Health Equity – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

Strengthening Communities: MHM’s Second Strategic Focus Area

Steven Cavazos on January 6, 2025

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) is Strengthening Communities as part of its second strategic focus area. For nearly 30 years, the organization has been working to create access to care and working alongside communities across its 74-county service area. In its ongoing effort to advance health equity, MHM has shifted the way it collaborates with community members. MHM believes communities hold inherent strengths and the expertise to achieve their full potential for health and life. This focus area is a critical component of the organization’s central mission of Serving Humanity to Honor God. The following sections outline some of MHM’s work and collaborative efforts around Strengthening Communities.

MHM’s second strategic focus area expands on a continuum of care centered around two pillars: Thriving People and Thriving Places. This work is demonstrated through MHM’s upstream efforts which aim to improve community conditions before people get sick. These efforts include strengthening a health and well-being system, addressing the root causes of inequities, and partnering with individuals, families and communities. Community Health & Wellness programs are tailored to respond to distinct attributes through staff who partner with communities to address health care needs and co-create sustainable healthcare solutions that advance health equity. ¹

Amplifying Voices and Empowering Change:

One way the organization is Strengthening Communities to address the root causes of health inequities is through its Communities of Solutions (CoS) program. Tim Barr is the Director of the COS department; he explains the significance of creating an open dialogue and presence, “Equity doesn’t happen by accident. It requires vision, planning, and courageous conversations. We talk openly about power. We are purposeful about accompanying groups on a journey from charity to equity to liberation. We are intentional about building relationships through sharing meals, attending community events, celebrating successes, and always trying to learn as much as we can about the community’s history.”

There are two facets to the COS department designed to shift power and address the root causes of health inequities: Community Connectors and Prosperemos Juntos | Thriving Together (PJTT). Community Connectors are added to are added to different geographic areas of strategic opportunity, which Barr describes, which Barr describes as a “systemic process.” He explains, “they build, maintain, and facilitate relationships and networks with a variety of groups. They also educate, advocate, and provide guidance to support upstream efforts.”

As relationships and networks are formed, a PJTT invitation is extended to communities. PJTT supports the development and growth of community-driven coalitions across south and central Texas. Persons with lived experience engage in a community change process, and coalitions form around common goals. “PJTT works with coalitions through specific frameworks to create and implement community-driven health equity strategies.” Barr emphasizes the importance of partnering with communities, “Our team accompanies coalitions in developing leadership and inclusive infrastructure so that community residents have a sense of ownership in their coalition’s efforts. Ownership requires intentional preparation and attention to the who, what, when, and how of decision-making.”

Building Upon Existing Strengths:

Other Community Health & Wellness programs span across MHM’s 74-county service area. The Wesley Nurse program is one of the organizations largest programs, geographically. There are over 80 Wesley Nurse sites, predominantly located within churches. Wesley Nurses support the community by offering free services that encourage a healthy lifestyle. They incorporate nursing with intentional care of the spirit and provide holistic services, including health education, health promotion, and access to resources.

Community Health Workers or Promotores de Salud serve a pivotal part of the organization’s ministry efforts. Utilizing their specialized knowledge of the communities they serve, Community Health Workers have the unique ability to reach vulnerable, low-income, and underserved individuals. They also act as a resource, and bridge access to community-based health programs and advocates.²

Another example of how MHM is Strengthening Communities is through its access to care services. In San Antonio, the Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Dixon Health & Wellness Center offer a range of affordable services to individuals who are uninsured, including medical, dental, and behavioral health. In Guadalupe County, the George Ricks School Based Health Center provides comprehensive services to children and their siblings enrolled in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District. This includes primary health care, behavioral health, and dental services.

Patient and Community Centered:

MHM utilizes a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model to provide high quality and affordable care centered around each patient. In 2023, the organization received the PCMH certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA accredits and certifies health care organizations that have made a commitment to a patient-centered approach to care and continuous quality improvement. Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries said of the milestone, “We recognize that patients come to us seeking relief not only from physical conditions but also healing from emotional and spiritual trauma. Using evidence-based practices, we listen carefully to each patient and offer integrated medical, behavioral, and oral health care that is coordinated alongside parenting and wellness classes so that each patient has the opportunity to thrive.”

