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Everyday Heroes: Celebrating the Contribution of Health Workers

UNITED STATES:
La Clínica del Pueblo
Washington, DC

In the 1980s, many Central Americans fled to the D.C. area from their native countries, escaping civil unrest, human rights violations and gross economic disparities. La Clínica del Pueblo was founded in 1983 as a direct response to the linguistic and cultural barriers to health care for Latino immigrants in the District. It began as a one-doctor, one-room clinic operating one night per week in collaboration with other services for this refugee population.

Located at the crossroads of the Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, and Columbia Heights neighborhoods, La Clínica del Pueblo is in the heart of DC's Latino community. La Clínica provides comprehensive care to men, women, adolescents, and children. Ninety-eight percent of our clients are Latino. Fifty-five percent are from El Salvador. Over ninety percent are more comfortable communicating in Spanish. More than ninety percent have no health insurance, and over half have less than a seventh grade education. Seventy percent live in the District of Columbia, twenty-three percent in Maryland and seven percent in Virginia. The vast majority of La Clínica's clients have incomes below the poverty level.

La Clínica's mission is "to provide culturally appropriate health services to persons in the Latino community regardless of their ability to pay."

La Clínica's Development staff works closely with program staff to actively pursue grants from local and national private foundations, contracts with District and federal agencies, donations from churches, local area businesses, direct mail appeals and individual gifts through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaigns. In addition, funds are received from client voluntary contributions and occasional fundraising events. While continuing to provide our services free of charge to clients, La Clínica now accepts DC Medicaid recipients, both fee-for-service and managed care.