04/17/2025
Over the last 85 days, I have reflected on our community’s resiliency and CrescentCare’s role in this time of great uncertainty. Rooted in the vibrant communities we serve, our role is simple, urgent, and unchanging: to make high-quality healthcare and supportive services accessible, inclusive, and reflective of the lives and needs of all New Orleanians.
Across the country, we are witnessing proposed changes to our public health infrastructure and the role of the government in health care. Our health is interconnected; these changes will impact everyone. Cuts to agencies like the NIH and CDC threaten our ability to prepare for the next epidemic and advance cutting-edge research for the LGBTQ community. Reductions to prevention programs jeopardize the decades of progress we’ve made in fighting the HIV epidemic. The ongoing threats to Medicaid put nearly 1.6 million Louisiana residents (one in three of our residents) at risk of losing their access to care—many of whom are children, seniors, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and working families.
These proposed federal cuts don’t just threaten programs—they threaten our ability to care for our 13,000 patients. They risk shuttering hospitals and increasing the burden on emergency rooms. If enacted, they would deeply compromise Louisiana’s public health infrastructure, displace workers, and decimate our state budget.
And yet, in the face of all this, CrescentCare remains unwavering. We are advocating and sharing the impact of these proposed changes with elected officials. We are partnering with the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation to expand access to services for our musicians and culture bearers. We continue to provide compassionate and affordable care—because the needs haven’t changed.
Community health centers, like CrescentCare, offer high quality and cost effective care and are part of the solution. Now more than ever, we ask for your partnership. Become a patient. Share your story with us. Tell your concerns with elected officials. If you are able, volunteer or donate. It all makes a difference. With your support, CrescentCare is and always will be here for our community.
With care and commitment,
Alice Riener
Chief Executive Officer
CrescentCare is a non-profit healthcare agency providing medical and social services to SE Louisiana
