A closer look into Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ grant-making.
By Jane Hevesi, community grants specialist

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Do you know the formula for impacting the health care needs of individuals and families? One local San Antonio organization, SAMMinistries, thinks they may have found the answer: integration. SAMMinistries has been a funded partner of Methodist Healthcare Ministries since 2009 and is an interfaith ministry whose mission is to help the homeless, and those at risk of becoming homeless, attain self-sufficiency by offering, with dignity and compassion, shelter, housing, and services.

Through collaborative grant development in 2015, SAMMinistries and Methodist Healthcare Ministries co-developed a new program model to holistically meet the health care needs of the individuals and families SAMMinistries serves. To effectively address the complex of needs of families experiencing homelessness, programming was intentionally designed with integration in mind, coordinating medical, dental, mental health, and wellness services, to impact health outcomes and treat the whole person. Critical to the program’s success are community partnerships, which has become the backbone of the Integrated Health and Wellness Program (IHWP).

“Integrated programming recognizes the fact that humans are not two-dimensional and that homelessness is not solved by solely providing housing needs, but by addressing the multitude of needs that determines one’s overall health – the Social Determinants of Health,” stated Elizabeth De Los Santos, Grants Officer at SAMMinistries.

By leveraging new and existing partnerships with community partners, SAMMinistries provides a wide-range of services that would not be possible for the organization to provide alone. The early success of the Integrated Health and Wellness Program was grounded in new and existing collaborations with community partners. Through co-locating at SAMMinistries: medical and dental services are provided by UT Health Science Center San Antonio; mental health services are provided by Our Lady of the Lake and by an onsite Licensed Professional Counselor; and other heath related services, such as yoga, are provided by Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Wesley Nurses. These partnerships provide a learning environment for medical and dental residents, helping them strengthen skills by working in an integrated setting and providing quality care services to populations in need.

“Coordinated services ensure that a multitude of needs are addressed and that families do not fall between the cracks, reducing barriers to accessing holistic approaches to services,” said De Los Santos. “Caring for the whole person helps that individuals build resiliency, coping better during times of stress. By focusing attention on the health and wellness of our clients, in addition to providing classes in financial management, parenting, and other basic skills, families can see measurable improvement, positioning them for success when transitioning to stable housing and moving forward with their lives.”

Encouraging participation in activities that improve the health and well-being of family members, and building health care habits in family units, also leads to improved physical and mental health outcomes, helping to prevent complicated and costly health issues later in life.

How are you impacting health in your community through partnership?

To learn more about grant-making at Methodist Healthcare Ministries, visit www.mhm.org/about/grantmaking. Learn more about SAMMinistries at https://www.samm.org/. 

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. invests in organizations that demonstrate a commitment to meeting an unmet health care need in the community. When we award grants, we look for organizations with a history of providing community-based health care, patient-centered models and that are effectively addressing the social determinants of health. We are committed to having a measurable, systemic impact at the community and regional level, and holding ourselves accountable for these results.

We lovingly refer to grantees as funded partners as this partnership serves as an extension to Methodist Healthcare Ministries' programs and services and reach into the community.

This month we're profiling Community Health Centers of South Central Texas, Inc. (CHCSCT), a nonprofit health care provider. Methodist Healthcare Ministries has partnered with CHCSCT since 1994.

CHCSCT has been providing health services to the people of Gonzales County since 1966. In the time since, it has grown to seven clinic locations in Bastrop, Elgin, Gonzales, Lockhart, Luling, Seguin and Victoria counties. CHCSCT's service area has been designated as a Medically Underserved Area meaning there is a health professional shortage and medically underserved population present. CHCSCT offers unconventional hours at each clinic to meet the needs of their population.

CHCSCT operates with a patient-centered philosophy; primary care is comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, and accessible and focused on quality and safety. The Center has received accreditation through Joint Commission and as a Patient Centered Medical Home.

