Blog – Page 3 – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

Funded Partner Spotlight: Community Council of South-Central Texas, Inc.

DW Admin on October 5, 2023

Since 1995, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has provided over $1 billion to improve the well-being of the least served through its clinics, programs, and strategic partnerships. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is proud to partner with organizations that share similar missions and organizational objectives of increasing access to care for uninsured and economically disadvantaged individuals and families across South Texas.

In the months following November 1963, just after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson carried on Kennedy’s plans to alleviate the burdens of Americans living in poverty. Later the next year, Congress passed the Economic Opportunity Act, which established and funded Community Action Agencies and Programs. By 1968, there were over 1,600 agencies across America serving the country at a local level.

One of these Community Action Agencies, the Community Council of Comal County was established in 1965. In 1981, the change in funding from the federal government to state Block Grant funding led the organization to be renamed the Community Council of South-Central Texas (CCSCT).

Almost 60 years later, CCSCT has expanded to serve 31 counties across South, Central and West Texas with the objective of promoting and delivering much needed services to low-income families in their service area. Case by case, CCSCT uses their network of over 1,000 partner nonprofits and programming to help families on their journey to becoming fully self-sufficient.

In 2023, Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) provided $100,000 in grant funding to CCSCT to fund their housing support programs across their service area. The grant also supported the renovation of a new public outreach facility in Karnes County, where unhoused individuals can come for connections to resources, as well as use printing and computer services.

“It (the grant funding) has been instrumental in providing assistance to low-income families when funding is low or when we are unable to serve that population,” Carol Delgado, program officer at CCSCT, commented. “MHM funding has allowed us to provide assistance that we normally wouldn’t be able to provide.”

The grant provided by MHM will also, in part, go towards the building of a new outreach facility in Karnes County with the hopes of providing basic resources such as a computer lab, breaking down transportation barriers, as well as directing clients to much-needed programs offered by CCSCT.

“A homeless person or unhoused person is not going to be able to travel to our Seguin office or our Jourdanton office so they can go through the front door [at our Karnes office],” Kenneth Loy, Program Manager and Veteran’s Resource Coordinator, commented. “It allows people down there to have a local place to help address an unhoused issue.”

One of the programs CCSCT provides is home and rental assistance in the form of the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program (TBRA) which offers security and utility deposits as well as rental subsidies for up to 24 months while the household engages in a self-sufficiency program. Securing safe and secure shelter as well as food and water is key to facilitating access to healthcare and other needs for unhoused populations.

CCSCT also provides support for eligible former members of the military through their Veteran’s Financial Assistance program. The program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veteran’s Commission Fund for Veteran’s Assistance and provides short-term services such as one-time utility payments and one-time rent or mortgage payments.

The ERA2 program is an initiative set forth by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist eligible families with financial assistance and housing stability. It’s through this program that CCSCT has been able to receive funding to help transition families and individuals out of homelessness and into permanent living spaces. CCSCT has seen a 40% success rate with transitioning eligible households from temporary and semi-permanent living areas and into permanent housing.

“The two basic needs that people look for are food and shelter,” Loy said. “And so, when you address food and shelter, you allow a person the freedom to do other things like pursue healthcare.”

If you or a loved one would like to contact the Community Council of South-Central Texas, visit their website and find a location near you to get in contact with a representative today.

CCSCT Website: https://www.ccsct.org/

Celebrating our 2023 SA Worx Summer Interns

DW Admin on July 27, 2023

For some recent high school graduates, the summer before starting college is filled with days at the pool, spending time with friends, and maybe preparing for their first time living away from home. For Bobbie Campos, oral health intern, summer is an opportunity to learn, grow, and serve her community. Campos is currently completing her second internship with the oral health team at Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Dixon Health & Wellness Center as part of the 2023 SA Worx program, where she and other interns are developing lifelong transferrable skills that they can take to any career.

The SA Worx program connects students across San Antonio to internship opportunities with organizations working in their areas of interest. It is an industry-led program that provides educators with student resources to pass along while also creating a reliable source of strong talent across multiple industries here in San Antonio.

MHM has participated in the SA Worx program for over 7 years and continues to be the program’s largest partner with over 28 interns housed in facilities across San Antonio for the 2023 program. Interns at MHM can select an area of interest such as oral health, behavioral health or recreation and work on-site with MHM team members serving our patients and clients.

Interns are also encouraged to attend several workshops that further enhance their experience at MHM while providing professional development opportunities for the students. Workshops covered topics such as Gallup Strengths, where interns learn more about their strongest qualities and how to use them for professional growth.

“It has made me look at my strengths in our strength finders’ workshop, we learn different strategies that help you realize everything that you want to be and everything you’re already good at,” Savanna Rodriguez said. “So that way, you can grow in that area.”

Rodriguez is currently completing her second internship at MHM as a Behavioral Health Intern, an opportunity that has allowed her to grow personally and professionally over the years.

“I have anxiety going in crowds and just sparking up a conversation. But here I’ve learned that you don’t have to be scared because everybody is very welcoming here specifically.” Rodriguez said. “But even if they’re not, I’ve learned that you can be that welcoming person and you can spark up the conversation when somebody else feels nervous.”

MHM’s Talent Management team, consisting of Brittani Dmitriev and Diane Rodriguez, have facilitated the partnership with SA Worx and the internship program. Together, they manage the interns by department and facilitate learning opportunities throughout the duration of the program.

