Serving Humanity to Honor God
We are broadening the definition of health care beyond providing high-quality care when people are sick to address systemic inequities so that more people can reach their full potential for health and life.
(San Antonio, TX, June 20, 2025) – In 2025, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) is investing nearly $214 million to advance health equity, strengthen communities and drive systemic change across its 74-county service area. This amount includes funding for direct services, community investments, the development of community partnerships, and advocacy initiatives that create a more level playing field for individuals to thrive. The organization’s 2025 commitment represents an increase of 18 percent from its 2024 investment.
The $213.6 million commitment reflects a strategic focus on advancing health equity, the framework of thought and action guiding the organization’s efforts to address systemic inequities and socio-economic barriers that keep people from living their healthiest lives.
“This investment captures the different ways MHM is advancing health equity across our 74-county service area, so more people and communities have an opportunity to thrive and reach their fullest potential for health and life,” said Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries.
MHM allocates this investment across various key areas of operations, which include grants, strategic operating initiatives, direct services, and administrative costs that support these areas. This allocation ensures the organization delivers on its mission, vision, and strategy effectively. To ensure its investment has the highest level of community impact, MHM has consistently kept its administrative expenses below 15%, which is required to receive the highest possible score from Charity Navigator for analysis.
Grantmaking:
For 2025, MHM has apportioned $62.5 million to over 185 nonprofit organizations and municipalities. This funding includes $35.6 million in new grants awarded in 2025 through a new open grant cycle MHM initiated in 2024. MHM has made a commitment to support thriving people and places, including supporting organizations that address vital conditions, or the properties and conditions across places that everyone needs to reach their full potential for health and life.
MHM aims to help create and sustain healthy communities by supporting grant recipients addressing one of the following priority areas: access to care, mental and behavioral health; digital equity; food security; housing; education and workforce development. MHM’s grantmaking strives to deepen collaborative efforts, incentivize quality health outcomes, leverage and strengthen health care delivery systems, and promote sustainable systems change. Twenty percent of the grantees this year are first-time recipients.
An example of MHM’s support for its grantees is evidenced by its support of Alpha Home and Prosumers International, two nonprofit organizations each focused on providing mental and behavioral health care services to patient populations in need of support.
Alpha Home, a nonprofit organization based in San Antonio providing spiritually-based drug and alcohol treatment services and support to individuals, has been an MHM grantee since 2023. This year, they received $500 thousand to help renovate a 25,000 sq. ft living facility to deliver rehabilitation treatment and case management services for its clients.
"Recovery should never be out of reach," said Bill Bailey, President and CEO of Cenikor. "With Alpha Home joining the Cenikor family and support from the Methodist Healthcare Ministries grant, we are taking a bold step to expand from 36 to 80 beds with a new facility. We will also have residential services for men and woman. This strengthens our continuum of care in Bexar County and helps more individuals and families thrive."
Prosumers International is a first-time grantee, receiving $70,000 in 2025 to expand its Peer Run Warmline, to provide ongoing training for peer support specialists, and to continue outreach efforts that can increase usage in South Texas. “Because of the MHM grant, we have been able to keep our program in McAllen up and running and we are working to expand the bilingual Peer Run Warmline in collaboration with Hope Family Health Center, an MHM grant recipient from a previous cycle,” said Anna H. Gray, Executive Director of Prosumers International. “It is hard to express in words the impact MHM is having for Prosumers International.”
Strategic Initiatives:
In addition to the annual funding provided by MHM’s Community Investments team to grantees, MHM has allocated nearly $27 million toward strategic initiatives that amplify its overall strategic goals of removing systemic barriers to well-being and improving community-level conditions across its service area.
These include previously announced initiatives that continue into 2025, such as the South Texas Safe Water Project, the San Antonio GOALS Initiative, the American Cancer Society Methodist Healthcare Ministries Hope Lodge, and the Community Health Accelerator launched with VelocityTX, among others. Each initiative seeks to address vital conditions and root causes of poverty and health inequities that impact the health and well-being of people and communities across Texas. Together with new initiatives to be announced later in 2025 that address food security, economic mobility, rural health and digital equity, these efforts represent MHM’s continued efforts to broaden the definition of health care to address the social and systemic factors that impact individual and community health.
Direct Services
Creating access to care through the provision of clinical services has always been key to the organization's mission. MHM operates two San Antonio-based primary health care clinics (Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Dixon Health & Wellness Center) and one school-based health center (George Ricks School-Based Health Center at Schertz Elementary). The clinics address the needs of low-income families and the uninsured by providing services at no cost or on a sliding fee scale. The health care services MHM provides are a cornerstone of its charitable purpose of creating access to care.
Additionally, MHM offers health care services and programs throughout its 74-county service area including community counseling services, community health worker program, Get FIT prevention program, parenting support groups and care coordination, and referrals through its Wesley Nurse program.
Since inception, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has provided more than $1.66 billion in health care services through its clinical programs, as well as through partnerships, and is one of the largest private funding sources for community health care to low-income families and the uninsured in South Texas.
