HOUSTON, Aug. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Legacy Community Health, a not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides comprehensive care to over 180,000 patients at more than 30 clinics in Southeast Texas regardless of their ability to pay, announced today that it is collaborating with Avenue Center to bring a much-needed community health clinic to the Near Northside community. The 6,200-square foot facility, which will serve families in this traditionally low-income neighborhood, will open next year in Avenue Center, a new mixed-use community resource center being developed by Avenue across from Moody Park.
"We are proud to have the opportunity to address the need for quality health care in the Near Northside community," says Legacy Community Health CEO Katy Caldwell. "We look forward to our collaboration with Avenue in the new Avenue Center and hope that it will inspire further investment in healthcare services for underserved communities across Houston and the state."
Situated in Houston's urban core, the Near Northside is home to approximately 25,000 people, more than one-third of whom live below the poverty line, compared to Houston's overall poverty rate of 23 percent. Health disparities are a key concern in the community, where nearly 40 percent of residents lack health insurance and approximately 11 percent of residents have previously reported serious psychological distress. Childhood obesity is also a prominent issue in Near Northside, with more than 50 percent of children reported to be an unhealthy weight.
"We are excited to collaborate with Legacy Community Health to improve healthcare access for working families in Near Northside. Like Avenue, Legacy is committed to improving the quality of life for all, including low-income households that are cost-burdened and struggling to accommodate healthcare costs," said Mary Lawler, executive director at Avenue. "Creating healthier communities starts with healthier families and that is not possible without adequate access to quality affordable healthcare. The Legacy Community Health Clinic at Avenue Center will provide Near Northside residents with improved access to healthcare providers and a state-of-the art healthcare facility, both of which are critical to building healthier and happier communities. We look forward to offering this key resource to the community in the coming year."
Located at 3517 Irvington Boulevard, Avenue Center will feature approximately 30,500 square feet of community programming space. In addition to the new Legacy Community Health clinic, Avenue Center will offer area residents access to a wide variety of programs and services including homebuyer education and counseling, financial education, space for meetings and trainings, and an early childhood education center, which will help address the shortage of early childhood education capacity in the community.
In 2017, Near Northside was designated as one of five pilot neighborhoods for Mayor Sylvester Turner's Complete Communities initiative, which focuses on ensuring Houston communities have the quality of life elements needed for residents to live and prosper in their own neighborhoods. These elements include adequate access to healthcare, educational resources, healthy groceries, parks and green space, quality public transit and economic opportunities. The initiative seeks to address these elements in Houston communities where they are lacking and includes provisions for sufficient quality, affordable housing, which has become a growing concern across the Houston area, including in the Near Northside community.
About Legacy Community Health:
As a full-service, Federally Qualified Health Center, Legacy identifies unmet needs and gaps in health-related services and develops client-centered programs to address those needs. A United Way-affiliated agency since 1990, they currently provide a long list of services including adult primary care, pediatrics, dental care, vision services, behavioral health services, OB/GYN and maternity care, vaccinations and immunizations, health promotion and community outreach, wellness and nutrition services, and comprehensive HIV/AIDS care.
SOURCE Legacy Community Health
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