Advocating increased access to care in Del Valle

On Wednesday night at Central Health’s first public hearing on its Fiscal Year 2020 budget, only one community member signed up to speak – Vanessa Fuentes, a resident of southeast Travis County. Fuentes, who works in community health advocacy, told the board of managers that she was there to speak in solidarity with her neighbors in Del Valle, who have long been asking for a health clinic. Discussing the health disparities within Travis County, she noted that many families are living in poverty in southeast Travis County. She requested that the board look at the current proposal of $1.15 million slated for the Del Valle Health Clinic through a lens of equity, and consider whether that is enough money to build, operate and administer health care services. She asked that the board prioritize and expedite the development of the Del Valle clinic. Later in the meeting, the board received an update on four to five service delivery options to increase access to care in Del Valle in the future. Proposed health care services will incorporate brick-and-mortar clinics, home visits, mobile technology, and other nontraditional models of care.