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About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries broadens the definition of health care by providing low-cost clinical care for the uninsured and by supporting community-led efforts that improve living conditions that cause people to be sick in the first place. We use our earnings as co-owners of Methodist Healthcare to ensure that people who are economically disadvantaged and uninsured can live their healthiest lives. We do this by advocating for, investing in, and providing access to quality clinical care and addressing factors that affect health—including economic mobility, supportive relationships, food security, broadband access, and safe neighborhoods. Ultimately, we fulfill our mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God” by advancing health equity so that more resilient individuals & families living in the 74 counties we serve can thrive.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries invierte $214 millones para
ampliar la definición de lo que significa la atención sanitaria en Texas
(San Antonio, TX, 20 de junio de 2025) – En 2025, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) invertirá casi $214 millones para promover la equidad en la salud, fortalecer las comunidades e impulsar un cambio sistémico en los 74 condados en los que presta sus servicios. Esta cantidad incluye la financiación de servicios directos, inversiones en la comunidad, el desarrollo de colaboraciones comunitarias e iniciativas de apoyo a la comunidad que crean condiciones más equitativas para que las personas puedan prosperar. El compromiso de la organización para 2025 representa un aumento del 18% con respecto a su inversión de 2024.
El compromiso de $213.6 millones refleja un enfoque estratégico en el avance de la equidad en la salud, el marco de pensamiento y acción que guía los esfuerzos de la organización para abordar las inequidades sistémicas y las barreras socioeconómicas que impiden a las personas llevar una vida más saludable.
“Esta inversión refleja las diferentes formas en que MHM está promoviendo la equidad en la salud en los 74 condados en los que prestamos servicio, para que más personas y comunidades tengan la oportunidad de prosperar y alcanzar su máximo potencial en materia de salud y vida”, afirmó Jaime Wesolowski, presidente y director ejecutivo de Methodist Healthcare Ministries.
MHM destina esta inversión a diversas áreas clave de sus operaciones, entre las que se incluyen subvenciones, iniciativas operativas estratégicas, servicios directos y gastos administrativos que respaldan estas áreas. Esta asignación garantiza que la organización cumpla su misión, visión y estrategia de manera eficaz. Para garantizar que su inversión tenga el mayor impacto posible en la comunidad, MHM ha mantenido constantemente sus gastos administrativos por debajo del 15%, lo que es necesario para obtener la máxima puntuación posible en el análisis de Charity Navigator.
Concesión de subvenciones:
Para 2025, MHM ha asignado $62.5 millones a más de 185 organizaciones sin fines de lucro y municipios. Esta financiación incluye $35.6 millones en nuevas subvenciones concedidas en 2025 a través de un nuevo ciclo de subvenciones abiertas que MHM inició en 2024. MHM se ha comprometido a apoyar a las personas y los lugares prósperos, lo que incluye el apoyo a organizaciones que se ocupan de condiciones vitales, o de las propiedades y condiciones de los lugares que todos necesitan para alcanzar su pleno potencial en materia de salud y vida.
MHM tiene como objetivo ayudar a crear y mantener comunidades saludables mediante el apoyo a los beneficiarios de las subvenciones que abordan una de las siguientes áreas prioritarias: acceso a la salud, salud mental y conductual; equidad digital; seguridad alimentaria; vivienda; educación y desarrollo de la fuerza laboral. Las subvenciones de MHMse esfuerzan por profundizar los esfuerzos de colaboración, incentivar resultados de salud de calidad, aprovechar y fortalecer los sistemas de prestación de atención médica y promover un cambio sostenible en los sistemas. El veinte por ciento de los beneficiarios de este año son receptores por primera vez.
Un ejemplo del apoyo que MHM brinda a sus beneficiarios es el respaldo que ofrece a Alpha Home y Prosumers International, dos organizaciones sin fines de lucro dedicadas a proporcionar servicios de salud mental y conductual a pacientes que necesitan apoyo.
Alpha Home, una organización sin ánimo de lucro con sede en San Antonio que ofrece servicios de tratamiento de la adicción a las drogas y el alcohol basados en la espiritualidad, así como apoyo a las personas, es beneficiaria de MHMdesde 2023. Este año, ha recibido $500,000 para ayudar a renovar unas instalaciones de 2300 pies cuadrados destinadas a ofrecer tratamiento de rehabilitación y servicios de administración de casos a sus clientes.
"La recuperación nunca debe estar fuera del alcance de nadie", afirmó Bill Bailey, presidente y director ejecutivo de Cenikor. "Con la incorporación de Alpha Home a la familia Cenikor y el apoyo de la subvención de Methodist Healthcare Ministries, estamos dando un paso audaz para ampliar de 36 a 80 camas con una nueva instalación. También ofreceremos servicios residenciales para hombres y mujeres. Esto refuerza nuestra continuidad asistencial en el condado de Bexar y ayuda a más personas y familias a prosperar"
Prosumers International es una organización que recibe una subvención por primera vez, con $70,000 en 2025 para ampliar su línea de ayuda Peer Run Warmline, para proporcionar formación continua a los especialistas que apoyan a personas con necesidades similares y continuar con las iniciativas de alcance que pueden aumentar su uso en el sur de Texas. “Gracias a la subvención de MHM, hemos podido mantener en funcionamiento nuestro programa en McAllen y estamos trabajando para ampliar la línea de ayuda Peer Run Warmline bilingüe en colaboración con Hope Family Health Center, beneficiario de una subvención de MHM en un ciclo anterior,” afirmó Anna H. Gray, directora ejecutiva de Prosumers International. “Es difícil expresar con palabras el impacto que MHM está teniendo en Prosumers International.”