Intentional Investment:

To strengthen and sustain healthy communities, MHM is a philanthropic partner to other organizations that address the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). Using a trust-based approach to grantmaking, MHM grantees are encouraged to be creative in developing projects, programs and services that support Thriving People and Thriving Places within the service area. To further its health equity commitment, the organization has sharpened its focus in several cross-cutting areas: Access to Care: Mental & Behavioral Health and Access to Care: General, Digital Equity, Food Security, Housing, and Education & Workforce Development. In 2023, MHM’s Community Investments department reviewed philanthropic industry best practices, identified gaps in the organization’s service area, and examined how its grant support can be most impactful. After seeking and incorporating stakeholder feedback, the organization introduced innovative approaches to the 2025 grant cycle process.

MHM recognizes advancing health equity is a long-term commitment and requires collaborative efforts along the way. Its second strategic focus area underscores the importance of partnering with communities so they may achieve their full potential of health and life. This belief is imperative to the organization’s strategic work across a variety of levels. Equipping groups with support and resources amplifies their expertise and strengths to illicit change. MHM is proud to work alongside communities across its region as it deepens its work to advance health equity for years to come.

A Journey of Transformation: A Deeper Dive into MHM’s First Strategic Focus Area

Steven Cavazos on November 15, 2024

As Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc. (MHM) continues its journey to advance health equity, three strategic focus areas have served as its guide: Transform Internal Processes and Culture, Strengthen Communities, and Impact Systemic Change. These focus areas build upon Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ historic strength in providing access to care, while addressing conditions and circumstances that affect the health and well-being of the communities it serve. The first of these strategic focus areas has had a significant impact at different levels across the organization. By intentionally transforming processes and culture, MHM is fostering a workplace where a spirit of continuous improvement and an environment of equity, diversity, and inclusion guide the organization’s work, policies, processes, and procedures. Below are some milestones in MHM’s journey of internal transformation.

Establishing Intentional Investments:

In August 2021, the Ecumenical Center, the certifying entity for the South Texas Informed Care Crisis Consortium, recognized MHM as the first organization in Bexar County to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification. This organizational approach addresses the impacts of trauma, and underscores the importance of physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone while helping improve the interaction with those MHM serves and works alongside across its region. Trauma Informed Care practices can help improve client, patient, and employee relationships, and help organizations avoid retraumatizing those who have experienced trauma in the past. “Becoming a Trauma-Informed Care Certified Organization enhances the relationships we build with the patients and clients we see in our own clinics and ultimately, improve their health outcomes,” said Jaime Wesolowski, MHM’s President & CEO.

MHM is making intentional investments to further its reach beyond philanthropy; implementing intentional anchor strategies that leverage local community assets in its operations. As part of MHM’s commitment to invest in the local community, 46% of its total spending goes to suppliers that represent historically underserved groups. There has been an increase in contracting and spending with Small, Women and Minority Owned Business Enterprises (SWMBE) and Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOB). To continue these efforts, internal goals and practices have been established to identify spending opportunities with these vendors. MHM supports the health and well-being of all – including its employees. The minimum wage was raised to $15 an hour to improve the standard of living for team members and their families.

Opportunities for Organizational Improvement and Success:

In late 2020, Wesolowski appointed Oanh Maroney-Omitade to lead the newly formed Organizational Excellence (OE) department. The department aims to enhance organizational systems and implement the organization’s strategy for equity, diversity, and inclusion. “Oanh is a leader with a proven track record of excellence and profound institutional knowledge, which is critically needed to drive the type of changes that are necessary for reimagining how we operate within and across functions and to support the effective implementation of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ strategic work,” said Wesolowski in a 2020 press release. The OE department has continued to expand with more team members to assist with evaluation, performance excellence, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Maroney-Omitade, VP of Organizational Excellence, said, “it’s collectively the things that are going to help to make the organization better.”

