Nearly 26 percent of CommUnityCare Health Centers’ patients in 2018 sought care for chronic diseases such as HIV, diabetes and heart disease – up from 18 percent in 2016 – said CommUnityCare CEO Jaeson Fournier at Wednesday’s Central Health Board of Managers meeting. CommUnityCare, which provides medical, dental and behavioral health services to low-income and […]
Public Health
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On second try, parks board OKs land use for Dove Springs health center
A public health center requested by residents of the Dove Springs area for nearly a decade was given an OK by the city’s Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday, setting up the use of 2.6 acres of parkland to hold the facility. The 8-1-1 vote, in which Francoise Luca voted against and Nina Rinaldi abstained, […]
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Parks board to reconsider request to OK parkland for Dove Springs health center
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board will hold a special meeting Tuesday to reconsider a request to use city parkland in Southeast Austin for the site of a new community health center. The special session is a follow-up to last month’s meeting where concerns over giving up 2.6 acres of Dove Springs District Park, and questions […]
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Austin could fund ‘logistical support’ for low-income women seeking abortions
Four Austin City Council members want the city to help low-income women obtain abortions – without the city actually paying for the procedure. At the urging of local reproductive rights groups, Austin city leaders are working to set aside up to $150,000 for groups that provide transportation, lodging, child care and counseling to women seeking […]
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Despite sparse data, county court moves forward on mental health jail diversion program
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to enter into an agreement with Integral Care, the local mental health authority, aimed at getting criminal defendants with serious mental health problems out of jail and into treatment. The agreement will expand a pilot program that has been in place for the past three years. While the […]
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Central Health says Sendero is relatively healthy, but its survival is still uncertain
As the June deadline draws closer for Sendero Health Plans to prove its worth in the insurance market, Central Health officials gathered Monday night to update the community about the nonprofit health insurance company. According to Sendero and Central Health’s board of managers, the company is doing well so far – sort of. “At this […]
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County ready to consider options for designated behavioral health authority
After bouncing the idea around for several months, Travis County is ready to start exploring options to dedicate a local behavioral health authority as an overlay to its existing local mental health authority under Integral Care. The local behavioral health authority, or LBHA, would be only the third in the state, joining the North Texas […]
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Sendero misses enrollment target but breaks even
After Central Health’s board of managers gave up on Sendero Health Plans with a vote to disband the health maintenance organization on Sept. 12, 2018, a final effort to leverage more federal dollars has managed to save the nonprofit from financial collapse. Central Health launched the Central Health Assistance Program late last year to bring […]
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Medical school seeking ideas that think outside the doc’s office
The Dell Medical School at the University of Texas is looking for local organizations with ideas on how to improve the health of Austin-area residents away from the doctor’s office. In partnership with the Houston-based Episcopal Health Foundation, the medical school will spend two years growing and gathering data from a handful of selected projects […]
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HAAM eyes new partnerships, funding for long-term stability
The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is making a year-end push to raise the final $200,000 of its current operating budget, while at the same time fending off concerns from musicians about reduced financial assistance for health insurance plans in the federal marketplace. Reenie Collins, the nonprofit’s executive director, told the Austin Monitor that, while […]
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Seton offers homeless groups space to address trafficking, services
Nonprofits addressing homelessness in Austin will get some long-sought-after help in steering clients through the area’s network of services designed to get them off the streets and into stable housing. Seton Healthcare Family has announced a new partnership with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) and the SAFE Alliance, offering some of the health care […]
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City of Austin considers opioid strategies
The city of Austin is aiming to develop a coordinated effort with Travis County, law enforcement and health agencies to fight opioid addiction. An Aug. 30 memo to City Council from Stephanie Hayden, director of the Austin Department of Health and Human Services, suggests something of an “all of the above” approach to preventing drug […]