Care in our Communities

Texas’ teaching hospitals deploy care delivery programs outside of the hospitals’ four walls in community-based settings so care is provided how and where it’s needed. These programs increase access to community-based primary, specialty, and behavioral health care; support chronic disease management; and reduce hospital readmissions and avoidable hospital ER use.

Harris Health System’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Home Visit Program brings tailored diabetes education directly to the homes of patients who have uncontrolled diabetes and are disengaged from care. CHWs assess and address health-related social needs connecting patients to a variety of community resources from food to transportation and CHW serves as a direct connection to a patient’s medical home. Harris Health also runs the Healthcare for the Homeless Program, integrating telehealth into its outreach and street medicine services providing essential care to hard-to-reach populations. Those in rural areas, encampments, and unsheltered locations are connected to telehealth services by the program’s outreach staff for primary and specialty care.

University Medical Center El Paso focuses on reducing avoidable hospital readmissions and enhancing patients’ ability to manage their diabetes through its medical nutrition therapy and diabetes classes. This holistic program is offered to patients newly diagnosed with diabetes and provides post-discharge education and support ensuring that patients have insulin and other supplies as well as an outpatient, follow-up appointment seven days following discharge. Ongoing patient education on nutrition and weight loss, foot exams, and chronic disease management is provided.

Midland Health partnered with Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and local philanthropists to establish a free clinic in a non-profit community center in an underserved neighborhood. Run by medical students under faculty supervision, the clinic is structured to reach the uninsured who are hesitant to seek care from traditional sources. Midland Health also partners with Midland Fire Department to operate a community health program with a physician assistant and EMS team member to make home visits to help avoid the need for hospital emergency department visits.

Click on the links below to read more about the many facets of Texas’ teaching hospitals.

Teaching Hospitals of Texas

Teaching Hospitals of Texas is the state’s principal voice and advocate for hospitals and health systems that teach, train, and mentor the next generation of physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals and are united in their commitment to supporting policies and funding to ensure healthcare access for all Texans.

View our members here.