Mission Statement:

The Common Ground Health Clinic is a non-profit organization that provides quality health care for the greater New Orleans community, and develops and provides programs to address community health care needs through collaborative partnerships.

Purpose

• To provide quality integrative healthcare;
• To provide quality healthcare education for preventive self-care;
• To create an environment conducive to patient, staff and volunteer learning;
• To work in an anti-racist paradigm

History

The Common Ground Health Clinic started on September 9 , 2005 just days after hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Due to the humanitarian disaster and apparent lack of governmental response, two community activists, Sharon Johnson and Malik Rahim put out a call for healthcare workers to help meet the overwhelming need. The clinic started as a first aid station with the arrival of “Street Medics”, which are first responders that gained notoriety through mass mobilizations of the anti-globalization movement. The clinic was originally set up in a mosque, with space being generously donated by the Masjid Bilal. Nurses, physicians, herbalists, acupuncturists, EMTs social workers and community activists came from around the world to volunteer at Common Ground Health Clinic. To date, the clinic has recorded over 60,000 patient visits- all at no or low charge to the patient.

Programs and Projects

• Latino Health Outreach Project (LHOP)
• Community Health and Strength Initiative (CH&SI)
• Community Health Needs Assessment Project
• CGHC/ACC Video Voice Project

Take a tour of Common Ground Health Clinic