With a mindset of continuous improvement and transformation, MHM was prepared for success. In February 2024, the organization received the Governor’s Texas Award for Performance Excellence (TAPE). The award is the highest level of achievement regarding best practices for participating organizations – bestowed by the Quality Texas Foundation Regional Program (QTFRP). MHM was one of only two Texas organizations to receive the recognition after successfully adopting and utilizing the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, a program that raises awareness about the importance of performance excellence and empowers organizations to reach their goals and improve results. The process began with an application which required months of collaboration and review. MHM was then selected for a formal site visit from TAPE examiners, who were introduced to various levels of the organization during a three-day period. MHM was recognized for its leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce focus, and operations focus and results. Maroney-Omitade believes the TAPE recognition signifies dedication from all members of the organization and their commitment to excellence, and those the organization serves, “That is the joy when people begin to see themselves in the work. It demonstrates that there are team members who recognize what we’re trying to do and why we’re trying to do it. They want to be a part of helping to make Methodist Healthcare Ministries better.” 

The journey to advance health equity is a long-term commitment and MHM recognizes to further its journey – transformation must begin within. By transforming internal processes and culture, greater strides are being made. As team members address inherent barriers across MHM’s service area, it is crucial they foster an understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion – elements that contribute to the organization’s strategic work and interaction with those MHM serves and works alongside.

A Closer Look at MHM’s Strategic Focus Areas

DW Admin on November 22, 2022

Advancing health equity is a long-term commitment that requires multiple approaches. To guide its strategic efforts for increased impact, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has defined three focus areas that will act as a roadmap for the next ten years of its work: Transform Internal Processes and Culture, Strengthen Communities, and Impact Systemic Changes.

Strategic Focus #1 – Transform Internal Processes and Culture

Methodist Healthcare Ministries will transform its culture, internal capacity, and processes to advance health equity.
This will include advancing a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, increasing an understanding of and competency in applying an equity lens to our organizational work, policies, processes, and procedures; and fostering greater intentionality in our pursuit of broadening the definition of health care.

Some of our work in the area of internal transformation includes:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries became the first organization to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification from the Ecumenical Center in August 2021.

