November 17, 2017
(AUSTIN, Texas) – Central Health and CommUnityCare Health Centers announced today Del Valle residents, in partnership with Travis County, will have access to a new health clinic starting Monday, Nov. 20, 2017.
The new Del Valle Health Center is located at 3518 FM 973, near the county’s correctional facility in Del Valle. It is also the location of the existing Travis County Employee Wellness Center. Through CommUnityCare, which Central Health funds, health care services will be available Mondays and Tuesdays from 8-7 p.m. Integral Care, a partner of Central Health, will provide behavioral health services on Mondays. This location is the first step in a multi-faceted approach to bring more health care services to Eastern Travis County, also called the “Eastern Crescent.”
“With our partners CommUnityCare, Integral Care, and Travis County, along with input from citizens, the Central Health Team has brought an idea to a reality,” said Mike Geeslin, Central Health president and CEO. “While health care is complicated, at the end of the day, it’s about being pragmatic and bringing as much basic care as possible to the places where people live and work. As Travis County changes, Central Health will deliver on the simple premise of serving people with low income by being in the right places offering the best possible care.”
The opening of the new Del Valle Health Center is considered a necessary yet interim solution, with plans for a larger, permanent health center on adjacent property in order to meet the anticipated growth in Eastern Travis County.
“In collaboration with our partners at Central Health, CommUnityCare is thrilled to be expanding its primary medical services within the Del Valle community ” said Jaeson Fournier, CommUnityCare CEO. “It takes these types of partnerships to ensure that Travis County’s growing population has access to the health care services it needs to achieve improved well-being.”
More Services Planned
In 2015, Central Health — the public agency providing access to quality health care for people with low income — convened a multidisciplinary team of community-based health care and service providers representing more than a dozen organizations. Called the Eastern Travis County Health and Wellness Collaboration, the coalition’s purpose is to address the health care challenges faced by residents of Eastern Travis County.
Future plans that are currently being discussed include:
• A new CommUnityCare facility to break ground in the Hornsby Bend area or nearby areas north of the Colorado River;
• Mobile clinics for other areas of Del Valle, like Creedmoor;
• A new permanent health facility in Colony Park, which is part of the City of Austin’s Master Plan; and
• Construction of a permanent health center at the Community First Village to serve people experiencing homelessness and nearby residents, a partner with Mobile Loaves & Fishes.