“Seeing the interns that returned from last year to this year, you can definitely see the difference,” Dmitriev said. “They’re very confident in themselves and in the work that they’re doing. It’s giving them experience and it’s also helping them personally just grow, from teenager to young adult.”

The interns are now completing their final week in the internship program as schools preparing to reopen for the upcoming school year. While most of the interns will be returning to complete high school, Bobbie Campos will be starting her first semester at Palo Alto College’s dental program.

“It has inspired me to go into this occupation. I knew I wanted to be in the dental field, but I didn’t know which part.” Bobbie said. “So just getting the experience in the different areas made my mind so set on being a dental hygienist.”

Are you or someone you know interested in the SA Worx program and interning at MHM? Visit the link below to learn more about the SA Worx program and how you can apply for the next cohort:

https://greatersatx.com/sa-worx/programs/internships/

Men’s Health Awareness Month – One Patient’s Access to Care Journey

DW Admin on June 30, 2023

June is recognized as Men’s Health Month across the nation and it’s a time to encourage men everywhere to take a proactive approach to their health and wellbeing. With over 13.2% men over the age of 18 considered to be in poor health, according to the CDC, it’s important to create a space to share stories and resources that emphasize the holistic wellbeing of the men in the communities we serve.

At Methodist Healthcare Ministries, we have a variety of programs and resources to help men along their health journeys. One story from our Wesley Nurse program is a great example of how men can utilize these resources to get access to care for unique issues they face.

On Wednesday nights, Marlene Anders, our Wesley Nurse in Travis County goes to the Lakeway Food Bank where she works with community members to provide food for low-income individuals in her area. As the MHM Wesley Nurse in that area for over nine years, she’s built a network that provides help to each other when needed.

“It’s a system that I just find remarkable because I collaborate with them and sometimes people will come in and say that if you can help them with this, they’ll help you with that,” Marlene said. “It’s a very give and take relationship and it works very well.”

Although Lakeway City is a higher income area with an average household earning around $143,000 per year, according to the U.S. Census (2017-2021), there are still what Marlene calls “pockets of poverty” where people live without access to clean water, plumbing or even showers. These communities are around HWY 62 and Apache Shores where inhabitants are often unseen and sometimes unwanted.

Marlene met one of these community members through working with the Food Bank and happened into a conversation she was not expecting. The man had been a client of the food bank for several years, but she had not had the chance to meet with him yet.

“My badge said I was an RN so he started up this conversation and I could tell he was anxious. I could tell he was in some kind of pain and so he just kind of blurted out his problem,” Marlene said. “And it took me back a little bit because that’s one issue I haven’t come up against and it had me going through all of my knowledge from school.”

The patient noted a strange pain in his groin and trouble urinating which after diagnosing as a testicular hydrocele, Marlene recommended that the patient immediately go to an emergency room.

The patient, who did not have insurance, worked with Marlene to apply to the Travis County Medical Access Program or MAP. Through this process, Marlene also found out that the patient lived in a small lean-to shed in Apache Shores where he did not have access to toilet or shower facilities. The patient also had no access to transportation, making access to care much more difficult. After this process, she met with the patient at Seton Emergency Room after arranging transportation and prior paperwork.

“They ended up calling the security guard on him because they thought he was a homeless person,” Marlene explained. “This is what he’s up against.”

From there, Marlene worked with the patient to undergo an operation that would temporarily relieve the pain and other symptoms by negotiating with the clinic staff to bring down the out-of-pocket costs for the procedure to $84 which she paid using Wesley Nurse special funds. While the procedure was only temporary, she’s still working with the patient to acquire personal transportation and access to a more permanent solution to his health issue.

“It’s an ongoing process,” Marlene said. “Not anything that happens overnight, because they didn’t get into their situation overnight either.”

Marlene, who has been with MHM for ~~over~~ 26 years since she started in 1997, has worked with many patients who face extreme poverty and the biases that come with it. There are over 3.7 million people in Texas living at or below the poverty line and over 5 million individuals without health insurance according to data from Every Texan, formerly the Center of Public Policy Priorities.

“We’ve been talking a lot about health equity and the state where everybody can attain their full potential of health no matter what their circumstances.” Marlene said, reflecting on the experience with the patient. “But we’ve always been doing it. I think that what I do now is the same as what I did back in 1997.”

At MHM, we approach health from a holistic perspective that considers the entire wellbeing of our patients and communities. For more information on men’s health and resources to share, view the links below.

Additional Resources:

Center for Disease Control Men’s Health Fast Stats: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mens-health.htm
My HealthFinder: https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/doctor-visits/regular-checkups/men-take-charge-your-health#the-basics-tab

May 2023 Calendar of Events – WHWC

DW Admin on May 3, 2023

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Wesley Health & Wellness team offers a wide variety of programs and classes designed for every skill level! All classes are free and open to the public. Registration is required, call (210) 922-6922 to register.

Click here to download a copy of our Wesley Health & Wellness Center – Calendar of Events for May 2023.

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March 2023 Calendar of Events – WHWC

DW Admin on March 2, 2023

Click here to download a copy of our Wesley Health & Wellness Center – Calendar of Events for March 2023.

