Houston Community Health Center

Since October 2001, Denver Harbor Clinic has been providing comprehensive medical services to its community by bringing healthcare back to the neighborhood. The vision for the clinic began with Pastor James Morris, Pastor Robert Martinez, and healthcare industry executive Daniel Montez who worked tirelessly alongside community leaders and residents, together, to create a central location where people could come and receive high-quality medical attention to address a wide-range of needs. Prior to the establishment of Denver Harbor Clinic, people in the community had no where to turn to address their everday medical needs. They had no choice but to go to area hospital emergency rooms. In many cases, they would confront issues of language and cultural barriers, inabliity to pay for services, and lack of transportation that would prevent them from seeking help at all; therefore, people continued to suffer. As a result of this emerging need, the modest clinic began accepting its first patients in October 2001 on the second floor of La Roca Pentecostal Church with one physician who provided services in two exam rooms one day per week. In 2002 it expanded to two days per week, then finally five days per week in 2003. The clinic had outgrown the tiny space and funds donated by Rockwell Funds, Frees Foundation and the Simmons Foundation assisted the clinic with moving from the church location to the neighborhood cantina.

The grassroots organization conducted a fundraising campaign that resulted in the purchase and refurbishment of the cantina to what is now a state-of-the art medical clinic. The clinic moved into its newly restored building in November 2004. The clinic achieved "Look Alike" status as a Federally Qualified Health Center, or "FQHC." This designation has signficantly increased the clinic's ability to collect revenues at higher reimbursement rates, thus increasing the number of people receiving primary health care services. Denver Harbor Clinic is a freestanding primary care clinic providing culturally appropriate and compassionate care, and offers the following healthcare services: diagnostic laboratory, radiologic services, prenatal and perinatal services, immunizations, screening for elevated blood lead level, communicable disease, cholesterol, voluntary family planning services, emergency medical services, pharmaceutical services, enabling services, and referrals and case managment. The clinic also provides mental health counseling, free children's vitamins, Harris County Hospital District Gold Card eligibility and enrollment, Medicaid eligibility and enrollment, vision screening and prescription glasses, free mammography screening, and parenting education. Denver Harbor Clinic experienced a 56% growth in patients served from 2005 to 2006. This growth was largely due to the clinic's ability to operate 40 hours a week. The increasing operating hours to 40 hours a week was made possible with the grant support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2003.