News & Spotlights

A Statement from HealthPoint

June 3rd, 2020

A Statement from HealthPoint

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By HealthPoint President & CEO, Lisa Yohalem, and Laurence DeSheilds II, HealthPoint Board Chair

We at HealthPoint condemn the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and we stand in solidarity with all others who are outraged by these tragedies.  

We are deeply saddened. We also recognize that these murders are not isolated events or one-off occurrences. These killings are only the latest in our country’s long history of violence toward communities and people of color. 

All this comes at the same time that deaths from COVID-19 are disproportionately higher among communities of color, and especially in our African American communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare to the nation something that we know all too well at HealthPoint--that the health and lives of individuals and communities of color are unduly impacted by the long standing inequities and injustices that undermine their health. We see this every day in our clinics.

These murders and the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 are connected--this is not coincidence. Both have deep roots in systemic racism. 

At HealthPoint, we stand up to the systemic racism that is at the root of the disparities and inequities that we see in our communities every day.  Our work, and the work of community health centers across our country, is rooted in the Civil Rights Movement. We were created by and for the communities we serve and for the purpose of creating a better and more just world. 

At HealthPoint, we stand in solidarity with communities of color. We are committed in our hearts, our minds, and our actions to creating an equal and just society--a better future where hate and discrimination have no place, just like they have no place at HealthPoint right now.

We will strengthen our work and raise our voices to address underlying systemic racism. We will work here at HealthPoint and in partnership with our community to help bring about the changes we all need to create a society that respects and supports all people.

This is our mission; this is how we were founded and this is what we do. We strengthen communities by delivering quality healthcare, breaking down barriers and providing access to all.  

Laurence DeSheilds II

HealthPoint Board Chair

Lisa Yohalem

HealthPoint President & CEO