The expansion comes after findings from TOMAGWA’s Community Health Needs Assessment, which identified a shortage of maternal care in the area, CEO Timika Simmons said.
“2023 is when we did our first go at trying to pull this together,” Simmons said. “More and more data kept coming out, and the outcomes in our area were just getting more and more detrimental, and so working with our hospital partners and looking at other research and other partners in the area, we knew we needed a robust program.”
The background
Simmons said TOMAGWA is “the only indigent care provider within a 600-square-mile radius.” As a result, it has long served as a gateway to maternal health services by referring patients to partner providers.
However, Simmons said increasing demand and limited availability of local providers made it necessary to bring these services in-house. To support those services, the clinic has a new full-time OB-GYN staff consisting of an OB doctor, practitioner and nurse, Simmons said.
“Many women, especially those without insurance, don’t receive prenatal care until late in their second trimester or even arrive at the emergency room in labor without any prior care,” Simmons said. “By expanding our services, we can lower the risk of complications for both mothers and babies.”
Diving in deeper
TOMAGWA’s OB-GYN program now offers full prenatal care, ultrasounds, gynecological services and laboratory testing in collaboration with Houston Methodist, Simmons said. While deliveries and outpatient surgical procedures remain outsourced to hospital partners, TOMAGWA’s new full-time OB-GYN staff ensures that patients receive consistent and timely care.
Simmons said an important piece of the program is its affordability. Through partnerships with the Texas Department of State Health Services and local government funding, TOMAGWA provides services on a sliding fee scale, with many costs covered entirely.
“Women don’t have to worry about being turned away due to cost,” Simmons said. “We’re even accepting walk-ins as we build the program. Our goal is simple: if a woman thinks she’s pregnant, she should be able to get care immediately, regardless of financial status.”
One more thing
Beyond OB-GYN services, TOMAGWA’s medical home model supports women’s long-term health, offering dental, vision and family medicine services under one roof.
“We’re not just treating a pregnancy—we’re ensuring ongoing care for both mother and child,” Simmons said.
Learn more
For more information, visit www.tomagwa.org
