Sí Texas-Juntos for Better Health Launches Holding Institute Clinic

This week, a new recurring health care clinic was launched at Holding Institute as part of the first Juntos for Texas Better Health Traveling Health Care Team. Sí Texas – Juntos for Better Health is dedicated to improving community access to health care. 

The clinic service will be offered Thursdays only from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the campus located at 1102 Santa Maria Avenue. Leading the services delivery cohort is Texas A&M International University (TAMIU).

TAMIU is part of the inaugural cohort of the Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas Project, funded by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, the largest, private, faith-based funding source for healthcare services in South Texas, and a program of the Social Innovation Fund of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Project includes organizations in the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend.  The federal funding in Laredo targets depression, diabetes and obesity.

 Dr. Glenda Walker, Dean of TAMIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing, said the outreach effort is crucial to advancing community health.

“These three target areas:  depression, diabetes and obesity, can be responsible for a constellation of health problems in our community.  Our clinic services will help us to study these problems locally and provide targeted healthcare responses.  This will also provide our nursing students with a clinical rotation experience that is crucial to successful nursing education,” Dr. Walker explained.

Clinic services that will be offered at the Thursday sessions at Holding will include primary care medical assessments (height, weight, BMI, blood pressure checks, glucose testing), referrals to medical homes and behavioral health services.   

Other Laredo partners include AHEC, Gateway Community Health Center, City of Laredo Health Dept., Methodist Healthcare Ministries, Holding Institute, Border Region Behavioral Health Center and SCAN.

For additional information, contact Dr. Walker at the Canseco School of Nursing, 326.2450, email Glenda.walker@tamiu.edu , or visit offices in Dr. F. M. Canseco Hall, Room 301.