11 a.m., Detroit As Dr. Elena Perry-Thornton finishes up a house call, she reassures a worried mother by telling her in Spanish that her son will recover within a few days. A native of Panama, Dr. Perry-Thornton always dreamed of bringing quality medical care to Latinos in Southwestern Detroit, but six months after opening a medical practice, she nearly lost it all. Patients were slower to come in and slower to pay than she had expected. Determined to save her practice and help a community in dire need of quality health care, Dr. Perry-Thornton turned to ShoreBank Enterprise, which recognized her high energy and deep commitment to serving the community. The nonprofit provided her with a loan and technical assistance. One year later, Dr. Perry-Thornton has tripled her patient load and is bringing in enough income that she can host free educational classes on wellness, diabetes and asthma; make time for house calls; and speak at local schools on topics such as smoking, drugs and sexuality. Whether it's investing in a small business, providing consulting or technical assistance, or making a loan, ShoreBank is committed to supporting small business development.