The Hornsby Bend Health & Wellness Center will bring expanded clinical services to Hornsby Bend and its surrounding communities. The center will foster mental and physical wellbeing while building community among Eastern Travis County residents.

Project Site

Location: 3700 Gilbert Road (across from Dailey Middle School)

Current Proposed Services

• Primary care
• Integrated behavioral health and oral health assessment
• Select specialty care services via Telehealth
• Accessible community gathering space (indoor community room, outdoor community garden, play areas and green space)

August 2021

Procurement documents were live per the project milestones timeline below. Staff shared this procurement opportunity with a list of contractors, including historically underutilized businesses, contractors’ associations and minority chambers of commerce. Staff anticipate awarding a contract in Fall 2021.

Staff will convene the community advisory committee this fall for a conversation on the progress and timeline of this project.

This represents milestones planned. Dates are subject to change.

• Purchase land for eventual Hornsby Bend Health & Wellness Center – July 2019 – completed
• Hire an architect and engineering firm – December 2020 – completed
• Central Health Board of Managers approved project plan and budget – January 2021 – completed Read more.
• Community Conversation – February 2021 – completed
• Community Engagement: Telephone interviews and online survey – February and March 2021 – completed
• Community Conversation – June 2021 – completed
• Site plan submitted – June 2021 – completed
• Procurement documents go live – August 2021 – completed
• Construction contract awarded – Fall 2021
• Groundbreaking – TBD*
• Establish wellness programs and partnerships – 2022
• Anticipated grand opening – Spring 2023

*Groundbreaking event date may shift based on site plan and building review process and approval from both the City of Austin and Travis County.

In 2015, Central health formed the Eastern Travis County Health and Wellness Collaboration to address challenges in the area. Central Health and partners implemented immediate, short-term solutions to expand health care services in this community – while planning a permanent health and wellness center.

• In July 2018, Central Health and CommUnityCare launched a shuttle service pilot to help Hornsby Bend residents get to their medical appointments.
• In 2019, Central Health-affiliated CommUnityCare Health Centers started making medical home visits in Hornsby Bend.
• In March 2020, Central Health, CommUnityCare and community members celebrated the opening of the Hornsby Bend Health Center (external link).

As a tax-funded public entity, Central Health uses a systematic approach to community engagement and public participation. This approach employs methods recommended by the Systematic Development of Informed Consent (SDIC) public engagement process from the Institute for Participatory Management & Planning (IPMP), as well as the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). Both best-practice models are widely used by other local public entities, including the City of Austin, Capital Metro, and the Austin Independent School District.

Central Health staff engage with residents to gather their feedback through community conversations, community advisory committees, online/paper surveys and one-on-one interviews (in person or by phone). In addition, we rely on communications and outreach tactics to ensure we are involving our consumers in the public participation process.

Community Conversation: Hornsby Bend | June 10

For more information, email: communications@centralhealth.net.

DATA & DEMOGRAPHICS

• The total population of Hornsby Bend is 12,737.
• Of all households in Hornsby Bend, 21.4% (794 households) are below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
• Central Health enrollees account for 16.1% (2,052 individuals) of the total population in Hornsby Bend.
• 6% of Central Health enrollees residing in Hornsby Bend have utilized health services in the last year.

RACE/ETHNICITY

• The percent of Latino residents in Hornsby Bend is 62.2%, or 7,917 individuals, which is 27.5% higher than the county rate.
• Of the total population of Latino residents in Hornsby Bend, 80.1%, or 1,644 individuals, are Central Health enrollees.
• The percent of Black residents in Hornsby Bend is 24.1%, or 3,068 individuals, which is nearly triple the county rate.
• Of the total population of Black residents in Hornsby Bend, 6.4%, or 132 individuals, are Central Health enrollees.

CHRONIC CONDITIONS:

Eight chronic conditions were analyzed for all Central Health enrollees across 12 identified priority focus areas.  Chronic conditions analyzed include: asthma, COPD, behavioral health, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, malignant neoplasm, and renal failure.  Central Health enrollees residing in Hornsby Bend have higher prevalence rates for all conditions except for behavioral health and malignant neoplasm.

TRANSPORTATION:

The average number of households without a vehicle is about a tenth of the county rate and is predicted to increase at twice the rate of Travis County between 2020 and 2025.

Source: Central Health’s 2020 Demographic Report