SPECIAL HEALTH RESOURCES MARKS NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK WITH MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO COMMUNITY
Longview, Texas – When you think about healthcare, does the word “innovative” come to mind? Do you think of Community Health Centers (CHCs), like Special Health Resources (SHR)? If not, you should!
For more than 30 years, SHR has worked to make healthcare accessible to its neighbors, offering vital services including adult and pediatric primary care, dental care for all ages, women’s health and family planning, mental and behavioral healthcare, pain management, substance abuse counseling and treatment, STI testing, treatment and prevention, as well as HIV/ AIDS services, and more.
This August, SHR is joining more than 1,500 CHCs across the country to celebrate National Health Center Week, Aug. 2-8, to highlight the important role health centers play in providing affordable, effective, comprehensive health services to more than 52 million Americans. That’s one in seven Americans, including one in three people in rural communities. And this year’s theme, “Building Innovative Care Where It Matters Most”, could not be more fitting.
“Every day, I have the privilege of seeing our team make a difference in people’s lives,” SHR CEO Jessica Roldan said. “Whether it’s providing primary care, behavioral health, dental services or helping someone overcome barriers like transportation or food insecurity, our mission is to meet people where they are. That’s what community health is all about, and it’s something we’re proud to celebrate during National Health Center Week.”
Health centers don’t just expand access to care. They improve outcomes and save money. For just 1 percent of national healthcare spending, CHCs deliver primary healthcare to 14 percent of the U.S. population and save the healthcare system billions of dollars each year by preventing costly hospital visits. By offering quality, affordable care CHCs like SHR help keep patients out of emergency rooms and hospital beds.
“For me, leadership is about service. It’s about listening, building trust and ensuring that every person has the opportunity to achieve their best possible health,” said SHR Board Chairman Bobby Pierce. “It is both a privilege and a responsibility to help shape the future of an organization that has touched my own life. I am proud to stand alongside the dedicated staff, providers, fellow board members and the communities we serve as we continue making healthcare accessible and ensuring every person has the opportunity to live a healthier, fuller life.”
With health centers in Tyler, Longview, Paris and Texarkana, SHR has made healthcare accessible in Northeast Texas for more than 30 years. SHR health centers accept Medicaid, Medicare and most private insurances, as well as self-pay discounts based on income and household size. In addition to primary healthcare services, SHR works to address public health issues like the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, substance abuse and homelessness through programs that offer free HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C testing, treatment and prevention and substance abuse counseling and treatment, including a Suboxone program for opioid dependence and addiction recovery.
And thanks to a fleet of mobile health units – which act as doctor offices on wheels – SHR providers and staff are able to travel to rural areas to offer healthcare to those who can’t access a doctor’s office. From health screenings to prevention testing and the Women’s Health on Wheels program, these mobile units ensure Northeast Texans have access to healthcare, no matter where they are. Learn more at specialhealth.org.
ABOUT NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK
Every August, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) sponsors National Health Center Week (NHCW) to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s Community Health Centers (CHCs). NHCW is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of CHC patients, staff, board members, and supporters who make it possible to provide quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care services to 52 million patients across more than 17,000 communities. Learn more at healthcenterweek.org.
specialhealth.org
Making Healthcare Assessible
Adult and Pediatric Primary Care | Adult and Pediatric Dental Care | Women’s Health and Family Planning | Mental and Behavioral Health Services
ADHD and ADD Diagnosis and Treatment | Pain Management | Telehealth Services | Substance Abuse Counseling and Treatment
STI Testing, Treatment and Prevention | HIV/ AIDS Services
Special Health Resources is a comprehensive healthcare system providing affordable care for the whole family. With health centers in Tyler, Longview, Paris and Texarkana, as well as a fleet of mobile units to serve more rural areas, Special Health Resources provides healthcare to families in 23 Northeast Texas counties and one county in Southwest Arkansas.