Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition event reaches key stakeholders in the Rio Grande Valley
The Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition (TWHC) – an organization largely funded by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. that promotes access to preventive health care for all Texas women – hosted an event on Dec. 9 in McAllen, Texas, to inform Rio Grande Valley community members of recent developments in women's health care and state women's health programs. Dr. Janet Realini, chair of TWHC and president of Healthy Futures of Texas, presented at the event, as well as Lesley French, associate commissioner of women's health services at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The event provided an opportunity for TWHC to engage with community stakeholders who serve a population of women in particular need of a strong women's health care system. Nearly 45 attendees represented more than 20 organizations including: Methodist Healthcare Ministries, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the Cameron County Health Department, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Nurse-Family Partnership, family planning clinics, private practices and Title X providers. Most attendees expressed interest in wanting to learn more about TWHC and staying informed of its efforts.
The event also helped strengthen the relationship of TWHC and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Following the initial presentation, Associate Commissioner Lesley French conducted a focus group with local women to discuss the challenges and barriers they have faced in obtaining basic preventive health care.
TWHC plans on having several similar events in 2016. Methodist Healthcare Ministries continues to work with TWHC in an effort to support regionalization objectives in the Rio Grande Valley. Methodist Healthcare Ministries helped fund the creation of TWHC in 2011, and has been instrumental in the Coalition's work to reverse severe cuts to women's health care and to ensure a strong women's health care system in the state of Texas.
As a key funder for TWHC, Methodist Healthcare Ministries fully supports the Coalition's mission of providing every woman in the state access to preventive and preconception care so that she may stay healthy.
To learn more about the Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition, visit http://www.texaswhc.org/.