– Becoming a Trauma Informed Care-certified organization in Summer 2021. Methodist Healthcare Ministries became the first organization to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification from the Ecumenical Center, the certifying entity for the South Texas Trauma Informed Care Crisis Consortium. Trauma Informed Care practices can help improve client, patient, and employee relationships, and help organizations avoid re-traumatizing those who have experienced trauma in the past.
– Starting the journey of implementing intentional anchor strategies that leverage local community assets in our operations. We are increasing our focus on contracting and spending with Small, Women and Minority Owned Business Enterprises (SWMBE) and Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOB). Methodist Healthcare Ministries conducted an internal analysis of our spending with SWMBEs and VOBs; finding that 32% of our 2020 dollars spent were with SWMBEs and VOBs, and this increased to 46% of total spending in 2021. Organizational goals and practices have been set in place to continue identifying opportunities to increase spending with these vendors.
– Engaging in learning and dialogue to foster increased understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Building upon this increased understanding to integrate practices and policies are key to transforming our internal culture.
– Adjusting our internal processes and culture, the organization recently increased the minimum starting wage to $15/hr to improve the overall standard of living for team members and their families. This is another example of Methodist Healthcare Ministries shifting its internal policies in pursuit of supporting health and well-being for all.
Strategic Focus #2 – Strengthen Communities
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ will build upon the capacity of Resilient Families and Thriving Communities to reach their full potential for health and life. This focus area encompasses the majority of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ work and a variety of ways in which the organization will be able to engage and support communities. This includes but is not limited to community investments, clinical care, regional health and wellness programs and services, and working alongside community members as we focus on place-based strategies.
As one example, in March of 2021, Methodist Healthcare Ministries launched the first Prosperemos Juntos | Thriving Together Learning Collaborative, which is the initial means by which it will support the development and growth of communities of solutions throughout south and central Texas. Nonprofits, faith communities, schools, and other groups in Bexar County and South Texas who are part of the learning collaborative identify a vital community condition with community residents most affected by poverty, racism, and other inequities and develop strategies to address root causes. Each annual learning collaborative is a capacity-building opportunity for communities in south and central Texas to substantially accelerate their health equity journey. Methodist Healthcare Ministries believes communities have the solutions to improve their health and well-being. Each learning collaborative equips community-driven coalitions with skills and resources to strategically advance health equity, using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Pathways to Population Health framework [TV1] as a guide.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries opened the new Dixon Health & Wellness Center on San Antonio's East Side in 2019.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries also has a long history of other areas of work in Strengthening Communities. As an example, in San Antonio, the Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Dixon Health & Wellness Center offer affordable medical, dental, and behavioral health services to individuals who are uninsured, as well as a full range of other services dedicated to treating the mind, body, and spirit.
In addition, the organization operates two George Ricks School Based Health Centers to provide comprehensive, primary health care, behavioral health, and dental services to children and their siblings enrolled in the Marion and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School Districts in Guadalupe County.
Wesley Nurses, who are mostly located within churches across Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ service area, and part of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ ecumenical outreach, provide holistic services, including health education, health promotion, and access to resources. They are uniquely embedded within the 74-county service area. Community Health Workers/Promotoras are also uniquely embedded and often come from the communities in which they serve. They reach out to, connect with, and engage individuals and families to help improve health outcomes for the clients they serve.
Through Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to providing high quality, affordable care that is centered around each patient. Using evidence-based practices, providers listen carefully to each patient and offer integrated medical, behavioral, and oral health care that is coordinated alongside parenting and wellness classes so that each patient has the opportunity to thrive.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries is on a journey of developing trust-based philanthropic approaches to grantmaking. This encourages funded partners to be creative in developing projects, programs, and services that support resilient families and thriving communities within the service area.
Strategic Focus #3 – Impact Systemic Change
Methodist Healthcare Ministries plans to invest in efforts to address systemic and root causes of health inequity to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational poverty. We are committed to digital inclusion, economic mobility, food security, and access to care.
The organization is investing resources into a variety of efforts to impact systemic change. As one example, last year the organization supported state legislation for the investment in Texas broadband infrastructure to address the nearly one million Texans living without access to broadband at home. HB 5 created a State Broadband Development Office to research the expansion, adoption, and affordability of deploying broadband services and programs to underserved areas of the state.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries announced the launch of a two-year economic mobility study in San Antonio in July 2022.

The organization is also commissioning a two-year economic mobility research study (randomized control trial) to examine the effectiveness of well-known interventions working together and separately for individuals in priority zip codes across San Antonio. We hope to apply what we learn to future investments of resources in support of economic upward mobility for individuals and families across South Texas. Read more about the study here.
To increase access to care, some of Methodist Healthcare Ministries legislative advocacy work is focused on Medicaid Expansion. We are working on expanding Medicaid for more Texans and connecting residents in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley with mental health services.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ other work builds upon the organization’s access to care work and goes beyond by addressing social needs. Methodist Healthcare Ministries has partnered with a local federally qualified health center (FQHC) and a faith-based organization to address social needs and provide services to underserved, low-income populations. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is working with organizations in northeast San Antonio to create a hub of resources for community members that will include access to a clinic providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services, as well as a food pantry, educational opportunities, a nearby transportation center, a place of worship and more. The hub will also house one of our Wesley Nurses, who specialize in the facilitation of resources and faith-based community nursing. All of these resources, centrally located, will help increase opportunities to engage the community and improve health equity within this area. Initial operation of this Hub Concept is expected to begin in the first quarter 2023.
All these efforts are aimed to help improve health equity in the communities we serve and translate strategy into improved community conditions and better quality of life.
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Learn more about what Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is doing on its transformative journey through the Advancing Health Equity blog series on mhm.org. If you have any questions, please email us at healthequity@mhm.org.
To read previous entries in the health equity blog series, see below:
Advancing Health Equity: Changing Health Outcomes

An Economic Mobility Study Building Upon the Strengths of San Antonio

DW Admin on September 22, 2022

On August 31, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, along with key partners and members of the community gathered at The Neighborhood Place in the Westside of San Antonio to learn more about how economic mobility approaches and interventions can positively impact the city of San Antonio and other communities.

