A month after the Amistad Community Health Center opened its doors to those who have trouble finding and paying for medical care, a constant stream of patients -- 50 or so a day -- is showing up looking for help.
The clinic, located at 1533 Brownlee Blvd., had a grand-opening party Thursday to celebrate its mission, which is to serve low-income patients who may not qualify for medical assistance. Patients pay for services on a sliding scale, taking into consideration things such as family size and income. No one is turned away.
The clinic operates with $1.8 million in federal grant money split over three years, along with state and private funding from nonprofit organizations such the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas.
The clinic is a faith-based, nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors that targets more than 7,300 residents, including 200 homeless people who live in inner-city neighborhoods near the clinic. Both neighborhoods have overwhelmingly Hispanic populations, combined with high poverty levels and low levels of health insurance coverage.
During the past month, two full-time doctors, Dr. Lydia Graham and Dr. Robert Caro, have seen everything from diabetes and high blood pressure cases to pregnant women searching for prenatal care, said Caro, the center's medical director. They get help from two nurse practitioners, a dentist, dental hygienist and an outreach worker, all employed by the clinic.
Expansion plans include a pharmacy, which should be open this fall, and expanded services to include pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology and additional physicians, executive director Orlando Gomez said.
The clinic, located at 1533 Brownlee Blvd., had a grand-opening party Thursday to celebrate its mission, which is to serve low-income patients who may not qualify for medical assistance. Patients pay for services on a sliding scale, taking into consideration things such as family size and income. No one is turned away.
The clinic operates with $1.8 million in federal grant money split over three years, along with state and private funding from nonprofit organizations such the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas.
The clinic is a faith-based, nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors that targets more than 7,300 residents, including 200 homeless people who live in inner-city neighborhoods near the clinic. Both neighborhoods have overwhelmingly Hispanic populations, combined with high poverty levels and low levels of health insurance coverage.
During the past month, two full-time doctors, Dr. Lydia Graham and Dr. Robert Caro, have seen everything from diabetes and high blood pressure cases to pregnant women searching for prenatal care, said Caro, the center's medical director. They get help from two nurse practitioners, a dentist, dental hygienist and an outreach worker, all employed by the clinic.
Expansion plans include a pharmacy, which should be open this fall, and expanded services to include pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology and additional physicians, executive director Orlando Gomez said.
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