Submitted by St. Dominic’s
Sister Mary Trinita Eddington, OP (foreground), founder of what is now the Sister Trinita Community Clinic on West Capitol Street, with colleagues at the clinic.
Since 1996, St. Dominic’s has operated a community health clinic at 1100 W. Capitol St. in Jackson, offering free primary care to low-income families and people experiencing homelessness. Located within the Stewpot Community Services building, the clinic is staffed by a consultative family practice physician, a full-time family nurse practitioner, a medical assistant, a counselor, security, and volunteer nurses and physicians.
In May 2024, the clinic was renamed in honor of Sister Mary Trinita Eddington, OP, who founded and served patients as a nurse practitioner there for more than 25 years. In November 2024, the clinic celebrated one year of being reopened after a temporary closure for renovations and repairs following flood damage. Since reopening, the Sister Trinita Community Clinic has remained busy, with more than 4,400 patient visits over the course of the year. Some months, the team sees more than 500 patients!
As a community outreach ministry of St. Dominic Hospital, clinic operations are supported through donations to the St. Dominic Health Services Foundation and other in-kind support of supplies and personal care products.
“We are so fortunate to have so many individuals who are willing to share their charitable items and monies with us,” said Mary Watkins, nurse practitioner at the clinic. “Every single thing we receive is 100 percent utilized within our local underserved and uninsured community.”
Every person who enters the clinic is met with a warm welcome and cared for with loving, compassionate hands. Each year at Christmastime, the clinic team prepares 30 to 50 bags filled with needed items to share with regular patients. These items are collected throughout the year and may include new socks, gloves, toiletries, and personal care items. While children are not the majority of the patients the clinic sees, the team also keeps a few special toys on hand for young guests who may come in with a loved one.
Recently, a new patient with a history of chronic ear infections sought help from the clinic. After diagnosis of a current infection, the patient received antibiotic treatment and began to experience rapid improvement in hearing and comfort.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the smiles, delight, appreciation and relief our clients experience,” said Watkins. “None of this would be possible without the support of donors and the community.”
Patients of the Sister Trinita Community Clinic are welcome with no appointment necessary. Services include:
- Routine checkups, treatment of acute illnesses
- Blood pressure and blood sugar checks
- Sports or employment physicals
- Limited chronic care, nutrition counseling
- Waived lab testing, scheduling of lab
- Referrals for specialty care and social services
- Assistance with prescriptions
- Supplies and equipment
In addition to primary care services, the clinic provides a variety of educational programs for children, adolescents, and adults to promote disease prevention and safety.
Learn more about how you can support this initiative and other community healthcare initiatives by contacting the St. Dominic Health Services Foundation at 601-200-6910, or donate online at stdom.com/foundation.