میراثی از عمل: شانون جونز هشت سال تحول در مراقبت‌های بهداشتی در شهرستان تراویس را به پایان می‌رساند

As the Central Health board manager wraps up his service this December, here’s a look at the work that moved the system forward

AUSTIN, Texas — When Shannon Jones walked into the Manor Lions Club Event Center for a Community Conversation this summer, he couldn’t help but smile. The room was full of neighbors, families, students, and community leaders. They were ready to be heard.

For Jones, it was a powerful reminder of what eight years on the Central Health Board of Managers had built in a community like Manor: deeper engagement, stronger relationships, and a sense of trust.

When 2025 winds down, so will Jones’ service on the Central Health Board of Managers. He leaves behind a lasting impact, one that helped reshape how the Travis County Hospital District delivers care.

During eight years on the all-volunteer board, Jones helped guide Central Health’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, championed expanded access with the Black Men’s Health Clinic and the Black Leaders Collective, and provided vision for major service expansions in Eastern Travis County. Beyond all those successes, though, what Jones says endeared him most to the role was the community he served.

“I’m a very committed community person,” the former Director of Austin Public Health with the City of Austin said.

A career built on community service

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Jones spent his entire career in public health, forming expertise across an array of specialties, including epidemiology, demographics, and community advocacy. Arriving in Austin in 1999, he joined the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, rising to Deputy Director, where he led projects and initiatives at the local and national level. Later, he became the Director of Austin Public Health with the City of Austin, where his work led to enhanced services and increased funding for health care programs. For a 10-year stretch, you could hear Jones on the air hosting a local radio program called “Health Talk” on KAZI 88.7 FM.

After retiring from the City of Austin in 2017, the Travis County Commissioners Court appointed Jones to the Central Health Board of Managers. In his new role, Jones engaged with communities across Travis County and made recommendations to Central Health about how to address health disparities to improve health outcomes for populations with low income—especially communities of color.

“I think I represented a reflection of those populations, particularly African Americans,” Jones said. “(It was my job) to advocate on their behalf. There is a great need as this district grows to be able to target those communities.”

Serving in a time of need

Jones was a relentless advocate for expanding health care access across Travis County. His commitment to marginalized communities never wavered, either. Often, he shared his voice on important issues faced by the Travis County Hospital District.

“Manager Jones’ leadership has shaped Central Health in ways that will be felt for years,” said Central Health President and CEO Dr. Pat Lee. “His commitment to equity, his advocacy for communities too often overlooked, and his unwavering belief in our mission have left a lasting mark—from expanding our reach into Northeast Travis County to strengthening partnerships that improve care and create more access for the Black community. We are deeply grateful for his service, his steady voice, and the heart he brought to Central Health every day. Our community is stronger and healthier because of Manager Jones.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones ensured residents in the Eastern Travis County received timely testing, vaccines, and accurate health information at a moment when those services were hardest to reach.

“I myself got the vaccine during this period of time as an example for those who should be doing that, and we got some of the other community leaders to come forward to do that as well,” he said. “…I can’t imagine what it would have been had we not intervened to get those populations served.”

Expanding access to the Black community

Of all his accomplishments, Jones cites one as a defining moment: delivering clinical services to the Black Men’s Health Clinic.

“Partnering with the Black Men’s Health Clinic to focus on men of color and their access to care was critical,” he said. “The data is clear: men of color bear a disproportionate burden of disease and death.”

Today, the clinic provides care to thousands across Travis County, offering primary care and other medical services through its partnership with Central Health and CommUnityCare Health Centers.

“Encouraging black men and men of color to have health care (was crucial),” Jones said, “because that is not normally important to many men, black or white.”

Bringing services to Eastern Travis County

Jones has also been laser-focused on medically underserved regions, especially in eastern Travis County where access to health care and food has been extremely challenging.

He stood alongside community members at major milestones like the 2023 ribbon-cutting of the Hornsby Bend Health & Wellness Center and the opening of the Del Valle Health & Wellness Center this past June.

“I can say that, as a result of intervention, we now have those services out there,” Jones said. “I feel that we have made a difference in elevating those communities to the general population.”

Turning outreach into impact

So, what does progress look like?

Jones might point to that Community Conversation in June. It was among a handful of public events held by Central Health to inform Travis County taxpayers on the work it was doing over the year.

Manor remains a fast-growing area of Travis County that’s home to a large Black population. It’s also a place that Jones calls home.

In the month before the event, Jones and other stakeholders sometimes went door-to-door to provide outreach. He went to churches, met with Manor’s mayor, and formed groups to ensure the community would understand what the event was all about.

The result?

“People said, ‘They won’t be interested,’” Jones said of the event. “Well, they were interested and their attendance, their questions, and their collaboration made a difference.”

The space was packed. Central Health listened. The community’s voice made a difference.

With Jones providing thoughtful and consistent leadership, that success wasn’t surprising. It exemplified his tenure on the board.

“I was impressed,” Jones said.