“I think my role has always been, not only being a visionary leader, but a strategic leader that understands the community that we serve,” Trujillo said. “And always wanting to make sure that there was access to affordable health care, in holistic ways.”
SBCHC was founded in 2004 as a means of providing high-quality, low-cost health care to underserved areas of the Spring Branch community. Nearly 20 years later, the organization has nine clinic locations across the Greater Houston area including a mobile clinic, which is available upon request to provide on-site health screenings, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and telemedicine services.
Most recently, SBCHC partnered with Spring-area nonprofit Northwest Assistance Ministries in early 2022, and launched the Northwest Community Health Center to provide pediatric services to Spring- and Klein-area residents in need.
According to its website, services offered at the Northwest Community Health Center include newborn care, pediatric and adolescent medicine, school and sport physicals, asthma diagnosis and treatment, allergy diagnosis and treatment, and vaccines.
NAM Chief Advancement Officer Brian Carr said the organization’s pediatric clinic was previously operated by The University of Health. NAM opted to switch the clinic’s operator after a thorough screening process in which several organizations were interviewed.
Due to NAM’s patient demographics, low-income status and need for governmental funds, SBCHC was selected. Carr said by changing operators, Northwest Community Health Center was able to qualify for federal health insurance, making it beneficial to low-income communities.
Although SBCHC's initial goal was to provide pregnant women with the proper health care needed for a healthy pregnancy, Trujillo said SBCHC now provides health care to any vulnerable community member who may not qualify for Medicaid or private insurance.
Individuals and families at 200% and below federal poverty levels are able to qualify for health care on a sliding fee scale with a nominal fee of $30. Trujillo also said that about 44% of the Spring Branch community is uninsured; Carr added that 2 in every 5 families in NAM’s service area are uninsured.
“There's so much to do in the area of prevention, in our health centers,” Trujillo said. “I think the biggest priority is the health education component and making sure people can take better care of themselves and giving them the tools and the resources to do that which are not always as accessible to some of the population.”
Northwest Community Health Center
15555 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. 319, Houston
281-885-4630
www.sbchc.net/our-locations/nam-clinic
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.
