Suvida Healthcare is set to open its new permanent South Austin location June 16 at 500 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 400, Austin, after operating temporarily at 2500 W. William Cannon Drive, Bldg. 2, Ste. 205, Austin, since January.

The new location is about 10,000 square feet and will offer a health care system for Latino seniors and their families. Suvida spokesperson Paul Saldana said the company will offer a model that addresses physical, behavioral, social and cultural aspects of health. Saldana said this is the fourth location to open in Texas and the only one in Austin so far with two other locations in Houston and one in Pasadena.

“Our vision is to improve the quality of life for historically underserved seniors and those that care for them in neighborhoods across the US,” Suvida co-founder and CEO Austin Pittman said in an email. “We hope to achieve this by deeply embedding ourselves in the neighborhoods we serve through building relationships, earning trust and exceeding expectations. We fundamentally believe that seniors have earned the right to an exceptional health care experience that treats each person and their families with dignity and respect.”

According to the Suvida website, each patient has a multidisciplinary provider-led care team, including a dedicated health care guide called a “guia,” who is committed to keeping their patient healthy. In addition, Suvida Healthcare also provides transportation for established patients, integrated behavioral health support, in-home care and services, nutrition and diabetes support centered around the patient's traditions, community events and wellness programming, pharmacy services, bilingual clinical and nonclinical team members, and 24/7 access to care.

“As a first-generation Cuban American immigrant, trained geriatrician and family caregiver, I have experienced firsthand the many ways our existing system fails our most vulnerable seniors and their families,” said Dr. Ana Fuentevilla, Suvida's co-founder and chief medical officer, in an email. “The ongoing pandemic has placed a spotlight on what has been true for a long time–seniors from historically marginalized groups experience systemic cultural and social barriers to high-quality and accessible care, resulting in significant disparities in health outcomes.”