When someone new comes through the doors at Magnolia Medical Foundation in Jackson, Mississippi, they’re typically seeking medical care or stopping by the food pantry.
For the organization’s founder and executive director, Dr. Erica Thompson, this is an opportunity to welcome them into the organization for the long-term.
Magnolia Medical Foundation provides preventative health care services and comprehensive resources for families in Jackson, Natchez, the Gulf Coast, and Moss Point, Mississippi. Over the past decade, Magnolia Medical Foundation has expanded their list of direct services and partners with many other organizations to help connect patients with what they need. Their services include health screenings, chronic disease management, doulas, and mental health services as well as other support services such as referrals for childcare or social security, a food and diaper pantry, and workforce support.
On a given day, Thompson could be hosting a school supplies drive (in which children have to attend an anti-bullying seminar to get their new backpacks), stopping by a new mom class led by a Magnolia doula, hosting a community baby shower, or calling donors to restock the Foundation’s supply of feminine hygiene products. The idea is that when someone interacts with Magnolia Medical Foundation for one need, they are then absorbed into the full network of resources that the organization can provide or connect them to.
“I really think of us as gap fillers,” said Thompson. “If there is a need, we try to make sure that we’re able to address it.”
Magnolia Medical Foundation tailors its services to each family, recognizing that different people need different things.
The Packard Foundation supports grantee partners like Magnolia Medical Foundation working to connect and strengthen the systems and supports that serve moms, expectant parents, and families.
