What We Do
St. Anna’s Medical Mission’s mobile unit is taken into predetermined areas in the Greater New Orleans region on a regular weekly schedule. We occasionally conduct health screenings on the weekends at local churches or other organizational fairs.
We accept adult patients on a first-come-first-served basis, providing blood pressure, diabetes, and some cholesterol testing, and health education. When we have a physician or nurse practitioner on the mobile unit we are able to provide acute, immediate basic health care and prescriptions (non-narcotic). Most of the health issues we see are hypertension (newly diagnosed or uncontrolled), diabetes, medication refills, depression, rashes, colds/flu, and occasionally cuts/scrapes. We also offer counseling at our church office on a limited basis for those without insurance. All of our services are free.
We do not profess to be a source of continuity care for our clients — we have no laboratory, EKG or radiology facilities. Instead referrals are made to several area safety-net clinics for further care for those clients without a usual source of healthcare, and patients are educated and encouraged on the need for a more consistent means of healthcare (Medical Home, clinc or physician) to promote wellness and maintenance of disease. The EMS System (911) is called for life-threatening emergencies.
In 2012 there were 1761 client visits representing 1329 individuals:
* 56% of clients were male
* 56% were African-American; 26% white; 10% Asian; 8% Latino
* 62% were uninsured
* 86% reported annual income of less than $35,000
* 23% reported no usual source of income or using the ER for healthcare
* 68% had elevated blood pressure
* 21% had elevated glucose (diabetes screening)
* 200 flu shots were given
