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CommUnityCare ™ and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin Establish New Health Center in East Austin

CommUnityCare ™, along with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), are excited to announce the grand opening of the Chalmers Courts Health Center. This marks a historic step as one of the first times a federally designated community health center has been established directly within a Central Texas subsidized housing property. The CommUnityCare Chalmers Courts Health Center is located adjacent to Pathways at Chalmers Courts East, a newly rebuilt HACA property serving low-income families in East Austin.

Built in 1939, Chalmers Courts was one of the earliest public housing projects created under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937. In 2022, HACA redeveloped Pathways at Chalmers Courts East as the second phase of a three-stage renovation (including Chalmers Courts West and South) to expand to 398 deeply affordable housing units and offer valuable support services for low-income families. 

The Chalmers Courts Health Center will be critical to providing health and wellness services for residents and the community. The 5,000-square-foot health center offers family medicine, dental, behavioral health, labs, pharmacy services, care coordination and management.

“The rising costs of living in East Austin has forced many of our low-income and minority patients to leave a community they have called home for years,” said CommUnityCare Chief Executive Officer Jaeson Fournier. “Through this partnership with HACA, CommUnityCare is bringing its high quality and affordable primary care services just a few steps away from the doors of Chalmer’s residence.  And thanks to support from Central Health and this innovative partnership, underserved East siders will have access to a medical home in the heart of their community for years to come.”

According to a 2018 HACA Community Health Needs Assessment, 42% of the 150 existing Chalmers residents surveyed said that they visited an emergency room in the prior year, 73% had one or more chronic disease, 43% had difficulty accessing dental services, and 88% indicated that they would likely use on-site primary care services.

“The opening of the Chalmers Courts Health Center marks an exciting milestone for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, CommUnityCare, Central Health, and the residents of Chalmers Courts,” said HACA President and CEO Michael Gerber. “Too many low-income and vulnerable people in Austin–especially in communities of color–have lacked access to health care resources.  The Chalmers Center represents a major step forward for our residents and the surrounding community to achieve a healthier, happier, and more independent quality of life.”

Medical appointments at the CommUnityCare Chalmers Courts Health Center can be scheduled by calling 512-978-8650. Dental appointments can be scheduled by calling 512-978-9640.

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At CommUnityCare, our nurses go above and beyond to support our mission to strengthen the health and well-being of the communities we serve. During Nurses Week, we want to honor our CommUnityCare nurses for their dedication to taking care of us during our most vulnerable moments. 

As we celebrate Nurses Week, take a moment this week to thank a nurse to show them how much they are appreciated. 

Our nurses inspire us daily with their patience, empathy, skill and wisdom. Read below to see how working at CommUnityCare inspires their service.  Pictured from left to right. 

 “We get the opportunity to help people at their most vulnerable moments by addressing the barriers preventing them from receiving the highest quality medical care they deserve. It’s an honor to help our community by closing these gaps. We genuinely help make a difference in our patient’s lives, which reminds me of why I became a nurse.” – Tiffany Bazarte, RN, Care Manager-North Central  

“I’ve been with CUC for 10 years as the Employee Health RN. It is rewarding to support and assist team members so they can continue their passionate work caring for our patients. Our team members are as important as the patients we serve, and I am thankful to be part of this dedicated community.” – Christy Latiolais, RN, Enterprise Employee Health Nurse  

“Our organization’s commitment to diversity and compassion towards each other and the community we serve reflects that of my own as a proud member of Nursing Services.” -Anna Barcenas, BSN, RN,  Associate Director of Nursing Operations-Adult Services  

 “I choose to work at CommUnityCare because I strongly believe health care is a human right, not a privilege. Every day I am excited about CUC’s efforts to advance health equity by providing holistic care to our communities.” -Anna Lane, RN, Manager of Care Management Services  

“I enjoy working with others who want to care for patients and others who walk in our doors. The team here is great at what they do, and it motivates me.” -Julian Chavira, LVN, North Central Specialty  

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CommUnityCare Health Centers is moving its pediatric practice from our East Austin clinic (211 Comal St.) to our new Pflugerville Health Center (2700 W Pecan Street #450, Pflugerville, TX 78660) starting May 30, 2023.

