March 25, 2025
An Austin disc jockey needed health care coverage after a medical emergency. She found community through her situation.
Kimmy never quite gave much thought to the risk of injury until she broke her hand in seven places.
As a DJ, she needs both of her hands to do her job. That one moment turned out to be catastrophic for her career and her life.
“I was unable to work,” the Miami native and current Austin resident said. “I lost out on a lot of gigs because I couldn’t carry my equipment.”
Kimmy wasn’t sure what to do next. As a musician, she’s always been self-employed and has paid out-of-pocket for health insurance.
She still needed income. And she still needed to meet the demands of her job.
Eventually, Kimmy went on social media and put a call out to her friends.
“Does anyone have any help?” she wrote. “I don’t have health insurance.” That’s where Austin’s network of musicians stepped up, informing her of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), a local organization that coordinates access to affordable health care for the city’s low income, working musicians. HAAM helps over 3,000 musicians receive access to care each year.
Central Health and CommUnityCare Health Centers (CUC), both long-standing HAAM partners, provide primary care and monthly premium assistance through Sendero Health Plans, also part of the Central Health system. Between HAAM and the Central Health system, thousands of musicians have received health care coverage in Travis County since 2005.
At the time she got into coverage through HAAM, Kimmy’s hand was still broken, two months after her injury. That intervention proved to be what she needed. She met with a financial eligibility specialist and enrolled in CommUnityCare’s sliding fee scale program, which gave her access to primary care for six months at a time.
“When I called HAAM, they were really helpful,” she said. “They asked me to come in. They got me to meet with Dr. (Alton) Barron. Dr. Barron and his Musician Treatment Foundation covered my hand surgery free of cost.”
A few weeks after the surgery, Kimmy started hand therapy, also covered by her new plan. She also was able to go back to work at 100%.
Yet, that’s only half of Kimmy’s tale, because this story of pain and sacrifice was from seven years ago.
Since that pivotal point in her life, Kimmy, who’s been working in the music industry since 1998, has remained enrolled in HAAM. More recently, she also enrolled in Central Health’s Sendero Health Plans, a community-based insurance program serving Central Texas.
Kimmy’s life since her injury and recovery has been a steady, upward trend.
There was a career-making gig at Bonnaroo, the American music festival held in Tennessee that welcomes close to 70,000 fans every year.
“I have followers from that,” said Kimmy, whose stage name is DJ Kimmy K. “They loved it. They asked me if I’m coming back this year. It was amazing.”
There have been DJ gigs at Austin’s Punch Bowl Social, the Belmont Austin Hotel, and the Whiskey Girls Lounge in Manor. There have also been Sweet 16 parties, weddings and much more since.
Kimmy says she’s happiest when she’s healthy and able to do her job every day.
“I love what I do for the community,” she said. “Music is where my heart is.”