From August 2nd to 7th, the Louisiana Primary Care Association (LPCA) and all of its member Health Centers as well as our community partners, honored National Health Center Week (NHCW)—a celebration of the incredible work that every Community Health Center (CHC) does every day to ensure each person in their community receives high quality healthcare and can address nonmedical needs to achieve better health outcomes and lead a full life. The 2026 National Health Center Week theme was “Building Innovative Care Where It Matters Most,” honoring the commitment of CHCs to advance innovative solutions that meet patients where they are and improve primary care delivery, access, and outcomes nationwide.
For nearly 45 years, Community Health Centers have played a critical role in providing primary and preventative care, managing chronic illness, and remaining a reliable source of accessible information and services in our most medically vulnerable areas. What began with 3 Health Centers in 1982 has now become a movement. Currently, CHCs in Louisiana operate over 500 individual clinic sites, school-based health centers, and mobile health units and treat over 523,407 patients each year. Their services have expanded to include behavioral health, oral health, and specialty services such as optometry, obstetrics, podiatry, and more.
This year, LPCA was able to visit or coordinate visits to 12 Health Center site locations to meet with staff and leadership, thanking them for their contributions and tireless efforts they’ve made toward the communities they serve. We were joined by Dr. T’Ronda Flagg, HRSA Regional Administrator for Regions 6 & 9, and HHS Regional Director Erin Tawney.
St. Charles Community Health Center
St. Charles Community Health Center
Mobile Dental Unit
Abbeville Clinic
New Iberia Clinic
Central City Resource Center
West Monroe
James J. Coleman Jr. Pharmacy
Lotus Village Geriatric Clinic
*Some center visits not pictured above.
We would like to thank not only the CHCs that welcomed us into their clinic but also the representatives from the Health Resources & Services Administration as well as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for traveling to visit these sites. We are so grateful to all 41 of Louisiana’s health centers for the work they do each day in the name of bettering their communities and making the lives of their neighbors healthier, one appointment at a time.
LPCA hopes to continue being a reliable partner and supporter for Louisiana’s CHCs and celebrating these incredible wins throughout the months to come!