CareSouth announces grand opening of its Rose V. Forrest/CareSouth Pediatrics and WIC Clinic
BATON ROUGE (OCT. 30, 2020) — CareSouth Medical and Dental is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Rose V. Forrest/ CareSouth Pediatrics and WIC Clinic, 3324 Florida St., in Baton Rouge. The 5,000-square foot facility will feature four exam rooms, five WIC offices, a WIC lab, a lactation station, and an education room.
A grand opening celebration was held today attended by various business and community leaders, family and friends, and board members. The clinic will officially open for business on Nov. 9.
The building is named in honor of Forrest who was the former CEO of Capitol City Family Health Center, the predecessor to CareSouth. She was a founding board member for the creation of Capitol City which opened in 1997. Forrest’s grant writing skills afforded the opportunity for Capitol City to expand its services into Donaldsonville and Plaquemine. Forrest worked at Capitol City for 23 years serving in various capacities.
Prior to coming to Capitol City, Forrest served as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). She worked at DHH for 30 years in various capacities before retiring.
“We are so excited to honor Ms. Forrest,” said CareSouth CEO Matthew Valliere. “Her contributions to CareSouth are invaluable in expanding our services and our footprint in the Baton Rouge community and beyond. We are so grateful for her leadership, dedication and commitment to helping to make healthcare more accessible to everyone. Without Ms. Forrest, there would be no CareSouth.”
“I am so honored,” said the now-retired mother and grandmother. “It’s really overwhelming. I never would have imagined a building would be named in my honor. I was shocked when Matt told me. I said “are you kidding me?’” But I have always had a heart for this community because I grew up and for years lived not far from CareSouth and I wanted to make sure healthcare services were available to those who needed it most. And I’m glad I did.”
Pediatrics will provide child wellness exams, immunizations, school physicals, adolescent care, same-day sick visits and other specialized care for babies, children and adolescents ages 0 to 18 years old. It will accept Medicaid, Medicare and most private insurance. The clinic will also offer a sliding-fee discount for patients.
WIC or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children provides healthy food for women and infants and children up to five years old. The program provides a nutritional food package inclusive of eggs, juice, cheese, fruit and vegetables, beans, and infant formula among other products. The program also offers breastfeeding support, nutrition education and referrals to other social services.