What We Do & How We Do It
ACCESS TO CARE
We offer the Medical Access Program, which consists of two health coverage programs (MAP and MAP BASIC), to Travis County residents with low income and no insurance. This program ensures uninsured and underinsured residents of Travis County get the health care they need. LEARN MORE
We provide oversight and financial support for Sendero Health Plans, Central Health’s nonprofit health plan designed to serve Central Texas residents. LEARN MORE
HEALTH CARE SERVICES
Central Health’s primary responsibility is to build and maintain a network of health care providers for Medical Access Program members. We partner with clinics, hospitals, and health organizations, ensuring Medical Access Program members have access to a robust set of benefits, including primary care, specialty care, behavioral health and dental care, currently at 175 locations.
We support Central Health-affiliated CommUnityCare Health Centers — a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system that offers primary care, dental care, behavioral health care, and some specialty services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured Travis County residents.
We fund clinical partners that are expanding health care services. This includes planning, developing and opening new clinics or offering additional care to Travis County residents with low income experiencing health disparities.
Our Approach to Health Care Planning & Service Expansion
Central Health follows a systems-based planning approach for the service delivery, design, development and construction of health and wellness centers in Eastern Travis County that is based on analysis of the most current information.
The process considers the most urgent health care needs in Eastern Travis County, taking a systems-based planning approach, which
- Supports equity by improving quality across the entire continuum of care
- Uses a health equity lens to increase access to care by building a comprehensive and coordinated health care system
- Is designed to best meet the needs of people with low income
- Reflects timely access to care, evidence-based protocols, improved clinical outcomes, sustainable and efficient use of taxpayer resources
SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS
While Central Health’s statutory charge (Chapter 281 of the Texas Health and Safety Code), is the delivery of health care to Travis County residents with low income, we understand how social conditions play a big role in our patients’ health.
CommUnityCare assesses every patient’s health risks using a set of questions modeled after the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE) assessment tool. To date, 60,000 patients have been screened. The four top needs to-date include: transportation, food, prescription assistance, and housing.
Where Central Health’s budget allows, and where it converges with health care delivery, we have launched pilot programs:
- We provide transportation to/from medical appointments and pharmacies in the form of bus passes, cab vouchers, free Lyft rides, and house calls (in Hornsby Bend).
- We provide food assistance through emergency food boxes and a free Summer Lunch program at the Central Health Southeast Health & Wellness Center.
- We enroll patients with more complex needs in a robust case management program. If deemed appropriate and medically necessary, we provide them with temporary housing in the form of skilled nursing facilities or respite care. This service is provided on a case-by-case basis. It is used when necessary for healing.
