The Baton Rouge Clinic was founded at the end of World War II by four physicians who completed their tours of military duty. These physicians committed themselves to defeating tyranny and injustice. After the successful conclusion of the war, our four founders returned to Baton Rouge to begin a community based medical practice.
For more than 70 years the Clinic’s physicians and staff have been committed to the prevention of disease and healing of illness within our community. From offering reassurance to providing state of the art treatment to patients at all stages of life, our focus has always been to deliver the highest level of quality care.
The last 3 months have been extremely difficult for our country. The medical community in Baton Rouge collaborated with local, state and federal resources to quickly and successfully respond to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baton Rouge Clinic has been an integral part of that response, which has been a model for communities around the country.
While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted many, its disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable has shed light on a long simmering, but no less deadly problem, that of inequality and deficiencies of the overall health and well-being of the underserved and those of color in our community. The killing of George Floyd and others before him has further amplified these social ills and injustices.
The Baton Rouge Clinic recognizes the need to broaden its healing efforts from that of our individual patients to that of our entire community. While we understand that this is a complicated systemic issue, we cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. We will look for ways to better serve those who are underserved, and join efforts to bring down systemic racism and barriers affecting the overall health and well-being within our community.
It is time for our generation to capably accept our responsibilities, just as the generation of our founders did as they faced down the tyranny of their time. We have initiated conversations with local and state officials to develop meaningful and lasting solutions. It is time, once and for all, to reduce injustice and inequality in our community.
We are in this together.
Joel Silverberg, MD
President