Iniciativas estratégicas:
Además de la financiación anual que el equipo de Inversiones Comunitarias de MHM proporciona a los beneficiarios, MHM ha destinado casi $27 millones a iniciativas estratégicas que amplían sus objetivos estratégicos generales de eliminar las barreras sistémicas al bienestar y mejorar las condiciones a nivel comunitario en toda su área de servicio.
Entre ellas se incluyen iniciativas anunciadas anteriormente que continuarán en 2025, como el Proyecto de Agua Potable del Sur de Texas, la Iniciativa GOALS de San Antonio, el Hope Lodge de Methodist Healthcare Ministries de la Sociedad Americana del Cáncer, y el Community Health Accelerator lanzado junto con VelocityTX, entre otras. Cada iniciativa busca abordar las condiciones vitales y las causas fundamentales de la pobreza y las inequidades en materia de salud que afectan a la salud y el bienestar de las personas y las comunidades de Texas. Junto con las nuevas iniciativas que se anunciarán a finales de 2025 y que abordarán la seguridad alimentaria, la movilidad económica, la salud rural y equidad digital, estos esfuerzos representan los continuos esfuerzos de MHM por ampliar la definición de atención sanitaria para abordar los factores sociales y sistémicos que afectan a la salud individual y comunitaria.
Servicios directos
Crear acceso a la atención médica mediante la prestación de servicios clínicos siempre ha sido clave para la misión de la organización. MHM opera dos clínicas de atención médica primaria en San Antonio (Wesley Health & Wellness Center y Dixon Health & Wellness Center) y un centro de salud escolar (George Ricks School-Based Health Center en Schertz Elementary). Las clínicas atienden las necesidades de las familias con bajos ingresos y sin seguro médico, prestando servicios gratuitos o con tarifas variables en función de los ingresos. Los servicios de atención médica que presta MHM son la base de su objetivo benéfico de facilitar el acceso a la atención médica.
Además, MHM ofrece servicios y programas de atención médica en toda su área de servicio, que abarca 74 condados, incluyendo servicios de consejería a la comunidad, un programa de promotores de la salud comunitarios, el programa de prevención Get FIT, grupos de apoyo para padres y coordinación de la atención, y referencias médicas a través de su programa Wesley Nurse.
Desde su creación, Methodist Healthcare Ministries ha proporcionado más de $1.66 mil millones en servicios de atención médica a través de sus programas clínicos, así como a través de asociaciones, y es una de las mayores fuentes de financiación privada para la atención médica comunitaria de familias con bajos ingresos y personas sin seguro médico en el sur de Texas.
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Acerca de Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries amplía la definición de lo que significa la atención médica al brindar atención clínica de bajo costo a quienes no tienen seguro y al apoyar los esfuerzos dirigidos por la comunidad que mejoran las condiciones de vida que causan que las personas se enfermen en primer lugar. Utilizamos nuestras ganancias como copropietarios de Methodist Healthcare para garantizar que las personas económicamente desfavorecidas y sin seguro puedan vivir una vida más saludable. Lo hacemos defendiendo, invirtiendo y brindando acceso a atención clínica de calidad y abordando los factores que afectan la salud, incluida la movilidad económica, las relaciones de apoyo, la seguridad alimentaria, el acceso a banda ancha y los vecindarios seguros. En última instancia, cumplimos nuestra misión de “Servir a la humanidad para honrar a Dios” promoviendo la equidad en salud para que las personas y familias más resilientes que viven en los 74 condados a los que servimos puedan prosperar.
(San Antonio, TX, June 20, 2025) – In 2025, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) is investing nearly $214 million to advance health equity, strengthen communities and drive systemic change across its 74-county service area. This amount includes funding for direct services, community investments, the development of community partnerships, and advocacy initiatives that create a more level playing field for individuals to thrive. The organization’s 2025 commitment represents an increase of 18 percent from its 2024 investment.
The $213.6 million commitment reflects a strategic focus on advancing health equity, the framework of thought and action guiding the organization’s efforts to address systemic inequities and socio-economic barriers that keep people from living their healthiest lives.
“This investment captures the different ways MHM is advancing health equity across our 74-county service area, so more people and communities have an opportunity to thrive and reach their fullest potential for health and life,” said Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries.
MHM allocates this investment across various key areas of operations, which include grants, strategic operating initiatives, direct services, and administrative costs that support these areas. This allocation ensures the organization delivers on its mission, vision, and strategy effectively. To ensure its investment has the highest level of community impact, MHM has consistently kept its administrative expenses below 15%, which is required to receive the highest possible score from Charity Navigator for analysis.
Grantmaking:
For 2025, MHM has apportioned $62.5 million to over 185 nonprofit organizations and municipalities. This funding includes $35.6 million in new grants awarded in 2025 through a new open grant cycle MHM initiated in 2024. MHM has made a commitment to support thriving people and places, including supporting organizations that address vital conditions, or the properties and conditions across places that everyone needs to reach their full potential for health and life.
