MLK Health Center

What MLK Health Center does

MLK Health Center & Pharmacy (legally Martin Luther King Health Center) is a private, non-profit safety-net healthcare organization founded in 1986 by Dr. Robert H. Jackson and the late Sister Margaret McCaffrey and headquartered in a single clinic at 865 Olive Street, Shreveport, Louisiana. The organization provides free primary care visits, pharmacy services, lab work, specialty care visits, diabetes education, nutrition counseling, women's health services including mammogram screenings, and an MLK Garden & Learning Center for nutrition education, all at no cost to patients who fall into the healthcare coverage gap (adults earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but unable to afford private insurance, with household incomes under 300% of Federal Poverty Level and chronic care needs).

The organization does not accept insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or any other form of payment for services, and explicitly receives no state or federal funding for healthcare or pharmacy services. Its financial model rests entirely on private donations from individuals and corporations, grants and sponsorships from a network of more than 20 funders (including Direct Relief/AbbVie Foundation, CVS Health Foundation, BCBS Louisiana, Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, Americares, and numerous local foundations), and modest fees from a Worksite Wellness Program that provides on-site screenings and health coaching to local employers. Operating reach is concentrated in Northwest Louisiana with approximately 1,600-1,700 patients served and roughly 17,852 prescriptions dispensed annually, supported by an 11-50 person staff that is supplemented by volunteer medical practitioners, pharmacists, and student trainees from partner institutions including NSU, LSUHSC, LSU AgCenter, Centenary, and LSUS.

MLK Health holds the first Charitable Pharmacy permit issued by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, and in 2023-2024 it integrated the North Louisiana Interfaith Pharmacy (NLIP) into its operations, expanding it from a clinic-tied pharmacy into a community pharmacy serving both clinic and pharmacy-only patients. The organization publishes a quantified impact metric that for every $1 invested in MLK Health, an average of $25 is returned to the community in services provided.

Name

MLK Health Center

Legal name

Martin Luther King Health Center

Website

https://mlkhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MLK Health Center & Pharmacy is a Shreveport-based non-profit safety-net clinic and charitable pharmacy that provides free primary care, pharmacy, lab, diabetes education, nutrition counseling, and women's health services to uninsured and underinsured adults in Northwest Louisiana, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Clinic Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111), Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAFAGAI

Public/County Primary Care Clinics

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Primary Care & Community Health Providers

SECONDARYHLAFALAH

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) & Clinical Pharmacy Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Pharmacy & Medication Management Services

Keywords

• Free clinic services
• Charitable pharmacy services
• Uninsured healthcare access
• Chronic disease management
• Community health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shreveport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: MLK Health Center operates as a non-profit organization funded entirely through private donations from individuals, corporations, and community members. Donations are solicited through their website, fundraising campaigns, and events such as the Doughnut Dash 5K.
2. Grants and Sponsorships: The organization receives funding through grants from foundations, healthcare organizations, and corporate sponsors. Major funders include Direct Relief, AbbVie Foundation, CVS Health Foundation, Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana, and numerous local foundations and businesses.
3. Worksite Wellness Program Fees: Fees collected from the worksite wellness program are reinvested into primary care and pharmacy services for the underinsured and uninsured.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MLK Health Center & Pharmacy is a non-profit safety-net healthcare center and charitable pharmacy providing free primary care, pharmacy services, lab work, specialty care, women's health with mammograms, diabetes education, and nutrition counseling to uninsured and underinsured adults in Northwest Louisiana. All services are delivered at no cost to patients who fall in the healthcare coverage gap.

Product overview

MLK Health Center & Pharmacy is a single-location, nonprofit safety-net healthcare center and charitable pharmacy serving uninsured and underinsured adults with chronic conditions in Northwest Louisiana. The organization operates as a unified healthcare delivery system offering primary care visits, pharmacy services, lab work, specialty care, women's health with mammogram services, diabetes education, nutrition counseling, and wellness programs. The center also maintains the MLK Garden & Learning Center as a teaching facility and partners with local organizations for worksite wellness screenings. All services are provided at no cost to patients who fall in the healthcare coverage gap. Founded in 1986, the organization serves as a learning hub for local medical education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Care Visits Comprehensive primary care visits provided at no cost to uninsured and underinsured adults struggling with chronic illness in Northwest Louisiana.
• Pharmacy Services In-house pharmacy dispensing medications at no cost to clinic and pharmacy-only patients; holds the first Charitable Pharmacy permit issued by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.
• Lab Work Laboratory services provided as part of clinic appointments at no cost to uninsured and underinsured patients.
• Specialty Care Visits Specialty care visits available at no cost to uninsured and underinsured patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and asthma.
• Women's Health Program Women's health services including well-woman exams and mammogram screenings provided at no cost to uninsured women in Northwest Louisiana.
• Diabetes Education Diabetes self-management education and specialty clinics teaching patients how to manage their diabetes, recognized by the American Diabetes Association.
• Nutrition Counseling Individualized nutrition counseling provided by a registered dietitian as part of patient care at no cost.
• Worksite Wellness Program On-site health risk assessments, screenings, nutrition education, and health coaching offered to local businesses and organizations; fees are reinvested into primary care services.
• MLK Garden & Learning Center Year-round teaching garden with cooking demonstrations teaching patients and community members about healthy eating using seasonal produce.
• Diabetes Prevention Program 12-month program with ongoing motivation and support facilitated by trained lifestyle coaches to reduce risk for Type II Diabetes.