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February 2023 Calendar of Events – WHWC

DW Admin on February 9, 2023

Click here to download a copy of our Wesley Health & Wellness Center – Calendar of Events for February 2023.

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2023 Feb. Calendar 1 - Clean- Comms Updates_Page_1

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2023 Feb. Calendar 1 - Clean- Comms Updates_Page_2

December 2022 Calendar of Events – WHWC

DW Admin on December 8, 2022

Click here to download a copy of our Wesley Health & Wellness Center – Calendar of Events for December 2022.

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A Closer Look at MHM’s Strategic Focus Areas

DW Admin on November 22, 2022

Advancing health equity is a long-term commitment that requires multiple approaches. To guide its strategic efforts for increased impact, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has defined three focus areas that will act as a roadmap for the next ten years of its work: Transform Internal Processes and Culture, Strengthen Communities, and Impact Systemic Changes.

Strategic Focus #1 – Transform Internal Processes and Culture

Methodist Healthcare Ministries will transform its culture, internal capacity, and processes to advance health equity.
This will include advancing a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, increasing an understanding of and competency in applying an equity lens to our organizational work, policies, processes, and procedures; and fostering greater intentionality in our pursuit of broadening the definition of health care.

Some of our work in the area of internal transformation includes:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries became the first organization to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification from the Ecumenical Center in August 2021.

– Becoming a Trauma Informed Care-certified organization in Summer 2021. Methodist Healthcare Ministries became the first organization to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification from the Ecumenical Center, the certifying entity for the South Texas Trauma Informed Care Crisis Consortium. Trauma Informed Care practices can help improve client, patient, and employee relationships, and help organizations avoid re-traumatizing those who have experienced trauma in the past.
– Starting the journey of implementing intentional anchor strategies that leverage local community assets in our operations. We are increasing our focus on contracting and spending with Small, Women and Minority Owned Business Enterprises (SWMBE) and Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOB). Methodist Healthcare Ministries conducted an internal analysis of our spending with SWMBEs and VOBs; finding that 32% of our 2020 dollars spent were with SWMBEs and VOBs, and this increased to 46% of total spending in 2021. Organizational goals and practices have been set in place to continue identifying opportunities to increase spending with these vendors.
– Engaging in learning and dialogue to foster increased understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Building upon this increased understanding to integrate practices and policies are key to transforming our internal culture.
– Adjusting our internal processes and culture, the organization recently increased the minimum starting wage to $15/hr to improve the overall standard of living for team members and their families. This is another example of Methodist Healthcare Ministries shifting its internal policies in pursuit of supporting health and well-being for all.
Strategic Focus #2 – Strengthen Communities
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ will build upon the capacity of Resilient Families and Thriving Communities to reach their full potential for health and life. This focus area encompasses the majority of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ work and a variety of ways in which the organization will be able to engage and support communities. This includes but is not limited to community investments, clinical care, regional health and wellness programs and services, and working alongside community members as we focus on place-based strategies.
As one example, in March of 2021, Methodist Healthcare Ministries launched the first Prosperemos Juntos | Thriving Together Learning Collaborative, which is the initial means by which it will support the development and growth of communities of solutions throughout south and central Texas. Nonprofits, faith communities, schools, and other groups in Bexar County and South Texas who are part of the learning collaborative identify a vital community condition with community residents most affected by poverty, racism, and other inequities and develop strategies to address root causes. Each annual learning collaborative is a capacity-building opportunity for communities in south and central Texas to substantially accelerate their health equity journey. Methodist Healthcare Ministries believes communities have the solutions to improve their health and well-being. Each learning collaborative equips community-driven coalitions with skills and resources to strategically advance health equity, using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Pathways to Population Health framework [TV1] as a guide.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries opened the new Dixon Health & Wellness Center on San Antonio's East Side in 2019.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries also has a long history of other areas of work in Strengthening Communities. As an example, in San Antonio, the Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Dixon Health & Wellness Center offer affordable medical, dental, and behavioral health services to individuals who are uninsured, as well as a full range of other services dedicated to treating the mind, body, and spirit.
In addition, the organization operates two George Ricks School Based Health Centers to provide comprehensive, primary health care, behavioral health, and dental services to children and their siblings enrolled in the Marion and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School Districts in Guadalupe County.
Wesley Nurses, who are mostly located within churches across Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ service area, and part of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ ecumenical outreach, provide holistic services, including health education, health promotion, and access to resources. They are uniquely embedded within the 74-county service area. Community Health Workers/Promotoras are also uniquely embedded and often come from the communities in which they serve. They reach out to, connect with, and engage individuals and families to help improve health outcomes for the clients they serve.
Through Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to providing high quality, affordable care that is centered around each patient. Using evidence-based practices, providers listen carefully to each patient and offer integrated medical, behavioral, and oral health care that is coordinated alongside parenting and wellness classes so that each patient has the opportunity to thrive.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries is on a journey of developing trust-based philanthropic approaches to grantmaking. This encourages funded partners to be creative in developing projects, programs, and services that support resilient families and thriving communities within the service area.
Strategic Focus #3 – Impact Systemic Change
Methodist Healthcare Ministries plans to invest in efforts to address systemic and root causes of health inequity to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational poverty. We are committed to digital inclusion, economic mobility, food security, and access to care.
The organization is investing resources into a variety of efforts to impact systemic change. As one example, last year the organization supported state legislation for the investment in Texas broadband infrastructure to address the nearly one million Texans living without access to broadband at home. HB 5 created a State Broadband Development Office to research the expansion, adoption, and affordability of deploying broadband services and programs to underserved areas of the state.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries announced the launch of a two-year economic mobility study in San Antonio in July 2022.

