Community Action Council of South Texas

Community Action Council of South Texas was founded in 1965 and began delivering health services in 1968. The nine service delivery sites provide services to the people of Duval, Jim Hogg, Starr, and Zapata counties, each designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (excluding Duval county). Services provided include dental, podiatry, WIC, nutritional counseling, social services, family planning, integrated eligibility, laboratory, pharmacy, HIV/AIDS counseling/testing, health education, transportation assistance, and an immunization program. FQHCs also know as community health centers are local, non-profit or public entity, community owned health care providers serving low-income and medially underserved communities. FQHCs provide high-quality, affordable primary care and preventative services to populations who, even if insured, remain isolated from traditional forms of medical care because of where they live, who they are, the language they speak, and their high levels of complex health care needs.

Although FQHCs have a broad prevention-based perspective on many health problems, they are much like private medical and dental practices, staffed by physicians, dentists, nurses and other health care professionals. They differ however, by the broader range of services provided such as social services, transportation, translation services, health education, and their management structure. In order to maximize limited resources, these private, nonprofit community practices have developed community linkages with specialty providers, local health departments, hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacists, and other community organizations to ensure services are coordinated and eliminate duplication of effort. Although some services may not be available on-site, the health center does coordinate care and referrals to other providers in a way that assures comprehensive and convenient "one-stop caring" for its patients. In 2004, Community Health Centers cared for 562,065 Texans regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.