The more than 100 attendees at the event listened to a keynote presentation by Charles J. Homer, M.D., M.P.H who has served as a clinician and researcher on national healthcare, education, and economic mobility focused initiatives. His presentation gave an in-depth look into why it is important to address inter-generational poverty in our communities and strategies that promote economic mobility. He also discussed how different interventions, such as cash assistance, and science-based coaching and recognition, can work together to positively impact individual and community-wide health and life outcomes. Click here to view his remarks.

After lunch, a panel discussion focused on how one local intervention—the San Antonio G.O.A.L.S. Initiative—has the potential to transform and strengthen the financial independence and well-being of resilient individuals and families. Click here to read more about the San Antonio G.O.A.L.S. Initiative. The panel, moderated by Dr. Homer, included representatives from our key community partners on the G.O.A.L.S. Initiative, alongside our President & CEO, Jaime Wesolowski.

Community Conversation Panelists

Charles J. Homer, M.D., M.P.H (moderator)
Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO, Methodist Healthcare Ministries
Kim Janey, President and CEO, EMPath
Mary Garr, President and CEO, Family Service
Andrea Figueroa, Executive Director, Empower House
Erica Sosa, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor, Public Health, UTSA HCAP

The San Antonio G.O.A.L.S. Initiative

Methodist Healthcare Ministries commissioned The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Health Community and Policy (HCAP) to serve as third-party evaluators of the economic mobility research study, looking at two different interventions: cash assistance and economic coaching, specifically EMPath’s Mobility Mentoring^®.

The research focuses on understanding how Cash Assistance and a type of partnership called Mobility Mentoring^® contribute to financial stability and economic mobility in Bexar County. We want to understand the combined impact of these interventions on financial self-sufficiency, while learning about the factors or participant characteristics that affect the impacts of the interventions. We want to learn about what works best for different people in Bexar County. Recruitment is currently underway . The application is open to individuals ages 18-60 who live in one of 13 priority zip codes with an income that is less than 150% of the federal poverty line. Families living in these zip codes have some of the highest levels of poverty in Bexar County. One person per household may apply, and 575 people will be selected to participate.

After two years, we hope that the findings we learn can help inform our future strategies and investments around economic mobility, as well as serve as a model for other communities and organizations to follow. Ultimately, we want to see what impact these interventions can have on health and well-being of these community members and imagine what this could mean for all of South Texas.

During the Q&A portion of our community conversation, several attendees asked how the G.O.A.L.S. Initiative would take into consideration the difficulty our communities experience with participation in research. Attendees shared that fear of discrimination, language difficulties and lack of access to healthcare were some of the reasons community members do not participate in research studies. The G.O.A.L.S. Initiative is internally guided by Dr. Inez Cruz, who leads Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ research efforts. Dr. Cruz acknowledged that “historically a tension exists between diverse communities, especially communities of color, and research recruitment.” She noted that two prominent deterrents to participation in research studies are lack of trust and appropriate incentives. However, over the years Latino researchers, and researchers in general, have striven to address these concerns.

Dr. Cruz added, “As a researcher, I need diverse communities, to participate in research if we want our findings to be reflective of the community we serve.” For San Antonio, this means not only Latino/a/x, immigrant, and Black community members but also other individuals and communities historically underrepresented in research, including indigenous communities and people with disabilities. The G.O.A.L.S. Initiative began with community surveys and focus groups to ensure that our research directly incorporated community feedback. Methodist Healthcare Ministries has partnered with trusted community-based nonprofits (Family Service and Empower House). The study will be accessible to participants in English and Spanish and we will also work to accommodate other languages and individuals with disabilities in an effort to reduce barriers to participate. And finally, the G.O.A.L.S. Initiative recognizes the value of our community’s time and expertise. At a minimum each participant can receive $250 in gift cards over the two years for completing surveys with the potential for either economic coaching, cash assistance or a combination of both.