MHM aims to help create and sustain healthy communities by supporting grant recipients addressing one of the following priority areas: access to care, mental and behavioral health; digital equity; food security; housing; education and workforce development. MHM’s grantmaking strives to deepen collaborative efforts, incentivize quality health outcomes, leverage and strengthen health care delivery systems, and promote sustainable systems change. Twenty percent of the grantees this year are first-time recipients.
An example of MHM’s support for its grantees is evidenced by its support of Alpha Home and Prosumers International, two nonprofit organizations each focused on providing mental and behavioral health care services to patient populations in need of support.
Alpha Home, a nonprofit organization based in San Antonio providing spiritually-based drug and alcohol treatment services and support to individuals, has been an MHM grantee since 2023. This year, they received $500 thousand to help renovate a 25,000 sq. ft living facility to deliver rehabilitation treatment and case management services for its clients.
"Recovery should never be out of reach," said Bill Bailey, President and CEO of Cenikor. "With Alpha Home joining the Cenikor family and support from the Methodist Healthcare Ministries grant, we are taking a bold step to expand from 36 to 80 beds with a new facility. We will also have residential services for men and woman. This strengthens our continuum of care in Bexar County and helps more individuals and families thrive."
Prosumers International is a first-time grantee, receiving $70,000 in 2025 to expand its Peer Run Warmline, to provide ongoing training for peer support specialists, and to continue outreach efforts that can increase usage in South Texas. “Because of the MHM grant, we have been able to keep our program in McAllen up and running and we are working to expand the bilingual Peer Run Warmline in collaboration with Hope Family Health Center, an MHM grant recipient from a previous cycle,” said Anna H. Gray, Executive Director of Prosumers International. “It is hard to express in words the impact MHM is having for Prosumers International.”
Strategic Initiatives:
In addition to the annual funding provided by MHM’s Community Investments team to grantees, MHM has allocated nearly $27 million toward strategic initiatives that amplify its overall strategic goals of removing systemic barriers to well-being and improving community-level conditions across its service area.
These include previously announced initiatives that continue into 2025, such as the South Texas Safe Water Project, the San Antonio GOALS Initiative, the American Cancer Society Methodist Healthcare Ministries Hope Lodge, and the Community Health Accelerator launched with VelocityTX, among others. Each initiative seeks to address vital conditions and root causes of poverty and health inequities that impact the health and well-being of people and communities across Texas. Together with new initiatives to be announced later in 2025 that address food security, economic mobility, rural health and digital equity, these efforts represent MHM’s continued efforts to broaden the definition of health care to address the social and systemic factors that impact individual and community health.
Direct Services
Creating access to care through the provision of clinical services has always been key to the organization's mission. MHM operates two San Antonio-based primary health care clinics (Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Dixon Health & Wellness Center) and one school-based health center (George Ricks School-Based Health Center at Schertz Elementary). The clinics address the needs of low-income families and the uninsured by providing services at no cost or on a sliding fee scale. The health care services MHM provides are a cornerstone of its charitable purpose of creating access to care.
Additionally, MHM offers health care services and programs throughout its 74-county service area including community counseling services, community health worker program, Get FIT prevention program, parenting support groups and care coordination, and referrals through its Wesley Nurse program.
Since inception, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has provided more than $1.66 billion in health care services through its clinical programs, as well as through partnerships, and is one of the largest private funding sources for community health care to low-income families and the uninsured in South Texas.
###
About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries broadens the definition of health care by providing low-cost clinical care for the uninsured and by supporting community-led efforts that improve living conditions that cause people to be sick in the first place. We use our earnings as co-owners of Methodist Healthcare to ensure that people who are economically disadvantaged and uninsured can live their healthiest lives. We do this by advocating for, investing in, and providing access to quality clinical care and addressing factors that affect health—including economic mobility, supportive relationships, food security, broadband access, and safe neighborhoods. Ultimately, we fulfill our mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God” by advancing health equity so that more resilient individuals & families living in the 74 counties we serve can thrive.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries invierte $214 millones para
ampliar la definición de lo que significa la atención sanitaria en Texas
(San Antonio, TX, 20 de junio de 2025) – En 2025, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) invertirá casi $214 millones para promover la equidad en la salud, fortalecer las comunidades e impulsar un cambio sistémico en los 74 condados en los que presta sus servicios. Esta cantidad incluye la financiación de servicios directos, inversiones en la comunidad, el desarrollo de colaboraciones comunitarias e iniciativas de apoyo a la comunidad que crean condiciones más equitativas para que las personas puedan prosperar. El compromiso de la organización para 2025 representa un aumento del 18% con respecto a su inversión de 2024.
El compromiso de $213.6 millones refleja un enfoque estratégico en el avance de la equidad en la salud, el marco de pensamiento y acción que guía los esfuerzos de la organización para abordar las inequidades sistémicas y las barreras socioeconómicas que impiden a las personas llevar una vida más saludable.
