Award Given To St. Pete Brothers For Their Work During COVID-19

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Two St. Petersburg brothers were honored with the Commissioner's Leadership Award on Wednesday at the State Board of Education meeting for their community contributions at a St. Pete coronavirus testing site.

Bill Baptiste and Tim Baptiste, ages 21 and 19, were hired full time at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic at Community Health Centers for Pinellas, a news release said.

The Baptiste brothers work as greeters to patients at the Johnnie Ruth Clarke coronavirus testing site while they are students at St. Petersburg College. They are enrolled in the college's PITCH program, a free workforce placement program for Black men ages 18-24.

“Bill and Tim came to Community Health Centers of Pinellas through our partnership with St. Petersburg College,” said Elodie Dorso, chief executive officer at Community Health Centers of Pinellas in a news release. “This partnership allows us to work with SPC to fill a health care workforce gap and advance the well-being of our community at large.”

Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran presented the award to the brothers at the meeting, which was held at Strawberry Crest High School in Dover.

The brothers are the first in their family to attend college, and they credit St. Pete College for helping them pursue their education and professional goals, particularly through its career and technical education programs.

“I’m grateful because I come from an environment where most fail, fail and fail,” said Bill Baptiste. “St. Petersburg College showed me how you can make something of yourself and that with an education, anything is possible,” he continued.

Bill Baptiste is pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing with the goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.

Community Health Centers of Pinellas is a federally qualified health center with 11 locations across Pinellas County.

“These two young men are a perfect example of how we can impact young lives when we work together as a community,” said Dorso. “We are so proud to have Bill and Tim as part of the Community Health Centers of Pinellas team, and feel honored to help give them the practical experience they need for a successful career in healthcare.”

For more information about CHCP, visit www.chcpinellas.org.