To date, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has awarded CHCSCT $2,155,183. Grants have supported:

• Dental provider to continue serving people in the rural community who otherwise would not be able to afford oral health care. The dental provider in rural Gonzales recently earned recognition as the "Best Dentist" in Gonzales. This program has been funded since 2004.
• Integrated behavioral health navigators serve as the link to integrated care. An important link to integrating behavioral health services with primary care is the Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC). CHCSCT and Bluebonnet Trails Community Services (BTCS), the local mental health authority, in 2009 realized that they were two organizations with a similar mission. Together, they began working as one to serve the communities they shared. The behavioral health consultant is one of the outcomes of a relationship positively affecting access to high quality integrated services. The BHC links patients referred by the local mental health authority to CHCSCT – a federally qualified health center – or when there is a need CHCSCT to BTCS. The BHC is an integral part of the integrated treatment team who assists the patient in navigating through both systems and connecting staff of both organizations. The patient receives primary medical, dental or behavioral health services during the visit without delay versus being referred for services. This program has been funded since 2015.
• Women's health in rural communities. Studies have shown female residents in rural areas do not routinely seek or receive well woman care; thus, are less likely to obtain screenings for cervical cancer. This health issue particularly affects the Hispanic population. Many report fear as the cause, as a diagnosis could implicate many hardships including surgery, stripping them of their female identity. The program goal is to improve the screening rate through the use of patient navigators at each clinic site to educate female residents and connect them to well-women resources with a licensed vocational nurse educating participants on proactive prevention strategies. This program has been funded since 2015.

"The funding from Methodist Healthcare Ministries has been a blessing allowing CHCSCT to be creative in moving from a treatment model of services to a preventive model of services. We have been able to keep a valuable provider, increase access to care and focus on increasing screenings to women of the communities we serve," explains Henry Salas the CEO of Community Health Centers of South Central Texas.

To learn more about CHCSCT, visit www.chcsct.com. To learn more about grant-making at Methodist Healthcare Ministries, visit www.mhm.org/about/grantmaking. 

Erica is the proud recipient of the George Wray & Col. Vane Hugo Scholarship funded by MHM. As a first-generation college student, Erica believes without the financial support the scholarship provided her she wouldn’t have been able to put in the hours necessary to succeed. “I certainly wouldn’t have been able to finish graduate school…,” explains Erica.

The scholarship, honoring George Wray and Col. Vane Hugo, has helped pay for seven years of Erica’s education.

Erica has since graduated with her Master of Science in nursing degree and is working as a nurse practitioner providing mental health care to the underserved in rural areas of South Texas.

 Celebrating 15 years of collaboration with the Texas Diaper Bank

MHM’s longstanding partnership with the Texas Diaper Bank, a ministry of health, education, and nutrition, began in 1997 and since then MHM has awarded over $2.5 million to the agency to help promote the growth of healthier and more productive families in our community. Recently, MHM executive leaders and Wesley Nurses enjoyed celebrating the opening of the new Texas Diaper Bank facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony and debut of a video produced by MHM about the organization’s impact within the community. MHM looks forward to the continued success of the Texas Diaper Bank and congratulates their staff and leadership on their achievements. 

The Texas Diaper Bank is a safety net for local, struggling individuals and families. The bank’s Healthy Families initiative provides diapers, wipes, formula and other necessities to parents for their infants. In 2013, over 362,000 diapers and 10,000 articles of baby clothes were distributed. The program also collaborates with MHM’s Wesley Nurses to provide health education, through My Healthy Child classes, for the families where they learn about caring for the unique needs of infants.

The Texas Diaper Bank also meets the growing needs of the elderly in Bexar County by distributing incontinence items such as adult depends, wipes, and bed liners as part of the organization’s Healthy Seniors program.  In addition, 620,000 pounds of food were distributed in 2013 through a network of partner organizations as part of the bank’s hunger relief programs. Over 13,500 unduplicated families were served by the Texas Diaper Bank last year resulting in over 55,000 units of service.

To learn more about the Texas Diaper Bank, visit www.texasdiaperbank.org.

Guest Blogger:Taylor Martin
Media Manager, SAMMinistries

Juanita Vasquez was referred to SAMMinistries for housing assistance in November 2011 from the Salvation Army. At the time of her referral she was suffering from arthritis, thyroid disease, and fibromyalgia, and functioning at the fifth grade level in both reading and math. Despite setbacks, Juanita worked with SAMM case managers to set goals for herself.

To help Juanita reach self-sufficiency, she was enrolled in SAMMinistries’ On-the-Job Training (OJT) program. Through work at SAMM’s donation station, Juanita learned valuable skills that can translate across many work environments. Although hesitant to work at first, she quickly became one of the most dependable OJT workers and enjoyed her work tremendously.

However, at the completion of her training, Juanita was still struggling to find a fulfilling and sustaining job. She loves to work with people, but felt that she needed more skills and knowledge to achieve her goal of self-sufficiency.

