People’s Community Clinic expands women’s health services at new center in Central Austin

People’s Community Clinic is aiming to serve more uninsured and underserved women through a new health care center in Central Austin.

The federally qualified health center opened an expanded clinic for its Center for Women’s Health in September. People’s Community Clinic leaders said the expansion is helping fill gaps amid a growing need for women's health care in Central Texas.

The big picture

The new People’s Center for Women’s Health, located at St. David’s Medical Center off 32nd Street, features additional exam rooms, a dedicated area to provide group care and health education, and more space to grow future programs.

The center provides full-scope OB-GYN care, including:

• Prenatal and postpartum care
• Comprehensive well-woman exams
• Birth control counseling and contraceptive care
• High-risk pregnancy support
• Teen pregnancy services and parenting programs
• Sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment
• Health screenings, nutrition consultations and behavioral health services

A closer look

The center now offers cardiology care and is planning to eventually launch menopause and perimenopause services, women’s mental health support, and pelvic floor care, said Dr. Nicole Moretti, an OB-GYN and director of the Center for Women’s Health.

“Those are services that traditionally patients who don't have access to funding don't have access to,” Moretti said. “We want them to be able to access things that can make their lives not only healthier but more enjoyable.”

The clinic’s health educators provide women contraception counseling, pregnancy support and information about pediatric care, Moretti said. New mothers can access lactation specialists as well as doulas and midwives for assistance with birthing classes or delivery at the hospital.

Why it matters

People’s Community Clinic opened the expanded women’s health care center to meet a growing need in the community, Moretti said. The center connects women to wraparound support services like transportation and child care, making it easier to access health care, she said.

“There is a gap in what's being disseminated to the average person about their health and someone's ability to access health care,” Moretti said. “We step in to provide that space where patients feel comfortable, not only walking through the door [and] navigating the health care system that might be wholly unfamiliar to them, but also then receiving the care.”