The Coleman Project: A Case Study
Hilton T. Perez, MD, MBA-HA, M.T. (ASCP) Midland Community Healthcare Services, Michael Austin, PhD, MA, Midland Community Healthcare Services, Patricia Snyder, RN, Midland Independent School District
Presented at the Lubbock Conference
History of Organization - Midland Community Healthcare Services (MCHS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation governed by a ten member Board of Directors which operates as a FQHC. Prior to becoming a separate entity in May 2003, MCHS operated as part of the Midland County Hospital District. On January 1, 2004, MCHS assumed operation of three existing health care centers in Midland County, Texas - Adult Services, Pediatric Services, and Women’s Services. The centers have served the health care needs of the underserved, uninsured and underinsured residents of Midland County, Texas for many years.
The mission of MCHS is: “To provide high quality accessible healthcare services to the medically underserved population of the Midland Community, regardless of the ability to pay for services.” Through the expansion of services, MCHS has increased access to health care services and decrease disparities among those residing in our target area. The goal of MCHS is to ultimately increase access to services to 100% and have 0% disparities. MCHS provides multi-disciplinary services to the target population with increased access to healthcare in a culturally relevant environment that is conducive and responsive to the needs of a low-income population, with dignity and respect.
Community/Target Population - The service area of MCHS is Midland County, Texas. The target population is located in the City of Midland, in census tracts 14, 15, 16, and 17, an area that includes the eastern and southeastern districts of the city. The area is urban and includes a large number of underserved, uninsured and underinsured individuals and their families.
The Census tracts 14, 15, 16, and 17 have been designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), a Medically Underserved Population (MUP), and a Medically Underserved Area (MUA). Twelve percent (12%) of the County’s population lives in these census tracts. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the population is Hispanic; 21% African American; and 9% White. A total of 70% of the target population lives at or below 200 % FPL. (US Census 2000)
Initiatives - MCHS, the best kept healthcare secret in the region, has been involved in multiple national, state and local initiatives and collaboratives, to directly impact the overall primary care services, access to care, health disparities, and underrepresented population education.
Project - Midland Community Healthcare Services (MCHS) is working on the viability of the Coleman Project, named after a pioneer in the healthcare field in the Midland area, a self motivated program, in which first hand experiences and services are presented to underrepresented adolescents within the Midland County. Midland Community Healthcare Services works directly with Coleman High School, under the Midland Independent School District, through MCHS - Coleman Clinic, to provide direct teaching to their students. All MCHS clinical facilities host clinical preceptorships in collaboration with local business institutes, colleges, and universities, devoted to the training of local qualified candidates, mostly from the Hispanic and African-American origin, from the neighborhoods that MCHS serves, to provide a stable future healthcare workforce that could return and serve their own neighbors, by such decreasing the shortage of healthcare providers available to provide vital serv ices within those neighborhoods. MCHS fully supports underrepresented students to ensure the successful high healthcare education completion, in addition to support entry-level positions to the healthcare workforce from those trainees. MCHS provides professional development opportunities, recognition, and compensation based on experience, which has shown to improve the quality of life and a brighter future for those underrepresented students. MCHS is dedicated to making a social difference and impact in our Midland community, treating patients, which would become future students, with high values, dignity and respect. It is MCHS’ desire to continue to be considered a model healthcare organization in the Permian Basin region by “opening the door” to historically underrepresented students and introducing them to a viable career serving their own community.
Objectives
- Promote strategies to implement health care workforce opportunities to highly qualified underrepresented students entering in health care professions
- Use of effective cultural and linguistic competence tool to assess highly qualified underrepresented students entering in health care professions.