Why Ibn Sina Foundation Is Needed

HOUSTON, TX, (December 6, 2012) – Mayor Annise D. Parker, Ibn Sina Foundation physicians and board of directors, Houston business and healthcare professionals, and Houston’s philanthropic leaders celebrated, along with 250 other guests, the opening of a new $1.8 million Ibn Sina Foundation Community Medical Clinic at 16345 South Post Oak Road.

Mayor Parker as well as Houston City Council members and officials Wanda Adams, Larry Green, Helena Brown and Neal Rackliff were on hand for a clinic tour and ribbon cutting ceremony; U.S. Congressional leaders Senator John Cornyn and Representative Al Green provided proclamations in commemoration of the day’s grand events. Other distinguished guests included long-time supporters of Ibn Sina Foundation, Beth Robertson, Cullen Trust for Health Care, Necole Irvin, Houston Endowment, Celene Meyers and Dr. Michelle Lyn, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, Linda May, Simmons Foundation, and Jana Mullins from the Rockwell Foundation. Also in attendance:Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Judge Carl Griffith from Jefferson County, and Sugarland City Council member, Thomas Abraham.

Mayor Parker praised Ibn Sina Foundation’s successful operational model and dedication to partnership and community, “Ibn Sina Foundation is one of the purest nonprofits I have ever seen. If I could take the Ibn Sina model of community, volunteerism and partnership and apply it all over the city, Houston would be the best city in the world.” The Mayor further stated, “We (the city of Houston) are happy to support Ibn Sina today and in the future.”

The Ibn Sina Foundation’s fifth medical clinic was made possible through the generosity of Houston’s philanthropic community, Ibn Sina Foundation leadership and the City of Houston Housing and Development Department (CDBG grant). The new 5,500 square foot clinic will provide access to comprehensive medical care to uninsured and underinsured families including access to rare (for uninsured) medical specialties such as cardiology, pediatrics, gynecology, diagnostic imaging, oncology and ophthalmology. The new clinic boasts state-of-the-art facilities for primary care and digital imagining services; volunteer physicians and dentists will ensure that over 10,000 underserved patients receive free or reduced-cost treatment each year.

Since its inception, Ibn Sina has provided free or low cost medical and dental care for 300,000 uninsured and indigent patients as well as another 14,000 through its Outreach Program (via churches, synagogues, temples etc.).

With the new South Post Oak Clinic operational, Ibn Sina Foundation now has five main clinics throughout Greater Houston, locations include: Southwest Houston, established in 2001 and expanded in 2007 and now includes a new, separate, pediatric clinic; Southeast Houston/Clear Lake, established in 2004; Southeast Houston, established in 2007; and South Houston established in 2012.  Today, Ibn Sina provides services for 70,000 uninsured and underinsured patients each year.  A sixth clinic will be operational by the end of 2013 and located on North Shepherd.  In total Ibn Sina expects to treat over 100,000 patients each year through its six main clinics.

To celebrate the opening of Ibn Sina Foundation’s new South Post Oak Medical Clinic, free physician consultations and dental check-ups (includes x-ray) will be provided to needy families for the entire month of December.

Ibn Sina Foundation was established in 2001 by a group of local physicians, business, and health care professionals to bridge the growing gap between the health care needs of a rapidly expanding population of underserved families, and the ability of existing public institutions to meet their needs.

On November 15, 2012, Dr. Aijaz Khowaja was the recipient of St. Luke’s Episcopal Charities’ Community Health Leadership award, the organization’s highest honor, where CNN’s Dr. Sanja Gupta, the event’s keynote speaker, praised Dr. Khowaja’s lifetime of humanitarianism and his unparalleled dedication to public health and Houston’s underserved.

To learn more about Ibn Sina Foundation and/or its clinics, please contact Dr. Aijaz Khowaja, CEO, Ibn Sina Foundation and Community Medical Clinics at 281-977-7462 or visit the website at www.ibnsinafoundation.org