“Esta inversión refleja las diferentes formas en que MHM está promoviendo la equidad en la salud en los 74 condados en los que prestamos servicio, para que más personas y comunidades tengan la oportunidad de prosperar y alcanzar su máximo potencial en materia de salud y vida”, afirmó Jaime Wesolowski, presidente y director ejecutivo de Methodist Healthcare Ministries.
MHM destina esta inversión a diversas áreas clave de sus operaciones, entre las que se incluyen subvenciones, iniciativas operativas estratégicas, servicios directos y gastos administrativos que respaldan estas áreas. Esta asignación garantiza que la organización cumpla su misión, visión y estrategia de manera eficaz. Para garantizar que su inversión tenga el mayor impacto posible en la comunidad, MHM ha mantenido constantemente sus gastos administrativos por debajo del 15%, lo que es necesario para obtener la máxima puntuación posible en el análisis de Charity Navigator.
Concesión de subvenciones:
Para 2025, MHM ha asignado $62.5 millones a más de 185 organizaciones sin fines de lucro y municipios. Esta financiación incluye $35.6 millones en nuevas subvenciones concedidas en 2025 a través de un nuevo ciclo de subvenciones abiertas que MHM inició en 2024. MHM se ha comprometido a apoyar a las personas y los lugares prósperos, lo que incluye el apoyo a organizaciones que se ocupan de condiciones vitales, o de las propiedades y condiciones de los lugares que todos necesitan para alcanzar su pleno potencial en materia de salud y vida.
MHM tiene como objetivo ayudar a crear y mantener comunidades saludables mediante el apoyo a los beneficiarios de las subvenciones que abordan una de las siguientes áreas prioritarias: acceso a la salud, salud mental y conductual; equidad digital; seguridad alimentaria; vivienda; educación y desarrollo de la fuerza laboral. Las subvenciones de MHMse esfuerzan por profundizar los esfuerzos de colaboración, incentivar resultados de salud de calidad, aprovechar y fortalecer los sistemas de prestación de atención médica y promover un cambio sostenible en los sistemas. El veinte por ciento de los beneficiarios de este año son receptores por primera vez.
Un ejemplo del apoyo que MHM brinda a sus beneficiarios es el respaldo que ofrece a Alpha Home y Prosumers International, dos organizaciones sin fines de lucro dedicadas a proporcionar servicios de salud mental y conductual a pacientes que necesitan apoyo.
Alpha Home, una organización sin ánimo de lucro con sede en San Antonio que ofrece servicios de tratamiento de la adicción a las drogas y el alcohol basados en la espiritualidad, así como apoyo a las personas, es beneficiaria de MHMdesde 2023. Este año, ha recibido $500,000 para ayudar a renovar unas instalaciones de 2300 pies cuadrados destinadas a ofrecer tratamiento de rehabilitación y servicios de administración de casos a sus clientes.
"La recuperación nunca debe estar fuera del alcance de nadie", afirmó Bill Bailey, presidente y director ejecutivo de Cenikor. "Con la incorporación de Alpha Home a la familia Cenikor y el apoyo de la subvención de Methodist Healthcare Ministries, estamos dando un paso audaz para ampliar de 36 a 80 camas con una nueva instalación. También ofreceremos servicios residenciales para hombres y mujeres. Esto refuerza nuestra continuidad asistencial en el condado de Bexar y ayuda a más personas y familias a prosperar"
Prosumers International es una organización que recibe una subvención por primera vez, con $70,000 en 2025 para ampliar su línea de ayuda Peer Run Warmline, para proporcionar formación continua a los especialistas que apoyan a personas con necesidades similares y continuar con las iniciativas de alcance que pueden aumentar su uso en el sur de Texas. “Gracias a la subvención de MHM, hemos podido mantener en funcionamiento nuestro programa en McAllen y estamos trabajando para ampliar la línea de ayuda Peer Run Warmline bilingüe en colaboración con Hope Family Health Center, beneficiario de una subvención de MHM en un ciclo anterior,” afirmó Anna H. Gray, directora ejecutiva de Prosumers International. “Es difícil expresar con palabras el impacto que MHM está teniendo en Prosumers International.”
Iniciativas estratégicas:
Además de la financiación anual que el equipo de Inversiones Comunitarias de MHM proporciona a los beneficiarios, MHM ha destinado casi $27 millones a iniciativas estratégicas que amplían sus objetivos estratégicos generales de eliminar las barreras sistémicas al bienestar y mejorar las condiciones a nivel comunitario en toda su área de servicio.
Entre ellas se incluyen iniciativas anunciadas anteriormente que continuarán en 2025, como el Proyecto de Agua Potable del Sur de Texas, la Iniciativa GOALS de San Antonio, el Hope Lodge de Methodist Healthcare Ministries de la Sociedad Americana del Cáncer, y el Community Health Accelerator lanzado junto con VelocityTX, entre otras. Cada iniciativa busca abordar las condiciones vitales y las causas fundamentales de la pobreza y las inequidades en materia de salud que afectan a la salud y el bienestar de las personas y las comunidades de Texas. Junto con las nuevas iniciativas que se anunciarán a finales de 2025 y que abordarán la seguridad alimentaria, la movilidad económica, la salud rural y equidad digital, estos esfuerzos representan los continuos esfuerzos de MHM por ampliar la definición de atención sanitaria para abordar los factores sociales y sistémicos que afectan a la salud individual y comunitaria.
