Ministers of churches in Dallas are set to host health clinics in their various houses of worship to help underserved communities in southern Dallas County.
A deal was agreed and signed by leaders of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA) with Health Momentum, a local nonprofit, on Monday, Oct 4. The deal will see pilot clinics being set up by Our Home Test and At Your Door Labs.
According to Lorna Lizotte, founder and managing director of Health Momentum, the inability of Dallas County residents to get access to health clinics has created disparaging inequality in the county.
Lizotte said the IMA church-based clinics will grant residents in southern Dallas County communities access to “affordable, comprehensive, holistic care that can positively impact health outcomes for the community.”
“The centers that we aim to open and co-locate with your churches will be centers that are federally qualified centers,” Lizotte said. “That means your inability to pay does not affect your ability to receive healthcare.”
Lizotte added that the success of the project would “turn heads in the nation” and will be an example to everyone.
CEO and president of the IMA, Rev. David E. Wilson, said the churches involved with the clinic are answering the call to help the underserved through an innovative partnership.
“Given how impactful the coronavirus has been across the globe, and especially across low-income communities of color, this wellness challenge is a clear mandate that leadership must connect resources to improve health outcomes for the least well among us,” said Wilson, who is also the pastor of Greater Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas.
Wilson also noted that most communities served by the churches are not only lacking food, but they are also lacking proper health care.
Fox 4 News reported that the goal of all parties involved is to have the first clinic open at a Dallas church by December.