The organization is also commissioning a two-year economic mobility research study (randomized control trial) to examine the effectiveness of well-known interventions working together and separately for individuals in priority zip codes across San Antonio. We hope to apply what we learn to future investments of resources in support of economic upward mobility for individuals and families across South Texas. Read more about the study here.
To increase access to care, some of Methodist Healthcare Ministries legislative advocacy work is focused on Medicaid Expansion. We are working on expanding Medicaid for more Texans and connecting residents in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley with mental health services.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ other work builds upon the organization’s access to care work and goes beyond by addressing social needs. Methodist Healthcare Ministries has partnered with a local federally qualified health center (FQHC) and a faith-based organization to address social needs and provide services to underserved, low-income populations. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is working with organizations in northeast San Antonio to create a hub of resources for community members that will include access to a clinic providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services, as well as a food pantry, educational opportunities, a nearby transportation center, a place of worship and more. The hub will also house one of our Wesley Nurses, who specialize in the facilitation of resources and faith-based community nursing. All of these resources, centrally located, will help increase opportunities to engage the community and improve health equity within this area. Initial operation of this Hub Concept is expected to begin in the first quarter 2023.
All these efforts are aimed to help improve health equity in the communities we serve and translate strategy into improved community conditions and better quality of life.
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Learn more about what Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is doing on its transformative journey through the Advancing Health Equity blog series on mhm.org. If you have any questions, please email us at healthequity@mhm.org.
To read previous entries in the health equity blog series, see below:
Advancing Health Equity: Changing Health Outcomes

An Economic Mobility Study Building Upon the Strengths of San Antonio

DW Admin on September 22, 2022

On August 31, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, along with key partners and members of the community gathered at The Neighborhood Place in the Westside of San Antonio to learn more about how economic mobility approaches and interventions can positively impact the city of San Antonio and other communities.

The more than 100 attendees at the event listened to a keynote presentation by Charles J. Homer, M.D., M.P.H who has served as a clinician and researcher on national healthcare, education, and economic mobility focused initiatives. His presentation gave an in-depth look into why it is important to address inter-generational poverty in our communities and strategies that promote economic mobility. He also discussed how different interventions, such as cash assistance, and science-based coaching and recognition, can work together to positively impact individual and community-wide health and life outcomes. Click here to view his remarks.

After lunch, a panel discussion focused on how one local intervention—the San Antonio G.O.A.L.S. Initiative—has the potential to transform and strengthen the financial independence and well-being of resilient individuals and families. Click here to read more about the San Antonio G.O.A.L.S. Initiative. The panel, moderated by Dr. Homer, included representatives from our key community partners on the G.O.A.L.S. Initiative, alongside our President & CEO, Jaime Wesolowski.

Community Conversation Panelists

Charles J. Homer, M.D., M.P.H (moderator)
Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO, Methodist Healthcare Ministries
Kim Janey, President and CEO, EMPath
Mary Garr, President and CEO, Family Service
Andrea Figueroa, Executive Director, Empower House
Erica Sosa, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor, Public Health, UTSA HCAP

The San Antonio G.O.A.L.S. Initiative

Methodist Healthcare Ministries commissioned The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Health Community and Policy (HCAP) to serve as third-party evaluators of the economic mobility research study, looking at two different interventions: cash assistance and economic coaching, specifically EMPath’s Mobility Mentoring^®.

The research focuses on understanding how Cash Assistance and a type of partnership called Mobility Mentoring^® contribute to financial stability and economic mobility in Bexar County. We want to understand the combined impact of these interventions on financial self-sufficiency, while learning about the factors or participant characteristics that affect the impacts of the interventions. We want to learn about what works best for different people in Bexar County. Recruitment is currently underway . The application is open to individuals ages 18-60 who live in one of 13 priority zip codes with an income that is less than 150% of the federal poverty line. Families living in these zip codes have some of the highest levels of poverty in Bexar County. One person per household may apply, and 575 people will be selected to participate.

After two years, we hope that the findings we learn can help inform our future strategies and investments around economic mobility, as well as serve as a model for other communities and organizations to follow. Ultimately, we want to see what impact these interventions can have on health and well-being of these community members and imagine what this could mean for all of South Texas.

During the Q&A portion of our community conversation, several attendees asked how the G.O.A.L.S. Initiative would take into consideration the difficulty our communities experience with participation in research. Attendees shared that fear of discrimination, language difficulties and lack of access to healthcare were some of the reasons community members do not participate in research studies. The G.O.A.L.S. Initiative is internally guided by Dr. Inez Cruz, who leads Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ research efforts. Dr. Cruz acknowledged that “historically a tension exists between diverse communities, especially communities of color, and research recruitment.” She noted that two prominent deterrents to participation in research studies are lack of trust and appropriate incentives. However, over the years Latino researchers, and researchers in general, have striven to address these concerns.