With the help of SAMM, Juanita enrolled in courses to become a Certified Nurse Aide, as well as high school equivalency classes. Her path to employment was not easy, and Juanita struggled with the confidence to complete her difficult classes. However, after months of hard work, Juanita received her GED, and completed the Certified Nurse Aide classes. “I completed my goals because of my son, I really want to motivate him,” said Juanita.

Juanita’s outlook on life has never been brighter. Because she was able to fulfill her aspirations, she is now encouraging her son to set and accomplish his education goals as well. “I’ve done something with my life, and my son sees that,” she said.

However, Juanita is not just a SAMM success story; she is now also a volunteer.

“SAMM gave me the help that I needed, and I wanted to give something back. If it wasn’t for SAMM I would be on the street with my son. I needed to do something to return the favor.”

Juanita volunteers at the Donation Station as often as she can, and hopes to continue to volunteer in other areas throughout the ministry. She hopes that her story motivates other people to move forward with their lives despite hardships.

This article orginally appeared on SAMMinistries Success Stories.

SAMMinistries became an MHM funded partner in 2008.

Since inception, MHM has provided nearly $500 million in healthcare services through our clinics and programs, as well as through our partnerships. MHM is proud to partner with organizations that share our mission and organizational objective of delivering healthcare and social services to the least served in the South Texas region. By strengthening other organizations' capacity to provide services, we achieve our overarching goal of increasing access to care.

Joining our family of partners in 2003, the Infant & Family Nutrition Agency (IFNA) holds a common mission of providing healthcare services to the underserved. Located in Brownsville, Texas at the First United Methodist Church, IFNA provides children in Cameron County a chance for a healthier start in life by equipping their mothers with the most current information about prenatal and postnatal nutrition and health, and family nutrition. “It starts with parents. It starts with babies,” explains Renee Garcia, INFA director.

The roots of IFNA date back to 1984 when a generous donation from a patron of the First United Methodist Church in Brownsville helped to form a ministry to aid women who lacked information and resources necessary to care for themselves and their children. This ministry, known as the Infant Nutrition Program, later became a registered nonprofit entity in 2001 and was renamed the Infant & Family Nutrition Agency.

Currently, IFNA provides three distinct programs to residents in the area: Prenatal & Postnatal Education, Family Nutrition, and Stork’s Nest. Employing a breastfeeding instructor and nutritionist, free Prenatal & Postnatal Education and Family Nutrition classes are provided for mothers to learn about health and nutrition, breastfeeding, infant nutrition and childcare. Classes are offered at various community sites convenient for the women served.

The Stork’s Nest Program also provides free education for mothers with breastfeeding concerns by offering a nursing station for women to nurse their babies under the guidance of a trained Breastfeeding Instructor. A variety of techniques are presented to encourage successful breastfeeding. Through education, women learn the importance of breast milk in the development of the human immune system along with its benefits to the mother. Additionally, mothers can purchase or rent breast pumps through the Stork’s Nest.

Given the area’s high rate of diabetes and obesity, among a largely low-income population, these programs are crucial to members of the community. Cameron County retains a high rate of women who receive little to no prenatal care. This, in turn, has an adverse affect on the newest citizens of the community. IFNA aims at equipping women with the knowledge and resources necessary to care for themselves and their babies.

In 2010, IFNA witnessed over 3,000 client encounters. These encounters are projected to more than double for 2012. To date, MHM has provided $180,000 in funding to support IFNA programming.

To learn more about IFNA, call (956) 541-9250.

Since inception, MHM has provided nearly $500 million in healthcare services through our clinics and programs, as well as through our partnerships. MHM is proud to partner with organizations that share our mission and organizational objective of delivering healthcare and social services to the least served in the South Texas region. By strengthening other organizations' capacity to provide services, we achieve our overarching goal of increasing access to care.

MHM welcomed the UTHSCSA chapter of Frontera de Salud (Border of Health), a program of the UTHSCSA's Center for Humanities and Ethics, as a funded partner in 2008 to address the health profession shortage in South Texas. Frontera de Salud, or Frontera, is a service organization founded in 1998 and is staffed by medical, nursing and allied health students committed to bringing primary healthcare to the underserved population.

Frontera currently has chapters in four medical school campuses in Texas comprised of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the UTHSCSA. Under faculty supervision, students and mentors are given the unique opportunity to work with community partners to provide vital health care and assist in developing preventative measures at each of the Frontera chapter sites.