Quantifiable outcome

• For every $1 invested in MLK Health, an average of $25 is returned to the community in services provided
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• North Louisiana Interfaith Pharmacy (NLIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLIP has integrated into MLK Health Center & Pharmacy, combining two organizations with a long history of collaboration serving the uninsured and under-insured in Northwest Louisiana. This allows MLK to serve both clinic and pharmacy-only patients.
• NSU College of NursingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSU NP students have been a critical part of clinic day operations for over 13 years. Faculty bring NP students to clinic days at MLK Health.
• LSUHSC School of MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical students gain valuable experience in the delivery of healthcare to medically underserved patients.
• LSU AgCenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with MLK Health to teach patients about staying hydrated and other nutrition topics through educational sessions.
• Christian ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLK Health was founded after Dr. Robert Jackson implemented a Saturday morning clinic at Christian Service's Hospitality House. MLK received its non-profit status in May 1986.
• Kendra Scott - ShreveportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKendra Scott partnered with MLK Health to support the Women's Health Program, donating 20% of proceeds during a shopping event. Raised $900 for mammogram screenings.
• Riverbend RotaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRiverbend Rotary raised $9,000 for MLK Health through the Doughnut Dash 5K, which sponsored 9 clinics returning over $98,000 in healthcare to the community.
• Centenary CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Centenary benefit from the unique learning environment MLK Health provides as a clinical laboratory.
• LSUSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from LSUS benefit from the unique learning environment MLK Health provides.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics: National membership and advocacy association for the free and charitable clinic sector. MLK Health sits within this constituency; NAFC does not deliver care but shapes funding, policy, and standards for clinics like it.

Direct peers

• Health Brigade: Richmond, Virginia free clinic (formerly Fan Free Clinic) operating on volunteer clinicians to serve uninsured adults with primary care and pharmacy services. Direct analogue in mission and volunteer-based delivery.
• Shepherd's Hope: Central Florida non-profit operating multiple free health clinics using volunteer physicians and donated services for the uninsured and underinsured. Comparable scale, volunteer model, and uninsured-gap focus.
• Volunteers in Medicine Institute: National organization supporting a network of free clinics built around volunteer clinicians serving the uninsured. MLK Health shares the volunteer-medical-school-pipeline operating model and free-care-for-uninsured mission.
• CrossOver Healthcare Ministry: Richmond, Virginia-based non-profit free clinic providing free primary care, pharmacy, and social services to uninsured adults through volunteer clinicians. Mirrors MLK Health's integrated clinic + charitable pharmacy model with volunteer medical staff.
• Dispensary of Hope: National charitable medication network that sources donated pharmaceuticals and distributes them through safety-net pharmacies. Closest direct peer to MLK's first-in-state Charitable Pharmacy permit and prescription-dispensing model.
• Grace Medical Home: Orlando-based non-profit medical home providing free primary care, pharmacy, and chronic disease management to uninsured low-income adults. Closely aligned with MLK's integrated clinic + pharmacy + chronic-care structure.
• Charitable Pharmacy Network: Ohio-based collaborative of charitable pharmacies that dispense donated medications to low-income uninsured patients. Comparable to MLK's pharmacy operating model and reliance on a state-level charitable pharmacy permit.

Others

• Direct Relief: Major humanitarian medical aid organization that supplies medications and grants (including the Fund for Health Equity award to MLK Health). Functions as a critical upstream supplier of donated pharmaceuticals that make charitable pharmacies viable.
• Americares: Large humanitarian aid organization that funds and supplies free clinics (including listed as an MLK Health funder). Acts as a pharmaceutical donor and capacity-building partner to the free-clinic ecosystem MLK operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mlkhealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4FpE6Zf8bdth-ArtFSOEBQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/mlkhealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/mlkhealthcenterpharmacy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MLK Health Center