringing economic growth to the area.