TRANSFORMING INTERNAL PROCESSES & CULTURE – EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES

In 2024, Methodist Healthcare Ministries introduced a new Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program. This supports team members as they engage in volunteer activities that enhance and serve the communities in which we live and work, support communities that are impacted by disasters, and address the issues that impact quality of life. The VTO program allows team members to take up to 16 hours of paid time each year for volunteer work performed during regular business hours.

Catalina Schultze-Kraft, Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Director of Regional Nursing and Wellness Programs, recently spearheaded a group VTO opportunity at Gardenia Gardens, a non-profit that addresses health disparities in a high-crime corridor on the the near-Eastside of San Antonio. As a member of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Food Equity and Security Team (FEAST), she recognized Gardopia’s transformative work with food systems and community education.

Organizing the event organically, Catalina saw a clear need for guidance on how to utilize the VTO benefit. “We have this amazing benefit, but a lot of people are not quite sure how to use it or where to go.” By leveraging her existing connections through FEAST, she made it easy for her colleagues to participate. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with diverse teams eagerly joining.

“I see VTO as a chance to build relationships in a more human way with organizations doing powerful work in our communities,” Catalina says. She emphasizes that the VTO opportunities are tied to Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ systemic change areas: food security, digital equity and economic mobility. “Many of these groups rely on volunteers and this is how Methodist Healthcare Ministries gives through our people, not just our dollars.”

Catalina notes that VTO helps team members “connect to strategies we do not always get to see up close, learn from others, and be part of the change we are aiming for.” It also serves as an opportunity to build relationships across departments, particularly for teams like Information Technology, Finance, and Accounting, who – despite being critical to the mission – rarely get firsthand experience of the impact.

While the physical labor at Gardopia was demanding – volunteers were “dirty; we laughed; our bodies ached” – the experience was deeply rewarding. Catalina observed an engaged and curious group, asking questions, and having fun.

“I hope they felt what I felt, more connected to each other and happy to be part of the work we are doing at Methodist Healthcare Ministries.”

SYSTEMIC CHANGE IMPACT – DIGITAL EQUITY

In South Texas, digital equity is not a luxury – it’s a lifeline. From a mother earning her GED online, to a son attending virtual college prep workshops, to a grandparent managing their health through a patient portal, generations of families across South Texas are accessing networks of opportunities as part of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ digital equity initiative.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries has invested nearly $30 million to expand digital and broadband services by supporting strategic, community-driven partnerships across South Texas. One innovative program is the Youth Digital Opportunity Labs, a product of the collaboration among the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), Institute for Local-Self Reliance (ILSR), digitalLift (formally Community Tech Network), and Compudopt.

The labs provide students in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio with hands-on exposure to broadband infrastructure and introduces them careers in broadband and technology sectors – areas critical to the region’s future.

Michelle M. Vega, Chief Technology Strategist with IDRA, explains that, “Through the MHM-funded Digital Ambassadors programs, IDRA is equipping students, not only with STEM education and workforces training, but with the confidence to lead and serve. These young leaders are learning valuable digital skills – and just as importantly, they’re using that knowledge uplift their communities. When students seem themselves in STEM, they don’t just imagine futures – they help to create them for everyone around them.”

POLICY & ADVOCACY IMPACT – REMOVING LEGAL BARRIERS

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Medical-Legal Partnership program integrates legal professionals into our clinics to help patients overcome non-medical challenges – like housing insecurity, wrongful denial of benefits, or debt disputes – that can worsen health conditions.

Working alongside Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, the Medical-Legal Partnership team helps patients resolve these issues so they can focus on getting well.

For 82-year old Juanita, a dental patient at the Wesley Health & Wellness Center, that legal help came at a critical time. After major neck surgery that left her temporarily paralyzed, she relied on a home health aid for basic care. Then, due to a Medicare agency error, those services were suddenly terminated. At the same time, she was struggling to afford rent, living with her daughter, and trying to qualify for Section 8 housing assistance – only to be denied twice.

“They took my [home health] aide away. I didn’t know what to do,” Juanita recalls. “Everywhere I went I couldn’t get help. I had to move in with my daughter because of how expensive everything became. They denied me housing – twice. That’s when I went o MHM. And you help me a lot.”