Servicios directos
Crear acceso a la atención médica mediante la prestación de servicios clínicos siempre ha sido clave para la misión de la organización. MHM opera dos clínicas de atención médica primaria en San Antonio (Wesley Health & Wellness Center y Dixon Health & Wellness Center) y un centro de salud escolar (George Ricks School-Based Health Center en Schertz Elementary). Las clínicas atienden las necesidades de las familias con bajos ingresos y sin seguro médico, prestando servicios gratuitos o con tarifas variables en función de los ingresos. Los servicios de atención médica que presta MHM son la base de su objetivo benéfico de facilitar el acceso a la atención médica.
Además, MHM ofrece servicios y programas de atención médica en toda su área de servicio, que abarca 74 condados, incluyendo servicios de consejería a la comunidad, un programa de promotores de la salud comunitarios, el programa de prevención Get FIT, grupos de apoyo para padres y coordinación de la atención, y referencias médicas a través de su programa Wesley Nurse.
Desde su creación, Methodist Healthcare Ministries ha proporcionado más de $1.66 mil millones en servicios de atención médica a través de sus programas clínicos, así como a través de asociaciones, y es una de las mayores fuentes de financiación privada para la atención médica comunitaria de familias con bajos ingresos y personas sin seguro médico en el sur de Texas.
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Acerca de Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries amplía la definición de lo que significa la atención médica al brindar atención clínica de bajo costo a quienes no tienen seguro y al apoyar los esfuerzos dirigidos por la comunidad que mejoran las condiciones de vida que causan que las personas se enfermen en primer lugar. Utilizamos nuestras ganancias como copropietarios de Methodist Healthcare para garantizar que las personas económicamente desfavorecidas y sin seguro puedan vivir una vida más saludable. Lo hacemos defendiendo, invirtiendo y brindando acceso a atención clínica de calidad y abordando los factores que afectan la salud, incluida la movilidad económica, las relaciones de apoyo, la seguridad alimentaria, el acceso a banda ancha y los vecindarios seguros. En última instancia, cumplimos nuestra misión de “Servir a la humanidad para honrar a Dios” promoviendo la equidad en salud para que las personas y familias más resilientes que viven en los 74 condados a los que servimos puedan prosperar.
San Antonio (May 19, 2025) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and to commemorate this month, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) hosted the inaugural Nurturing Our Well-Being: A Celebration of Mental Health held at its Dixon Health & Wellness Center on Saturday, May 17.
The free community event featured several activities that focused on well-being and self-care, such as breathing exercises, drum circles, chair yoga, and baila class. Nearly 250 families and individuals attended the event to access the resources and information provided by MHM and partners such as River City Produce, SA Threads, Be SMART, Beyond 21, and Care Now.
“Whether you are a mental health professional, a caregiver, someone with lived experience, or an ally, you play a vital role in our community journey for improved mental health,” said Xochy Hurtado, Chief Operating Officer at MHM. “Nurturing Our Well-Being: A Celebration of Mental Health is about more than raising awareness it’s also about taking action, having compassion, and creating safe spaces for healing and connection and nurturing the well-being of individuals and the community.”
Mental health illness affects millions of Americans every day. 1 in 5 adults experience mental health illness each year and 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental health. 1 in 6 U.S. youth deal with mental health disorders. There are several types of mental health conditions that affect people differently, such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.
“My heart is full of gratitude,” said Celina Gonzalez, Behavioral Health Supervisor at MHM. “It was amazing to see all the team members from throughout the organization come together to play a role in Nurturing Our Well-Being. The response that we had from the Dixon Health & Wellness Center community showed how much mental health services are wanted and needed.”
The event kicked off with a short program featuring remarks from Hurtado, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert (Precinct 4) and City Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (District 3). Booths and tables were spread across the walking trail at the Dixon Health & Wellness Center where attendees were able to visit and receive information and resources for improving their mental health. River City Produce was on-site providing $1,500 in free, fresh produce to 120 families.
“I’m proud to stand with our community in recognizing that mental health is essential to overall health,” said Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (District 3). “I’m grateful to Methodist Healthcare Ministries and all our partners for helping us create a space of connection, support, and hope. Let’s keep the conversation going—because no one should face mental health challenges alone.”
MHM’s Behavioral Health Department provides bilingual services at its San Antonio based clinics; Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Dixon Health & Wellness Center, including parts of its 74-county service area. Services include one-to-one counseling, group counseling, educational case management, resource support, and more.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Dixon Health & Wellness Center moved to its current location in 2018 after over $3M was invested to purchase and transform the former Southeast Baptist Hospital. The center features: a state-of-the-art dental suite offering 24 dental chairs and oral surgery; physical therapy offered in partnership with The University of the Incarnate Word School of Physical Therapy; a beautiful courtyard with a walking trail and benches, providing community members and clinic staff alike a safe place to exercise and relax; and a chapel where people can find a quiet place to meditate and pray. The Dixon Health & Wellness Center marks the culmination of years’ work by Methodist Healthcare Ministries working with incredible partners and stakeholders to deliver on a commitment to serve the community on the Eastside that has been often underserved and overlooked by others.
