Temperance Taylor’s mission stems from problems she has seen and experienced in medical treatment as a Black single mom and family nurse practitioner.
Taylor recalled feeling misunderstood or unheard by white medical providers and struggling to schedule doctor’s appointments for herself and her now 18-year-old son while working and going to school.
Lotus Noire Health LLC, which opened in East Providence in August, offers “culturally competent” medical services designed to make women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community and non-neurotypical patients feel safe and understood. Taylor, who also heads the Rhode Island School of Design’s COVID-19 program, intended to offer a primarily telehealth clinic focused on sexual health testing and treatment.
But demand forced her to expand to primary care services and in-person appointments, with offerings as late as 10 p.m. to accommodate work and child care demands.
Lotus Noire in February also launched a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Providence to address access issues for the local community, with the intent to add vaccines to eligible residents once approved by the state.
Taylor hopes to grow her 24-patient roster, with additional locations and staff.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
