When I think about care, I think about women like Marlene. She is a Guatemalan immigrant who speaks very little English. She, like me, wants her children to be safe and enjoy a good life. Marlene came to us six years ago, 36 weeks pregnant, never having seen a doctor because there wasn’t one in her town. We provided vital obstetric care and delivered her baby. Today, her boy is one of our most joyful pediatric patients.
I think also about men like Jose, the sole breadwinner for his family, who sustained an injury at his place of work. He works two jobs: one of them in construction, the other cooking at a popular downtown restaurant. Despite having no insurance and little ability to speak English, we care for Jose so he can return to work promptly.
They are Chattanoogans – workers, students, parents and children, neighbors of mine and yours.
I founded Clinica Medicos in 2015 with the ambition of delivering health care to Chattanooga’s growing but chronically underserved Latino community. What began as a modest storefront clinic with a handful of staff has evolved into a robust practice of nearly 50 physicians, nurses, and administrative staff treating the complex medical needs of about 35,000 Chattanoogans.
During some of the darkest days of 2020, Latinos accounted for more than 65% of all positive COVID-19 cases in Hamilton County, even though they comprise only around 15% of our population. Clinica Medicos was in a unique position to serve this community, first with COVID tests and later with vaccines, thanks to strong partnerships with Hamilton County government, the city of Chattanooga, our local philanthropic foundations, and our health care peers.