Why is Methodist Healthcare Ministries supporting this effort?

Two years ago, Methodist Healthcare Ministries commemorated 25 years of service to communities across South Texas. As we crossed the quarter-century mark, we asked ourselves: “Were the health and well-being of communities across South Texas improving?”

The answer for many of our patients and clients was—yes! However, when we looked at overall population health metrics across communities in our service area, we saw that many community-wide metrics were not improving. We knew we had to set a course for the next 25 years to make broader, community-wide impact. So, we committed ourselves to a new strategic vision and plan rooted in health equity.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Commitment to Health Equity:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. believes that to improve the wellness of the least served and fully live out its mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God,” it must recognize the inequities inherent in its communities that contribute to poor health outcomes. Health Equity is both the process and goal by which Methodist Healthcare Ministries seeks to carry out that purpose. Health Equity is a framework of thought and action that strives to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life and contribute to that of others.

As part of our new strategic plan and focus on health equity, we committed to impacting systemic change in the communities we serve, and economic mobility is one of our focus areas.

Our work to advance health equity includes addressing systemic and root causes of inequity to disrupt the cycle of inter-generational poverty. As we examined those roots, poverty, especially generational poverty, stood out as being one of the strongest risk factors for poor health. Particularly, the link between financial well-being—and physical and mental health.

Financial independence directly contributes to our quality of life—it impacts where we can live, what types of foods and services we can access, the quality of our education and access to healthcare. Generational poverty is when poverty persists in a family for at least two generations and is affected by employment, economic, education, and other community-wide systems that have historically excluded and marginalized entire communities through racism, sexism, and other injustices. To disrupt cycles of generational poverty and improve the social and economic factors that impact community health outcomes, solutions must acknowledge the inherent dignity of each person and the circumstances that exist across communities. Solutions should build upon existing assets of individuals and communities and allow individuals and families to best meet their financial needs and life goals.

There are several steps Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to taking in order to address generational poverty and promote prosperity. We are going to identify, invest in, and support approaches that address root causes of poverty and financial outcomes for individuals and families living in poverty. We will focus on strengthening financial inclusion, knowledge, behaviors and opportunities through financial information, education and coaching opportunities, along with capital and asset building to develop financial capability and security.

Our hope is that in two years, when the results of this economic study emerge, we will have a clear understanding of the approaches and strategies that can help strengthen families and foster thriving communities across our service area. We hope the findings will be a model for other organizations and communities to follow to promote generational prosperity across the country.

It’s a lofty goal, for sure, but doing so will be just one more example of our efforts to bring the words of John Wesley to life. We’ll be doing all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can.

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Resources

Advancing Health Equity: Changing Health Outcomes

DW Admin on January 31, 2022

Sometimes, changing health outcomes begins with changing your perspective. Dr. Michael Lane, Board of Directors Chair for Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc., remembers a story from several years ago where a team was treating a San Antonio resident who kept returning to the hospital for pneumonia. After the physician and the medical team dug deeper into their patient’s life, they found this woman, a senior citizen, lived in poor housing conditions filled with mold. Mold that was contributing to her frequent trips to the hospital.

Once social services intervened, she was able to improve her living conditions and stay out of the emergency room. This story helped change Dr. Lane’s perspective on healthcare. Rather than looking only at traditional healthcare and health behaviors for solutions to a person’s health, it’s critical to examine people’s social and environmental needs, and ultimately the vital conditions that contribute to an entire community’s health and well-being.

