CRO Covance has reached more than 800 uninsured and underinsured patients in the New Orleans area through a free health clinic held July 3 in partnership with the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC). More than 800 volunteers—including 35 Covance employees—participated in the NAFC’s Communities Are Responding Everyday Clinic (C.A.R.E.), sponsored by the Covance Charitable Foundation.

“The Covance Charitable Foundation has made a significant investment in C.A.R.E. clinics,” said Lisa Uthgenannt, corporate vice president, human resources at Covance. “We came to New Orleans to serve those most in need of quality medical services in the local and surrounding communities.”

Patients traveled from as far as Texas and Mississippi to attend the clinic, where they received medical examinations and, when necessary, additional tests and services, including electrocardiograms (EKGs), cholesterol blood tests, glucose tests for diabetes, muscular-skeletal exams, urinalyses, hemoglobin tests, pregnancy tests, strep tests, kidney disease tests, medical education and mental health counseling. Patients needing continued or follow-up care also received referrals to nearly 50 free clinics in the area.

“Almost 21% of the people in Louisiana—about 938,000 people—are uninsured, many with significant illnesses. We have returned to New Orleans because it is one of the least healthy cities in the country,” said Nicole Lamoureux, executive director of the NAFC.  “With support from organizations like Covance, we are able to treat and educate hundreds of uninsured patients, many with chronic conditions.”   

Last October, Covance partnered with the NAFC to serve more than 1,200 uninsured patients at a C.A.R.E. clinic in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.