In the past two years alone, the UTHSCSA chapter of Frontera served over 3,400 clients in Laredo and Corpus Christi/Robstown – two of the most impoverished regions in the nation, along with underserved areas of San Antonio. Members of Frontera actively participate in health fairs and community visits. These visits are often the only opportunity many of these citizens have to obtain health care. Services trips are scheduled on a regular basis to provide students and faculty in the program a chance to learn to treat diverse populations and consider the unique social context of care in South Texas. Services include health screenings, flu vaccines and school physicals.

This experience is mutually beneficial as students become stewards of the medical profession, and commence partnerships with healthcare professionals as illustrated in these excerpt taken from the UTHSCSA Frontera chapter blog:

"We traveled with eight medical and nursing students to Corpus Christi yesterday to participate in a community health fair. We provided health screenings, health education, HIV screenings/education, and were able to connect patients with providers in the community. Not only were we able to make an impact in the community but it was also a wonderful learning experience for the students. Every student was able to rotate through each station and even had the opportunity to work with a local Family Medicine doctor who provided guidance and advice regarding local resources for the patients for long-term follow-up care."

Frontera leads the way among UTHSCSA student health service organizations, particularly with regard to its focus on the interdisciplinary health care team as the Frontera coalition of students and faculty represent a variety of disciplines to include medical, nursing, pharmacy programs and physician assistant students.

To date, MHM has contributed over $105,000 in funding to the UTHSCA chapter of Frontera de Salud to address the health profession shortage and continue their efforts of delivering healthcare to the medically underserved population of South Texas.

To learn more about the UTHSCSA chapter of Frontera de Salud visit their website or find them on Facebook.

Since inception, MHM has provided more than $405 million in healthcare services through our clinics and programs, as well as through our partnerships. MHM is proud to partner with organizations that share our mission and organizational objective of delivering healthcare and social services to the least served in the South Texas region. By strengthening other organizations’ capacity to provide services, we achieve our overarching goal of increasing access to care.

MHM’s partnership with the Triple H Equitherapy Center is a prime example of this community healthcare model. Founded in 1995, the Triple H Equitherapy Center provides people with disabilities and wounded warriors nationally accredited equine assisted activities and therapy. Located in Pipe Creek, Texas, the center offers five unique equine therapy programs for children and adults with a range of disabilities and needs along with two specialized projects to include the “Horses for Heroes” and “Open the Gate” project.

“Open the Gate” serves children ages 6 to 17 from Kendall, Bandera, Kerr, Medina, and northern Bexar counties whose life experiences have triggered social or mental disorders that require judicial intervention or residential treatment. Contributing factors can include physical or emotional trauma, emotional or mental disorders, and poverty, among other life challenges.

Through the “Open the Gate” project participants experience recovery with optimism, autonomy, respect and dignity, partnership and personal growth. They are encouraged to expand their capabilities, fostering self-confidence and self-esteem. This enables them to go beyond their circumstances and “opens the gate” to opportunity as positive citizens of our society. Clinical outcomes of the program revealed successes on several levels. One such story of comes from A.J.*, a participant from Meadowlands–a long term residential treatment and care facility for children ages 6-17.

Upon entrance into the Open the Gate project, A.J. carried an air of overconfidence hinging on arrogance due to prior experience with horses. This caused him to express frustration during encounters with less-experienced participants; he began to take on a competitive, adversarial posture with his peers. A.J.’s participation in the program required attendance at reoccurring group sessions where he was approached positively and made aware of his negative, confrontational tendencies. With time and positive reinforcement, he worked hard to re-channel this energy and it enabled him to accommodate others by helping his peers pick out hooves, assisting with tacking up horses and encouraging others to tack and ride independently. Ultimately, A.J. developed into a positive peer-mentor for the group, carrying with him the skills necessary to practice patience, understanding and empathy.

The center has collaborated with Meadowlands, a Roy Maas Youth Alternatives residential facility, along with county juvenile justice programs and other community intervention programs for at-risk youth to reach program participants.

The Triple H Equitherapy Center has been an MHM Funded Partner since 2008. As of December 2011, MHM has contributed over $690,000 in funding to the center to assist with mental and behavioral health services. The center looks to receive $190,000 in 2012 to continue programming.

To learn more about the Triple H Equitherapy Center, visit their at www.triplehequitherapy.org or find them on Facebook.

*To protect the privacy of program participants, a pseudonym has been used in the testimonial presented in the above article.