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert (Precinct 4) remarked "Fourteen years ago, in June of 2011, Southeast Baptist Hospital closed. For many of us in Precinct 4, that closure didn’t just take away a building—it took away access, dignity, and a sense of care that our communities had long been denied. It was a moment that could have deepened despair. But I made a promise that Southeast Baptist would not become an eye sore and with the partnership of Methodist Healthcare Ministries, I am proud to say I fulfilled that promise.” MHM’s mission is “Serving Humanity to Honor God” and events such as Nurturing Our Well-Being further its efforts to provide the community with accessible resources that aim to lift people up in mind, body, and spirit.
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About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries broadens the definition of health care by providing low-cost clinical care for the uninsured and by supporting community-led efforts that improve living conditions that cause people to be sick in the first place. We use our earnings as co-owners of Methodist Healthcare to ensure that people who are economically disadvantaged and uninsured can live their healthiest lives. We do this by advocating for, investing in and providing access to quality clinical care and addressing factors that affect health—including economic mobility, supportive relationships, food security, broadband access, and safe neighborhoods. Ultimately, we fulfill our mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God” by advancing health equity so that more resilient individuals and families living in the 74 counties we serve can thrive.
SAN ANTONIO (March 26) – VelocityTX, the Eastside innovation hub and economic development organization, announced today the opening of applications for the 2025 cohort of its Community Health Accelerator, a specialized program designed to advance startups focused on commercializing solutions that address the social determinants of health (SDOH).
Launched in 2023, the annual accelerator is the cornerstone of a multi-year partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM). “The Community Health Accelerator is propelling innovation and sustainable solutions at the intersection of business and community impact that can transform healthcare delivery for those most in need,” said MHM President and CEO Jaime Wesolowski. “We are excited to see what the 2025 applicants will bring to the table as we seek to address the social determinants of health and advance health and wellness in communities across South Texas.”
Conducted over eight weeks beginning in August, the Community Health Accelerator will provide founders with resources and training to help navigate the challenges of early-stage growth. The program offers classroom-style business training and operational guidance, and each participant will receive personalized mentoring and pitch coaching from local business leaders.
The program culminates in a public Demo Day, where the five companies selected for the cohort will showcase their innovations for a panel of judges.
"The Community Health Accelerator is a first-of-its-kind program and we are excited that San Antonio is leading the conversation around this critical area of healthcare," said Rene Dominguez, President and CEO of VelocityTX. "Our 2024 cohort represented some of the most innovative companies from across North America, and we look forward to helping advance a new class of social entrepreneurs to the forefront."
The program’s 2024 winner, Dallas-based Yumlish, recently launched a community pilot of their technology in the Rio Grande Valley, where they hope to combat diabetes with their culturally-relevant nutrition management platform. "We have worked hard to create an accessible solution for Spanish-speaking communities, and we are so excited about the impact Yumlish will have in the Rio Grande Valley," said Founder and CEO Shireen Abdullah.
Companies interested in applying to the Community Health Accelerator may do so here. Applications will close on June 15, 2025.
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About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries broadens the definition of healthcare by providing low-cost clinical care for the uninsured and by supporting community-led efforts that improve living conditions that cause people to be sick in the first place. We use our earnings as co-owners of Methodist Healthcare to ensure that people who are economically disadvantaged and uninsured can live their healthiest lives. We do this by advocating for, investing in and providing access to quality clinical care and addressing factors that affect health—including economic mobility, supportive relationships, food security, broadband access, and safe neighborhoods. Ultimately, we fulfill our mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God” by advancing health equity so that more resilient individuals & families living in the 74 counties we serve can thrive.
About VelocityTX
Formerly known as the Texas Research & Technology Foundation, VelocityTX is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 to promote sustainable economic and community growth. In carrying out this mission, the organization seeks to advance San Antonio’s life sciences industry through the development of a state-of-the-art bioscience innovation campus on the city's near east side. Based out of the former Merchants Ice & Cold Storage complex, the master planned development will bring together established bioscience companies, healthcare startups, and military medical research organizations in an inclusive community where ideas collide to spur medical breakthroughs. VelocityTX also promotes workforce development through its Step Into STEM program, and provides entrepreneurial support services designed to accelerate the commercialization of emerging medical technologies. Learn more at velocitytx.org.
San Antonio (March 31, 2025) Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) announced it will continue partnering with the Texas A&M University School of Public Health on the South Texas Safe Water Project through 2028. The $5 million, four-year grant will enable Texas A&M to further identify sustainable solutions for critical water quality and public health challenges in the underserved Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties in South Texas. The funding was announced at a community presentation held at Texas A&M’s Higher Education Center in McAllen on January 30.
“Our work with Texas A&M on the South Texas Safe Water Project is only just getting started as we plan to use the data from this first phase to inform public policy and expand our partnership into other communities,” said Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. “We want to dig deeper, literally, by also taking soil samples to examine the full depth of this crisis. The health outcomes and outlook for those we serve shouldn’t be limited by the water they drink. We are committed to learning more and supporting policies and innovative solutions that restore clean water and improve well-being for all.”
