Doctors donate turkeys to patients for Thanksgiving

November 26, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Doctors working at Lutheran Family Health Centers wished their patients a Happy Thanksgiving by offering them free turkeys. Photo courtesy Lutheran HealthCare

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Doctors working at Lutheran Family Health Centers know the perfect prescription for patients – Thanksgiving turkeys!

With support from HealthPlus Amerigroup and United HealthCare, medical professionals at Lutheran Family Health Centers, a series of small, family oriented health clinics sponsored by Lutheran HealthCare, celebrated Thanksgiving early by giving away 390 turkeys to patients and their families on Tuesday.

The turkeys were distributed by staff members at nine primary care sites including: Adult Medicine and Specialty, Brooklyn-Chinese, Caribbean-American, Family Physician, Park Ridge, Park Slope, Shore Road, Sunset Terrace and Women’s and Children’s Health.

The participants also included Lutheran’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and the Department of Dental Medicine.

Lutheran HealthCare is a medical organization that also runs Lutheran Medical Center, the hospital at 150 55th St. in Sunset Park.

Lutheran Family Health Centers, based in Sunset Park, is a community-based ambulatory health care system affiliated with Lutheran HealthCare. The group of family health centers has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level 3 Patient-Centered medical home. Governed by the Lutheran Family Health Centers’ Board of Trustees, the centers make up one of the largest health center networks in the country and have been serving southwest Brooklyn for more than 45 years.

The program also includes 29 school-based health centers and community programs, three WIC programs, adult and family literacy programs, three child care centers and a family wellness center. The network is the primary medical provider for more than 100,000 people. The family health centers handle nearly 700,000 patient visits a year, officials said.