Lone Star Family Health Center is working to provide Spring and Willis residents with affordable access to primary caregivers at two new locations in Montgomery County. Construction is expected to start in July on both facilities.
Until the new permanent locations open in 2017, the federally qualified health center will operate temporary locations in both Willis and Spring, said Dr. Stephen McKernan, CEO and residency program director.
“Lone Star is committed to taking care of patients who want our services and work with them to assure access to quality primary care, providing access to uninsured patients through our sliding fee program and various grants,” he said.
Willis is a designated Health Professional Shortage Area, and 21 percent of Montgomery County residents are uninsured, making such clinics especially important in bridging the health care gap, Marketing Manager Ashley Hamlin said.
In 2014, just over 3,700 LSFHC patients at the Conroe facility were from the city of Willis and Walker County areas, according to the health center. Both new facilities will provide dental service and comprehensive primary care medicine for patients of all ages, McKernan said.
The health center’s mission is to increase the number of children who receive age-appropriate vaccines, provide child and adult weight screening and counseling and increase the percentage of women who receive prenatal care during their first trimester of pregnancy.
LSFHC is already an active part of the community in Conroe and intends to be just as engaged within the Spring and Willis communities as well, Hamlin said.
“Specifically for the new locations, we will be reaching out again to strengthen and renew relationships with the local school districts, hosting events through Medicaid providers to target enrolled patients who have a gap in care and hosting our own community events to reach new patients,” she said.
Although LSFHC does not have plans for additional sites, McKernan said the organization will continue to assess community needs to determine the feasibility of opening another new facility in the future.