The South Texas Safe Water Project will continue to be led by Texas A&M public health researchers Garett Sansom, DrPH and Taehyun Roh, PhD as the Principal Investigators. The project continues the work that began with dual, two-year pilot studies conducted by Texas A&M researchers in collaboration with MHM announced in 2022.
The first project assessed the exposure to arsenic and other heavy metals from drinking water sources in residents of colonias along the Rio Grande border and implemented interventions to reduce it. The second project introduced community-based participatory research concepts to high school students in the region.“ The new, four-year project will build on the success of our collaboration with Methodist Healthcare Ministries to provide sustainable solutions for improving water quality, strengthen community resilience and foster long-term, positive health outcomes,” Sansom said.
2022-2024 study revealed significant heavy metals in colonia residents’ drinking water.
Doctors Sansom, Roh, and another Texas A&M public health researcher, Lindsay Sansom, PhD, found uranium, nickel and arsenic in 100 percent of the potable water samples taken from 203 homes in the studied colonias. They also found evidence of long-term arsenic exposure in all the participants’ toenail and urine samples and vitamin deficiencies associated with exposure in one third of the participants.
“Water is a particular concern in the colonias because arsenic is prevalent along the South Texas border with Mexico and because most residents get their water from systems that are old, poorly maintained and may not meet state or federal standards for drinking water,” Roh said.
Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and arsenic, are found naturally in soil and water in many regions of the United States. High levels of most heavy metals, however, are associated with major health problems, including cancer, cognitive issues and developmental delays. Children and pregnant women face the highest risk.
Local stakeholders shaped priorities, shared findings and laid the foundation for next steps
To address water quality and other health issues, the researchers used a community-based participatory research model to ensure collaboration with colonia residents and other local stakeholders at every stage, from determining the research priorities to disseminating the findings. This was achieved through input and advice from three community advisory boards with 60 members including promotoras—community members who receive specialized health-related training—nonprofit leaders, and residents.
“The concerns that the community members shared with us helped to determine the research process and also built trust between everyone involved,” said Lindsay Sansom. “Strong community engagement and established trust led to high rates of resident participation: more than 96 percent on survey completion and more than 80 percent in collecting urine and toenail samples for heavy metals testing.”
Local teens became “citizen scientists,” empowered to assess and improve environmental hazards
The second pilot study involved working 1:1 to help 14 high school-aged students become “citizen scientists” with a deep understanding of the water quality problems in their communities as well as how to pursue possible remedies through research and environmental justice advocacy.
“It’s not enough for us to simply tell the people who live there about what we’re doing,” said Garett Sansom. “This effort will make a long-term difference only to the extent that those who live with these environmental challenges understand all aspects of what’s going on with their water—and why—and also are empowered to seek and implement improvements.”
In addition to learning about where contaminants such as lead and arsenic come from and how they affect the health of those in their communities, the students were trained in water sampling techniques. At the end of the program, the students received Citizen Science Certificates in a graduation ceremony at the Texas A&M McAllen campus.
“The student participants reported that not only were they satisfied with what they learned, but the experience also increased their likelihood to pursue higher education,” Lindsay Sansom said. “This example offers a model of sustainability for continued engagement and advocacy by residents of all ages—while inspiring some to pursue careers in STEM fields.”
Building on this foundation of research and advocacy in 2025-2029
The South Texas Safe Water Project installed more than 400 water filters in the colonias, leading to a 63 percent reduction of arsenic by the pilot study’s end. These promising results led colonia residents, state and local government officials, public health experts and academic researchers to participate in a two-day workshop in San Antonio in October 2024. There, they focused on water quality issues and other public health risks and identified policy solutions, programmatic interventions and areas where additional research might be required.
“The policy recommendations prescribed as a result of this study will be a powerful tool that our policy and advocacy team can use to push for change during the 89thTexas Legislative Session,” said Christine Yanas, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy for MHM. “Having the data to strengthen the case for action will solidify the support from state policymakers to drive impactful changes at the local level.”
Now, the additional grant funding will enable the Texas A&M-MHM collaboration to build on and expand their previous efforts. The three overarching goals are to identify and address water quality and other environmental hazards by working directly with policymakers, to empower more community members to act on these issues and to use cutting-edge research methods to drive further collaboration.
“We believe this critical investment will not only advance the long-term health and well-being of people in South Texas but also will provide a scalable model that could benefit people in similarly underserved regions,” Roh said.
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About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.: Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is a private, faith-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating access to health care for the uninsured through direct services, community partnerships and strategic grant-making in 74 counties across South Texas. Guided by its mission of "Serving Humanity to Honor God," Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ vision is to be the leader for improving wellness of the least served. The mission also includes Methodist Healthcare Ministries' one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System, the largest healthcare system in South Texas, which creates a unique avenue to ensure that it continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed. For more information, visit www.mhm.org.
About Texas A&M University Health Science Center:
Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) comprises five colleges (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health) and several centers and institutes with a shared mission of advancing health care for all. We serve the state and beyond with campuses and locations in Bryan-College Station, Dallas, Temple, Houston, Round Rock, Kingsville, Corpus Christi and McAllen. Learn more at health.tamu.edu or follow @TAMUHealth on Twitter.