Our Medical-Legal Partnership team stepped in on two fronts. They disputed the wrongful termination of her Medicare services and won, reinstating her home health services. They also helped her secure a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary subsidy, saving her $185 a month on premiums.

Separately, they challenged her housing denial. The local housing authority had cited an old $1,000 debt to a former landlord as grounds for rejection. The Medical-Legal Partnership team argued that the debt was too old to be used against her, and the housing officials eventually conceded.

While Juanita remains on the city’s two-year housing waitlist, the legal victory removed a major barrier to her application.

Her health remains fragile – she lives with chronic pain and recently suffered a heart attack – with home healthcare services reinstated, she feels supported. “Now my provider, my nurse, comes every week and everything is beautiful,” she says.

Juanita’s gratitude for the program is deep. “It made me feel good because I couldn’t do anything,” she reflects. “But I went [to the Wesley Health & Wellness Center] and they helped me with my teeth and my life. I’m fine. I’m grateful. I’ve very grateful.”

She also wants other in her community to know they don’t have to struggle alone. “Go in and visit them for the things you need. Pick up the phone, make a call…they will help you out. Health, legal, whatever you need.”

Her message for the MLP team is simple, “God bless them and for them to help other people. Keep on going. Keep going.”

GRANTMAKING IMPACT – GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT

In the heart of Bandera, the Arthur Nagel Community Clinic has been a beacon of care for more than a decade, offering quality health services to those who otherwise might go without. For Executive Director Chuck Lutke, the clinic’s mission is summed up in its simple but profound tagline: Restoring Health. Renewing Hope.

“What the phrase represents,” Lutke explains, “is that our clinic is here to restore physical and mental health to all people who qualify for our services – ages 12 and up = regardless of their ability to pay, ethnicity, race, creed, or citizenship. In restoring their health, we also give them reason to hope, because we are people who genuinely care about them and will be here when they need us.”

But for Lutke, healing goes beyond medical treatment. “We are cadre of providers and administrators whose work is based in science, reason, and evidence. We don’t heal anybody – science does that. A big part of our work is education and helping patients understand what healthy living can and will do for them. We help them make informed decisions that my ultimately alter the course of their life and others for generations.”

MORE THAN JUST A GRANT

Support from Methodist Healthcare Ministries has been critical in sustaining and expanding this impact. As one of the clinic’s largest funders, we provide critical support for essential services, equipment needs, and staff development.

“Support from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, not only with generous grants but also event sponsorship, on-site visits with great advice, and course offerings at your headquarters, means the world to us and our patients,” says Lutke.

He recalls the early days of his leadership when Methodist Healthcare Ministries offered guidance and encouragement. “I cannot say enough good things about the MHM Senior Program Officer who helped guide me through m first couple of years here. The funding we receive truly is foundational in helping us provide care, access needed equipment, and even introduce us to concepts of integrated care that make a real difference for our patients.”

Through this ongoing partnership, the Arthur Nagel Community Clinic continues to meet Bandera’s healthcare needs while embodying hope, compassion, and the promise of better health for all.

PROGRAMS & SERVICES IMPACT – INTEGRATED CARE

Leticia Rosales, RN, is on the frontlines of good health for community members who need an integrated approach to diabetes care and prevention.

“As a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, integrated healthcare means working closely with a team of primary care providers, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers, and mental health professionals to deliver coordinated, patient-centered care. It allows me to address not only blood glucose management, but also the emotional, behavioral, and social factors that affect a patient’s ability to manage diabetes.

For example, imagine patient with diabetes and depression. In a fragmented system, they may see a primary care provider who manages their blood glucose but overlooks mental health, while a separate counselor may not know about their diabetes. In our integrated system, providers collaborate, ensuring that our patients receive comprehensive, person-centered support.”

One of Leticia’s patients expressed appreciation for the wide range of services saying, “My health has completely changed – a real 360 degrees for the better. I have more energy and I am more active.”

Leticia affirms the effectiveness of an integrated approach; “Integrated care empowers patients and helps me deliver patient care and an education that’s aligned, effective, and holistic.”