FERGUSON 鈥 Hundreds of residents and officials were on hand Thursday to celebrate the opening of Affinia Healthcare鈥檚 newest freestanding primary care clinic, a $7.5 million facility that boasts 23 medical exam rooms, services ranging from dental to behavioral health care, a unique midwifery program and a partnership with the adjacent Emerson YMCA.
But it was the clinic鈥檚 majority-Black medical team 鈥 some who grew up in north St. 不良研究所导航网址 County, dreaming of one day caring for their neighbors 鈥 who stole the show.
鈥淎ffordable, quality health care for Black and brown communities, in the communities in which we live, represented by providers and clinicians who represent that community, is what health justice looks like,鈥 said Dr. Kendra Holmes, president of Affinia. 鈥淎nd that 鈥 not a ribbon-cutting, not a building (but) health justice 鈥 is what we are celebrating today.鈥
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that when Black providers take care of Black patients, racial disparities in health outcomes such as maternal deaths, infant mortality and life expectancy are reduced.
Yet, , according to the latest figures by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Studies show health outcomes improve not just because of how care is delivered, but also because Black physicians are more likely to engage in health advocacy and education efforts outside of hospital walls to address challenges vulnerable communities often face.
The Black providers at Affinia鈥檚 new clinic, which is located at 3396 Pershall Road, actually sought out working there.
鈥淲hen word started getting out about opening a clinic in North County 鈥,鈥 said Dr. Melissa Tepe, chief medical officer for Affinia. 鈥淚 almost feel like they came out of the woodwork, because they want to work in their community too, that鈥檚 how important their community is.鈥
Dr. Iesha Draper, of Florissant, grew up in Dellwood and graduated from Riverview Gardens High School. She went to the University of Missouri-St. 不良研究所导航网址 for her undergraduate degree and A.T. Still University in Kirksville for medical school. She completed her pediatric residency at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children鈥檚 Medical Center.
For the past four years, Draper has loved her work as a pediatrician for the Compass Health Network in Wentzville, but the long drive to St. Charles County took time away from her two young children.
She heard from her own children鈥檚 pediatrician that Affinia was opening a new clinic and immediately reached out.
鈥淚 always wanted to work in my community,鈥 Draper said. 鈥淓ven accepting the job in Wentzville was hard for me, it wasn鈥檛 what I saw myself doing.鈥
When she was 8 years old, she vividly remembers coming home from a doctor visit and telling her dad, 鈥淚 want to be a 鈥榩eniatrician.鈥欌 She didn鈥檛 know how to spell it then, but she knew the doctor was a Black female, full of energy and fun 鈥 just like her.
Her dad encouraged her, as he often did before he died when she was in college, to always have a plan, Draper said. And that plan has been to work with children, especially the most vulnerable.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for kids who look like me to see that it鈥檚 possible and be motivated by someone who has been through it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚n health care, families are more comfortable when the provider looks like them. They feel a little more safe.鈥
Tirae Abernathy graduated from Lutheran North High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and master鈥檚 degree in public health from Washington University before returning to Vanderbilt for another master鈥檚, with a dual specialty as a Certified Nurse-Midwife and a Family Nurse Practitioner.
She was inspired to become a midwife, she said, when she learned that Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die than white women from pregnancy-related complications. Black babies are twice as likely to die before their first birthday.
The reason is a web of social factors including lack of access to health care, healthy food, transportation and safe housing. Bias and racism play a role. found families of color experience higher rates of mistreatment by health care providers during birth, such as verbal abuse and delays in care.
The has been shown to reduce racial disparities and . Clients are far less likely have a preterm birth or cesarean section and are more likely to breastfeed. The model is based on holistic, family-centered care with minimal medical interventions that continues through the postpartum period.
When Tirae Abernathy left Vanderbilt and was wanting to return to Florissant and work in a community clinic, she reached out to Affinia to see if they would be interested in offering the midwifery model.
鈥淐ommunity-based care is a difference-maker,鈥 Abernathy said. 鈥淏ecause care that is accessible, care from people that look like you, where you feel valued and not just like a number, that is what is going to make a difference.鈥
Tepe, the chief medical officer, said officials jumped at the chance to hire Abernathy along with another Certified Nurse-Midwife and offer the model at the new clinic.
鈥淢idwifery care and the advocacy that that can bring improves outcomes,鈥 Tepe said, 鈥渁nd if there鈥檚 something I can do to improve an outcome, we are going to try it.鈥
Dr. Kristia Abernathy (no relation to Tirae Abernathy) graduated from Hazelwood East High School and Xavier University in New Orleans. She attended medical school at St. 不良研究所导航网址 University and completed her family medicine residency at Southern Illinois University in Springfield.
Abernathy said she dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was 9 years old, when she spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia and had to undergo a spinal tap and other scary tests. 鈥淚 want to someone who does that for people, help people feel better like they made me feel better,鈥 Abernathy said.
She reached out to Affinia, she said, because she also always wanted to work at a federally funded nonprofit health center, because the centers have resources to help people facing food insecurity, housing, transportation and other issues that she often sees are barriers to being healthy.
鈥淚 grew up literally right down street from where our new clinic is,鈥 Abernathy said, 鈥淭his is exactly where I want to be I want to be. I want to take care of the people I grew up around, take care of the community that I have been a part of all my life. It鈥檚 been what I always wanted to do, I always wanted to come back home.鈥