Dr. Cruz added, “As a researcher, I need diverse communities, to participate in research if we want our findings to be reflective of the community we serve.” For San Antonio, this means not only Latino/a/x, immigrant, and Black community members but also other individuals and communities historically underrepresented in research, including indigenous communities and people with disabilities. The G.O.A.L.S. Initiative began with community surveys and focus groups to ensure that our research directly incorporated community feedback. Methodist Healthcare Ministries has partnered with trusted community-based nonprofits (Family Service and Empower House). The study will be accessible to participants in English and Spanish and we will also work to accommodate other languages and individuals with disabilities in an effort to reduce barriers to participate. And finally, the G.O.A.L.S. Initiative recognizes the value of our community’s time and expertise. At a minimum each participant can receive $250 in gift cards over the two years for completing surveys with the potential for either economic coaching, cash assistance or a combination of both.

Why is Methodist Healthcare Ministries supporting this effort?

Two years ago, Methodist Healthcare Ministries commemorated 25 years of service to communities across South Texas. As we crossed the quarter-century mark, we asked ourselves: “Were the health and well-being of communities across South Texas improving?”

The answer for many of our patients and clients was—yes! However, when we looked at overall population health metrics across communities in our service area, we saw that many community-wide metrics were not improving. We knew we had to set a course for the next 25 years to make broader, community-wide impact. So, we committed ourselves to a new strategic vision and plan rooted in health equity.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Commitment to Health Equity:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. believes that to improve the wellness of the least served and fully live out its mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God,” it must recognize the inequities inherent in its communities that contribute to poor health outcomes. Health Equity is both the process and goal by which Methodist Healthcare Ministries seeks to carry out that purpose. Health Equity is a framework of thought and action that strives to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life and contribute to that of others.

As part of our new strategic plan and focus on health equity, we committed to impacting systemic change in the communities we serve, and economic mobility is one of our focus areas.

Our work to advance health equity includes addressing systemic and root causes of inequity to disrupt the cycle of inter-generational poverty. As we examined those roots, poverty, especially generational poverty, stood out as being one of the strongest risk factors for poor health. Particularly, the link between financial well-being—and physical and mental health.

Financial independence directly contributes to our quality of life—it impacts where we can live, what types of foods and services we can access, the quality of our education and access to healthcare. Generational poverty is when poverty persists in a family for at least two generations and is affected by employment, economic, education, and other community-wide systems that have historically excluded and marginalized entire communities through racism, sexism, and other injustices. To disrupt cycles of generational poverty and improve the social and economic factors that impact community health outcomes, solutions must acknowledge the inherent dignity of each person and the circumstances that exist across communities. Solutions should build upon existing assets of individuals and communities and allow individuals and families to best meet their financial needs and life goals.

There are several steps Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to taking in order to address generational poverty and promote prosperity. We are going to identify, invest in, and support approaches that address root causes of poverty and financial outcomes for individuals and families living in poverty. We will focus on strengthening financial inclusion, knowledge, behaviors and opportunities through financial information, education and coaching opportunities, along with capital and asset building to develop financial capability and security.

Our hope is that in two years, when the results of this economic study emerge, we will have a clear understanding of the approaches and strategies that can help strengthen families and foster thriving communities across our service area. We hope the findings will be a model for other organizations and communities to follow to promote generational prosperity across the country.

It’s a lofty goal, for sure, but doing so will be just one more example of our efforts to bring the words of John Wesley to life. We’ll be doing all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can.

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Resources

Lessons Learned from Value-Based Grant Program

DW Admin on July 7, 2022

Since 1996, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has invested more than $412 million in grants within our 74-county service-area. We believe that everyone deserves a fair opportunity to make the choices that lead to good health. Traditionally, our Community Investments department has made it a priority to promote access to clinical care in underserved communities, but we also recognize that root causes of poor health outcomes must be addressed if we are to achieve health equity and intervene effectively to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

With a national movement towards value-based payment models by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other payors, in 2016 Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Community Investments department developed a new grant program aligned with value-based concepts. These concepts included emphasizing quality of care rather than quantity of care and incentivizing health improvement through a flexible funding model.

This program, initially called Integrated Health Improvement, focused on improving specific health outcomes for a qualified panel of patients. A funding amount was allotted per patient on the panel, consisting of a base amount and incentive amounts. If the panel of patients reached the health outcome goal(s) by the end of the year, the funded partner received the incentive payment(s) for the goal(s) that was met. To the department’s knowledge, this program was one of the first, if not the first, value-based program from a regional nonprofit funder in South Texas, and it inspired another funder in our service area to support a similar program.

From 2017 to 2021, Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ value-based grant program served complex care patients in South Texas. During this time period, 15 of our Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) funded partners participated in this program.

Since the first grant year in 2017, the value-based program went through many adjustments, which were informed by funded partner feedback and outcome performance. One of the most notable changes to the program was the addition of prevention components after hearing from grantees that preventive measures were key to improving the health of the patient populations they served. The program was aptly renamed “Integrated Health Improvement & Prevention”.

Throughout the years, key program components remained similar—including patient eligibility, which specified that panel patients needed to be over 18 years of age, uninsured or underinsured, low-income, and patients must have at least two of the required comorbidities. Comorbidities included depression, pre-diabetes or diabetes, hypertension, and overweight or obesity. Health outcome goals also remained similar and reflected the specified comorbidities.

