ABOVE: Lorraine Langlois. Photos via Metro Inclusive Health.
ST. PETERSBURG | Metro Inclusive Health’s board of directors announced Feb. 9 that CEO Lorraine Langlois will retire Dec. 31 after 30 years of service.
Langlois’ work with Metro began in 1993, when the organization offered a single service from a St. Petersburg church, case management for those living with HIV/AIDS. During her tenure the nonprofit expanded to offer over 100 programs and services throughout Tampa Bay.
Today the organization’s offices include St. Petersburg’s 47,000-square-foot health and community center and a 30,000-square-foot space in Ybor, a facility which doubled services in the region. Metro also has facilities in Clearwater and New Port Richey.
“Lorraine has successfully taken the organization from grassroots beginning with just two employees to a nationally recognized organization serving all of Tampa Bay with nearly 200 employees,” the board said in a press release. “By navigating financial and programmatic challenges, those individuals living with HIV/AIDS and part of the LGBTQ+ communities found early access to care as the organization went on to become a beacon of inclusive care to all.”
Just last month, Metro announced that the organization’s Copay it Forward program generated $660,485 in free healthcare throughout the region. Via in-person and virtual visits, the initiative utilizes insured patients’ normal pharmacy copayments to offer care to those who are under or uninsured.
“Having started with Metro in the basement of an inclusive community church, I am humbled by the opportunity to have worked at a job I loved for so long and with such extraordinary people and leaders,” Langlois said in a statement.
“The secret to our significant and long-lasting community impact has always been the unwavering dedication of the people of Metro who bring an unmatched emotional connection to the services they perform,” she continued. “Thirty years brings many challenges and obstacles, yet I cannot recall one we have not been able to conquer.”
It’s something Langlois, who holds degrees in Health Management and Business Management, reflected on at Metro’s 25-year mark. “It’s so gratifying to see some really good people moving up and taking hold; I’m very pleased about that,” she told Watermark. “My role now is really kind of mentoring and making sure the ship’s going where we need it to be.”
Those efforts have included work with Priya Rajkumar, Metro’s Chief Operating & Programs Officer. Langlois and the organization’s board also announced that she will serve as the Metro’s next CEO.
Rajkumar joined Metro in 2008 and currently oversees the health center, behavioral health, programs and services, compliance and more. She and Langlois will serve as co-CEOS for the remainder of the year before she transitions to full CEO Jan. 1, 2024.
“Over the past fifteen years Priya has worked tirelessly to help bring this agency to the model it is today with a unique mix of business minded acumen combined with the soul of a social worker,” Langlois said. “With a supportive and enthusiastic management team in place, Priya will usher in a refreshed vision that will carry our organization forward for the next 30 years and beyond.
“Priya, as CEO and my dear friend, will always have my full support as she continues her successful career,” she added.
For more information about Metro Inclusive Health, visit MetroTampaBay.org.