This perspective is important because clinical care and individual health behaviors make up only about 50 percent of the factors that can be altered to improve the length and quality of life of individuals within a community^[1]. This means that, even after receiving quality healthcare services through Methodist Healthcare Ministries or another provider and creating healthy habits, such as regularly exercising, there are other social, economic, and physical environmental factors that can negatively or positively impact the health of individuals and entire communities.
These different health factors also often interact with each other. If some factors are impaired, such as living conditions plagued with mold, then other factors, such as the ability to work and attend school, may also be negatively affected. This in-turn may affect family income from one generation to the next, and a chain of other outcomes for generations of families. Because of the many possible interactions among the various health factors, it’s important to not only address individual needs, patient-by-patient and family-by-family, but also be even more proactive by addressing needs from a higher, community-level approach to make a broader impact.
One broader approach is to address the vital community conditions and social determinants of health (SDOH). These can be thought of as the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health and quality-of-life^[2]. The emphasis is on looking at the economic, educational, healthcare, neighborhood, physical, social, and community conditions, place-by-place and community-by-community. When a community’s employment opportunities, water sources, transportation, and other systems adequately serve community members, this increases the entire community’s opportunity to thrive. Unfortunately, the reverse is also possible: If a neighboring community’s systems, infrastructure, processes, or policies do not create the necessary conditions for the community to thrive, the entire community’s health and well-being may suffer. This indicates inequities in health and well-being outcomes across places and groups of people. However, communities have the power to address the factors that contribute to these inequities and organizations like Methodist Healthcare Ministries can come alongside to support them.

“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive.”

Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO | Methodist Healthcare Ministries

It is with a deeper understanding of the impact of the social determinants of health and community conditions that Methodist Healthcare Ministries is building upon its 25-year legacy of increasing access to care for the least served. Their new strategic direction is focused on a commitment to advancing health equity which begins with recognizing the inequities inherent in its communities that contribute to poor health outcomes. Health Equity is Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ framework of thought and action that strives to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life and contribute to that of others.

Building Upon our Strengths
Methodist Healthcare Ministries cannot rely on one approach alone to expand its positive impact across South Texas. It must build upon its legacy of high-quality care and services. Ensuring access to care, enhancing community conditions, partnering with communities, and addressing systemic inequities are all essential to advancing health and well-being across communities.
Dr. Lane added, “We have to get everybody to recognize that healthcare is a shared value. We should want everyone to be healthy. How do we get there? We have to collaborate, listen and work together with our communities.”
This has led Methodist Healthcare Ministries to embrace a transformational journey that will go beyond a primary emphasis on access to healthcare services. The shift requires a greater focus on trying to change the community conditions that contribute to disproportionate levels of trauma, sickness, and early death. This work includes identifying root causes and historical legacies that contribute to cycles of intergenerational poverty. Most importantly, it requires building upon the assets that already exist within communities and recognizing community members as the greatest assets among them.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ President & CEO, Jaime Wesolowski, said access to care has been and will always be a priority for Methodist Healthcare Ministries, but its new strategic direction will take it even further in serving the community.
“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive,” Wesolowski added.
The new strategic direction will encompass three focus areas: Transforming Internal Processes and Culture, Strengthening Communities, and Impacting Systemic Changes. This provides Methodist Healthcare Ministries with a roadmap of where it wants to go and how it can get there, as it co-creates solutions with patients, clients, and community members.
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Learn more about what Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is doing on its transformative journey through the Advancing Health Equity blog series, which will appear on mhm.org. If you have any questions, please email us at info@mhm.org.

[1] As described by Healthy County Rankings model.
[2] Healthy People 2030 Definition—expands upon the MHM/WHO definition by adding “worship” to the list

Tag: Health Equity

Strengthening Communities: MHM’s Second Strategic Focus Area

A Journey of Transformation: A Deeper Dive into MHM’s First Strategic Focus Area

A Closer Look at MHM’s Strategic Focus Areas

Strategic Focus #1 – Transform Internal Processes and Culture

Some of our work in the area of internal transformation includes:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries became the first organization to attain a Level 1 – Trauma Informed Certification from the Ecumenical Center in August 2021.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries opened the new Dixon Health & Wellness Center on San Antonio’s East Side in 2019.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries announced the launch of a two-year economic mobility study in San Antonio in July 2022.

An Economic Mobility Study Building Upon the Strengths of San Antonio

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Commitment to Health Equity:

Advancing Health Equity: Changing Health Outcomes

“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive.”