As we reflect on the program, we think there were many successes. Flexible funding allowed our partners to use their grant dollars in ways best suited to achieve program success. Some partners used this program to try new things for their health centers, like case management, patient dashboards, and program contracts/agreements with patients. During the program, partners increased their quality of care, including improving documentation, establishing and improving workflows, and strengthening follow-up with patients. These changes also helped grantees better prepare for reports and reviews from other funders. Their efforts helped to establish a consistent source of health care for patients, and patients exhibited improvement in their health. As we spent additional time with partners at their centers and communicated with them through email and phone to provide technical assistance and for audits, our relationships with partners strengthened.

There were also challenges with the program. Grantees, especially in rural areas, often have staff that wear multiple hats, making this complex program difficult to implement and manage. The program required ample staff time and training to develop and implement many processes, including finding or recruiting patients that met panel criteria, documenting their clinical data and financial information, and reporting back on patient level data four times a year. As partners built new processes, some encountered challenges with their electronic health record or billing systems. Once set-up and staff training were completed, another challenge that arose was patient attrition due to reasons such as patients moving, changing providers, or changing phone numbers. This made it difficult to fill the patient panel and keep patients engaged in care to help meet the challenging program metrics.

To help our partners with their challenges, we provided one-on-one technical assistance, held workshops, and sought their continuous feedback and suggestions through surveys and multiple check-ins. We modified and simplified the program design where we could. Modifications included explaining program elements more thoroughly and adjusting the program metrics to be more achievable. We simplified the reporting as the years went on, aiming to ask for only what was needed to determine panel eligibility, panel size, and metric attainment. We also connected partners with each other, to share ideas on electronic health record templates, program set-up, and eligibility documentation. If the challenges were too extensive for the partner—such as consistently not meeting their panel size or not meeting most goals—we transitioned them to another grant structure.

Many lessons were learned throughout the program, and in 2021 the program came to an end at Methodist Healthcare Ministries, as our organization changed its strategy around grant-making to be focused on achieving health equity and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty by addressing root causes and the Social Determinants of Health.

Our funded partner, Gateway Community Health Center, designed their value-based program, “Lado A Lado” or “Side by Side”, for their clinic locations in and around Laredo, Texas, and had great success with the value-based program. Gateway shared their experience with the program, and how it impacted their clinics and the lives of their patients in the video below.

Advancing Health Equity: Changing Health Outcomes

DW Admin on January 31, 2022

Sometimes, changing health outcomes begins with changing your perspective. Dr. Michael Lane, Board of Directors Chair for Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc., remembers a story from several years ago where a team was treating a San Antonio resident who kept returning to the hospital for pneumonia. After the physician and the medical team dug deeper into their patient’s life, they found this woman, a senior citizen, lived in poor housing conditions filled with mold. Mold that was contributing to her frequent trips to the hospital.

Once social services intervened, she was able to improve her living conditions and stay out of the emergency room. This story helped change Dr. Lane’s perspective on healthcare. Rather than looking only at traditional healthcare and health behaviors for solutions to a person’s health, it’s critical to examine people’s social and environmental needs, and ultimately the vital conditions that contribute to an entire community’s health and well-being.

This perspective is important because clinical care and individual health behaviors make up only about 50 percent of the factors that can be altered to improve the length and quality of life of individuals within a community^[1]. This means that, even after receiving quality healthcare services through Methodist Healthcare Ministries or another provider and creating healthy habits, such as regularly exercising, there are other social, economic, and physical environmental factors that can negatively or positively impact the health of individuals and entire communities.
These different health factors also often interact with each other. If some factors are impaired, such as living conditions plagued with mold, then other factors, such as the ability to work and attend school, may also be negatively affected. This in-turn may affect family income from one generation to the next, and a chain of other outcomes for generations of families. Because of the many possible interactions among the various health factors, it’s important to not only address individual needs, patient-by-patient and family-by-family, but also be even more proactive by addressing needs from a higher, community-level approach to make a broader impact.
One broader approach is to address the vital community conditions and social determinants of health (SDOH). These can be thought of as the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health and quality-of-life^[2]. The emphasis is on looking at the economic, educational, healthcare, neighborhood, physical, social, and community conditions, place-by-place and community-by-community. When a community’s employment opportunities, water sources, transportation, and other systems adequately serve community members, this increases the entire community’s opportunity to thrive. Unfortunately, the reverse is also possible: If a neighboring community’s systems, infrastructure, processes, or policies do not create the necessary conditions for the community to thrive, the entire community’s health and well-being may suffer. This indicates inequities in health and well-being outcomes across places and groups of people. However, communities have the power to address the factors that contribute to these inequities and organizations like Methodist Healthcare Ministries can come alongside to support them.

“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive.”

Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO | Methodist Healthcare Ministries

It is with a deeper understanding of the impact of the social determinants of health and community conditions that Methodist Healthcare Ministries is building upon its 25-year legacy of increasing access to care for the least served. Their new strategic direction is focused on a commitment to advancing health equity which begins with recognizing the inequities inherent in its communities that contribute to poor health outcomes. Health Equity is Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ framework of thought and action that strives to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life and contribute to that of others.

Building Upon our Strengths
Methodist Healthcare Ministries cannot rely on one approach alone to expand its positive impact across South Texas. It must build upon its legacy of high-quality care and services. Ensuring access to care, enhancing community conditions, partnering with communities, and addressing systemic inequities are all essential to advancing health and well-being across communities.
Dr. Lane added, “We have to get everybody to recognize that healthcare is a shared value. We should want everyone to be healthy. How do we get there? We have to collaborate, listen and work together with our communities.”
This has led Methodist Healthcare Ministries to embrace a transformational journey that will go beyond a primary emphasis on access to healthcare services. The shift requires a greater focus on trying to change the community conditions that contribute to disproportionate levels of trauma, sickness, and early death. This work includes identifying root causes and historical legacies that contribute to cycles of intergenerational poverty. Most importantly, it requires building upon the assets that already exist within communities and recognizing community members as the greatest assets among them.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ President & CEO, Jaime Wesolowski, said access to care has been and will always be a priority for Methodist Healthcare Ministries, but its new strategic direction will take it even further in serving the community.
“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive,” Wesolowski added.
The new strategic direction will encompass three focus areas: Transforming Internal Processes and Culture, Strengthening Communities, and Impacting Systemic Changes. This provides Methodist Healthcare Ministries with a roadmap of where it wants to go and how it can get there, as it co-creates solutions with patients, clients, and community members.
***
Learn more about what Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is doing on its transformative journey through the Advancing Health Equity blog series, which will appear on mhm.org. If you have any questions, please email us at info@mhm.org.

[1] As described by Healthy County Rankings model.
[2] Healthy People 2030 Definition—expands upon the MHM/WHO definition by adding “worship” to the list

Legislative Update, February 5

DW Admin on February 5, 2021

In this issue:

State Updates

2020 Census Delay May Impact Texas Redistricting
Bexar County Mental Health and Substance Use Services Receive $3 Million
TEA Offers Special Education Grant for Students Impacted by Pandemic
HHSC Extends Emergency SNAP Benefits Through February

Federal Updates

COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period Begins February 15
White House Contracts $230M for At-Home Rapid COVID-19 Tests

COVID-19 News

Current COVID-19 Variants Explained
COVID-19 Vaccine Allocations for Week 8 of Distribution

Upcoming Hearings

Upcoming Meetings & Events

Advocacy

In the news

Research

The State of Obesity in Texas

COVID-19 Dashboard

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State Updates

2020 Census Delay May Impact Texas Redistricting

The Census Bureau announced that the 2020 Census results will not be released until at least two months after the end of the ongoing 87^th Legislative Session. The Bureau estimates that the data will not be available until after July of this year.

The results of the 2020 Census have been delayed by several months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, census workers faced many challenges posed by the public health crisis, limited resources, and numerous changes in policy from Washington D.C. In most instances, the first set of census data is distributed by December 31 of the census year and the second set by mid-February the following year. The 2020 Census results are expected to reflect large population gains in Texas of over 4.2 million residents since 2010.

The latest census data is crucial to Texas legislators who will be undertaking redistricting during this year’s state legislative session. Redistricting takes place every decade to ensure adequate representation for the state’s population. The 87^thLegislature began on January 12^th and adjourns after 140 days. With the latest census data being delayed well into summer, Texas lawmakers can expect to be called back to the capitol for a special session later in the year to complete redistricting responsibilities. To read more on the issue, click here.

Bexar County Mental Health and Substance Use Services Receives $3 Million

On January 26, the Bexar County Commissioners Court approved $2.2 million in general funds for a contract with the The Center for Health Care Services for the delivery of mental health treatment services for eligible individuals so as to circumvent the criminal justice system. In addition to the CHCS grant allocation, the Commissioner’s Court also approved a $1.4 million contract with San Antonio Lifetime Recovery to finance substance abuse services as part of the county’s Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration Program.

The Center for Health Care Services, in partnership with the Bexar County Mental Health Court, provide services to individuals with mental health needs as an alternative to incarceration. The Center also works to identify and remove individuals who have already been incarcerated and are in need treatment. In the past three years, the Mental Health Court has graduated 110 individuals from the program.

San Antonio Lifetime Recovery is an inpatient treatment center with services ranging from 45 to 90 days. The facility is currently housing 28 individuals who have been diverted from the Bexar County Jail for substance use disorder treatment.

TEA Offers Special Education Grant for Students Impacted by Pandemic

On January 28, the Texas Education Agency released an online application for the Supplementary Special Education Services (SSES) program. The SSES program allows children with cognitive disabilities and complex educational needs to receive a $1,500 online credit to be used within the SSES marketplace.

The program will be accepting the applications of approximately 18,000 students with cognitive disabilities across the state. Qualifying recipients of the one-time $1,500 grant will be able to purchase a broad range of educational resources and services to ensure the continuation of their educational progress despite limitations caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Texas Education Agency is requesting that school systems across Texas encourage eligible families of K-12 students to complete the online application through the secure portal. Additional program information, resources, and the application can be found here. Any program and related eligibility questions should be directed to the SSES team at ssesinfo@tea.texas.gov.

HHSC Extends Emergency SNAP Benefits Through February

On February 2, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), announced $300 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of February.

In addition to the issuance of $204 million SNAP benefits in January of this year, Governor Greg Abbott and the HHSC have extended the emergency benefits through February. Emergency SNAP benefits have been vital to Texans struggling with hunger which has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible SNAP recipients will continue to receive the maximum allowable benefit in addition to a 15% increase in their total benefit. These benefits will be distributed to recipients’ accounts by February 28 and will continue monthly until June 2021.

For more information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, click here.

Federal Updates

COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period Begins February 15

President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on January 28 announcing that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will open a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The SEP will give families the opportunity to enroll in 2021 health insurance coverage beginning February 15 and ending May 15, 2021.

HHS stated that during the SEP, individuals who are Marketplace-eligible consumers will be able to apply for new coverage or update an existing application online, by phone, or in person at a direct enrollment site. Residents from states with state-based Marketplaces (SBMs) can find locations to apply for health coverage here. Coverage can be expected to begin within a month after completing an application.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will promote awareness and utilization of the SEP through a paid advertising campaign. A direct customer outreach in several languages will also be available to ensure a diverse range of communities are able to take advantage of this opportunity. The Biden Administration has allocated $50 million for SEP outreach and education.

To determine if you are eligible to enroll in the SEP, click here. More information on the Health Insurance Marketplace can be accessed here.

White House Contracts $230M for At-Home Rapid COVID-19 Tests

On February 1, the Biden administration announced a $232 million contract to the Australian-based Ellume for the development of at-home COVID-19 test kits. The United States is currently in the process of developing an American manufacturing facility that is expected to be finalized this summer.

The Biden Administration has arranged for the Australian facility to produce and ship 100,000 kits per month to the United States beginning February and ending in July when the U.S. facility is complete. At full capacity, the U.S facility is projected to produce up to 19 million test kits per month. The test is 95% effective at detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases with results being available in as little as 15 minutes. The test is conducted using a self-administered nasal swab and the results are delivered via Bluetooth to any smartphone device.

The introduction of an at-home rapid testing option is expected to aid in reducing the spread of COVID-19. With the ability to test safely at home, health experts are optimistic that this convenient new mode of testing will give the country greater access to fast and accurate COVID-19 test results which is crucial to effectively combatting the virus.

COVID-19 NEWS

Current COVID-19 Variants Explained

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified that the coronavirus has mutated to create the B.1.1.7 United Kingdom variant, B1.351 South African variant and the P.1 Brazilian variant. The CDC has expressed that current limited research has not identified the variants to be deadlier. However, they are still more contagious than the original coronavirus strain responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Variants of the virus are discovered through randomized analysis of COVID-19 test samples submitted by providers. The current process allows for the possibility of some circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants to be missed. Texas is currently only able to break down the virus and observe its structure through a process known as sequencing. This information is then sent to the Utah Public Health Lab for variant identification. The state is currently working on creating its own identification infrastructure.

Scientists have expressed concern about the Brazilian variant due to its ability to spread the fastest of all known variants and has been shown to avoid original COVID-19 antibodies. Research at this time is limited and is not sufficient to make any assumptions on how the virus can impact a vaccinated population. Current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to still offer a level of protection to individuals against these variants.

As the vaccine rollout continues within Texas, health experts have urged the public to continue to take precautions such as undergoing COVID-19 testing, wearing a double mask, and social distance to avoid contracting or spreading the virus and its variants.

COVID-19 Vaccine Allocations for Week 8 of Distribution

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) published a news releaseannouncing that Texas can expect to receive 520,425 first COVID-19 vaccine doses during Week 8 of vaccine allocations beginning February 1. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was instructed by DSHS to ship these doses to 344 providers, including 82 hub providers across 166 Texas counties.

Vaccines have been more available now that there is a 30% increase in the number of Moderna vaccines being allocated by the federal government. The Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program ordered more vaccines than needed and will be returning roughly 126,750 Pfizer vaccine doses back to the state. DSHS will be allocating these doses to providers who have received allocations less than necessary to satisfy population rates, particularly within the suburban Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.

Texas is also ordering an additional 188,225 doses reserved as second doses for those who are scheduled to receive their second dose. Individuals are recommended to receive their second dose from the same provider that administered their first dose. Texas has administered roughly 2.2 million doses of the vaccine, in which over 1.75 million people received the first dose and over 410,000 people fully vaccinated. Access more DSHS COVID-19 information here.

Upcoming Hearings

Posted Agendas for House Committees
Posted Agendas for Senate Committees

Upcoming Meetings & Events

February 10 at 9:00 a.m. – Policy Council for Children and Families (PCCF) Agenda meeting

February 11 at 9:00 a.m. – Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC) Agenda meeting

February 11 at 1:00 p.m. – STAR+PLUS Pilot Program Workgroup (SPPPW) Agenda meeting

February 25 at 10:30 a.m. – State Medicaid Managed Care Advisory Committee Clinical Oversight and Administrative Simplification Subcommittee (SMMCAC) Agenda meeting

For more information on health care research, policy or advocacy, please contact Chris Yanas at cyanas@mhm.org.

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Strategic Focus #1 – Transform Internal Processes and Culture

Some of our work in the area of internal transformation includes:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries became the first organization to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification from the Ecumenical Center in August 2021.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries opened the new Dixon Health & Wellness Center on San Antonio’s East Side in 2019.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries announced the launch of a two-year economic mobility study in San Antonio in July 2022.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Commitment to Health Equity:

“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive.”

State Updates

Federal Updates

COVID-19 NEWS