If moving your child’s care to Pflugerville is not convenient for you, we can transfer care to one of our other pediatric locations, including our Chalmers Courts Health Center (COMING SOON) located down the street from East Austin Clinic, at 314 Chicon Street.

The new 15,000-square-foot Pflugerville Health Center will also offer family medicine, women’s health, dental, and laboratory services along with pediatrics.

Your child will receive the same high-quality, welcoming care at all of our locations. We look forward to continuing to care for your family. Call 512-978-9015 to schedule a pediatrics appointment at one of our pediatrics locations.

Pediatric Locations:

Chalmers Courts (COMING SOON)– 314 Chicon St., Austin, TX 78702

South Austin Health Center – 2529 S. First St. Austin, TX 78704

Springdale – 7112 Ed Bluestein Blvd., Suite 100 Austin, TX 78723

Sandra Joy Community Health & Wellness Center – 1705 E. 11th St. Austin, TX 78702

Riverside – 2237 E. Riverside Drive Suite 101-C Austin, TX 78741

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CommUnityCare Health Centers is making strides toward building COVID-19 vaccine confidence and bolstering COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved communities through its grant-funded COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Program. The program launched in January 2023 and has already surpassed expectations and is a testament to CommUnityCare’s mission of striving for health equity and reducing barriers to accessing healthcare resources.

CommUnityCare received $1.175 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration in December 2022 to support education and vaccine events in underserved areas of Central Texas. The funds have supported clinic and community events with vaccines administered by Ascension Seton team members.

CommUnityCare’s Community Outreach Coordinators, Claudia Franco, and Felipe Rivera, along with Community Development Manager, Karla Rivera are leading the outreach effort, coordinating events and providing 1:1 education and information to the community.

“We are thrilled to share the success of our ongoing COVID-19 vaccination program,” said Felipe Rivera. “We have truly been humbled by the rich stories which our patients and community members have shared with us. Ranging from newly emigrated families, all the way to people who are receiving the vaccine for the first time.”

As of April, the bi-lingual outreach team has engaged with nearly 1,400 people both in-clinic and at community events. From these interactions, 352 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge. The work is an extension of CommUnityCare’s work early in the pandemic, working with community partners to ensure more equitable access to vaccines and COVID-19 testing early in the pandemic. CommUnityCare has administered more than 154,000 COVID-19 vaccines since January 2021.

“Our underserved communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 throughout the pandemic and deserve equitable access to vaccines,” said Franco. “Thanks to the engagement and educational information we are able to provide, our community is better informed about current vaccination guidelines.”

The program would not be possible without the collaboration with Ascension, which provides their medical personnel to administer the vaccines. The partnership allows CommUnityCare’s medical staff to remain in the health centers supporting primary care and other needs of its 129,000 patients. Additionally, CommUnityCare has collaborated with the following local organizations to help this program grow: Equidad ATX, JD’s Supermarkets, Mexican American Cultural Arts Center, Mexican Consulate, Todos Juntos, Travis County Precinct 4 Constable Office and United Way of Central Texas.

This free COVID-19 vaccination program is open to anyone in the community ages 5 and older. If you would like to receive your free COVID-19 vaccine, please see the list of upcoming events below.

 

May Clinic Events:

North Central Health Center
Mondays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm | Wednesdays 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Southeast Health & Wellness Center
Tuesdays 8:00 am – 12:00 pm | Thursdays 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

 

May Community Events:

May 13th: Bookspring Fest
1807 W Slaughter Ln., Bldg #1, Austin, TX., 78748 | 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm

May 16th: Creedmoor Food Distribution
5604 FM 1327 Creedmoor, TX., 78610 | 8:30 am – 9:30 am

May 19th: 30th Annual Senior Mayfest: Wild World of Sports
Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA)
1156 Hargrave St., Austin, TX 78702 | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

May 20th: Del Valle High School Food Distribution
5210 Ross Rd., Del Valle, TX., 78617 | 9:30 am – 11:45 am

May 25th: Turner Roberts Rec Center Food Distribution
7201 Colony Loop, Austin, TX., 78724 | 9:30 am – 11:00 am

May 25th: AVANCE South Graduation at Anita Coy Facility
4900 Gonzalez St., Austin, TX., 78702 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

May 26th: AVANCE North Graduation at River Oaks Elementary
12401 Scofield Farms Dr., Austin, TX., 78758 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm