TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries has temporarily closed its clinic and lab in Magnolia because of financial hardship, the nonprofit announced in a news release March 19. The clinic, located at 18230 FM 1488, Magnolia, opened in spring 2017 and provided more than 3,300 patient visits in 2018, according to the release.
The Magnolia clinic will be open half a day once a week during the closure with minimal staffing to help patients access medical records, receive medications and find alternative health care resources, the release said.
"We are terribly disappointed about this situation, especially for our patients," interim CEO Timika Simmons said in the release.
Simmons was
appointed interim CEO March 4, replacing former Executive Director Lee Anna Kroon.
Simmons notified the board of directors that financial resources were not available to continue operating the Magnolia clinic after two weeks of sorting through the clinic's finances, according to the release. If the clinic had not been temporarily closed, staff would not be paid for their work, the release said.
"With the temporary closure, expenses will be cut significantly enough to allow us time to retrieve some of the pending [invoices] and re-engage our donor base in the area," Simmons said. "The temporary closure puts TOMAGWA in a better place to be able to restructure and develop a solid sustainability plan to go forth in a fiscally healthier manner."
Despite the Magnolia clinic's closure, TOMAGWA's Tomball and Waller locations remain open. Patients can continue to contact TOMAGWA for medical records and appointments at the two locations.
"We are still a fully functioning medical facility with the ability to provide care out of our Tomball and Waller locations," Medical Director Dr. Linda Flower said in the release.
The Tomball clinic is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 455 School St., Ste. 30, Tomball. The Waller clinic is open at 8:30 a.m. Thursdays at 1613 Key St., Waller, according to
TOMAGWA's website. Services are by appointment only.
TOMAGWA has provided health care services to uninsured, low-income families and individuals in northwest Harris, Montgomery and Waller counties for more than 30 years, according to the release.
"We are committed to managing the ministry as well as we do the work of the ministry," said Kevin Rudolph, president of the TOMAGWA board of directors, in the release. "With a solid sustainability plan supported by the Magnolia community and an effective economy of scale in place, the Magnolia clinic has the potential to thrive and follow in the footsteps of the original Tomball location."
No reopening date has been announced.