CommUnityCare Health Centers served nearly 130,000 patients in 2022– a milestone in the history of the health system. The vast majority of our patients identify as racial or ethnic minorities and fall at or below 200% of the federal poverty line.

CommUnityCare recognizes the number of non-medical drivers of health that make it harder for underserved communities to seek quality healthcare, like cost, transportation, and health literacy. This is why health equity sits centerstage for us.

An equity lens allows us to properly identify populations within Austin and Central Texas with the greatest health disparities and needs to help increase access to care. We work with community partners to implement important interventions needed and reduce barriers.

For example, last year we launched a partnership with Black Men’s Health Clinic to help increase trust in and access to health care for men of color.

We also began a Doula Pilot Program to help support Black patients through pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Factors such as access to quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions and implicit bias contribute to the disparities affecting black mothers more than other racial and ethnic groups. Understanding these factors is important to be able to serve patients.

And we were able to, for the first time, provide school-based care, beginning with Akins High School in the Austin Independent School District.

Instead of simply treating illnesses that arise due to inequities, our mission is to strengthen the health and well-being of the communities we serve. We are striving to see even more underserved patients in 2023 as the demand for quality, affordable, nonjudgmental care increases.