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Texas Children’s Hospital Celebrates Opening of New Project Medical Home in Corinthian Pointe

Innovative program provides convenient access to affordable, comprehensive, high quality pediatric health care for children in medically underserved Houston communities

HOUSTON, Texas – (May 14, 2009) – Texas Children’s Hospital held an opening celebration May 14 for its newest Project Medical Home practice at 5505 West Orem Drive, in the Corinthian Pointe community.

Project Medical Home is a Texas Children’s program that provides convenient, affordable access to top quality primary pediatric health care services for children in medically underserved areas of Houston, regardless of their ability to pay. With this newest location, Texas Children’s now operates five Project Medical Homes in the community.

Featured speakers at the opening ceremony for the newly built facility included Texas Children’s Hospital President and CEO Mark A. Wallace and Board of Trustees member Jodie Jiles. They were joined by Senior Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church and Kingdom Builders, who led the establishment of the Corinthian Pointe community in 2000. The ceremony also included a special performance by the Dowling Middle School Choir.

Founded in 1999 by Texas Children’s Pediatric Associates, Project Medical Homes serve 12 of Houston’s most medically underserved zip codes and offer a full range of services including sick-child visits, immunizations and physicals, plus support programs such as family wellness education and literacy coaching. An on-site licensed social worker assists families in identifying and applying for financial and medical aid and connects them with other vital community resources. Project Medical Home provides relationship-oriented care from bilingual, compassionate, board-certified pediatricians and social workers. To accommodate the children who need its services most, Project Medical Home offers extended evening and weekend hours, affordable and flexible payment plans, confidentiality, and an after-hours help line.

“Countless children in Houston and across the nation are unable to access pediatric health care because they lack insurance coverage,” said Wallace. “Recognizing that our community needs more capacity to care for medically underserved children, Texas Children’s developed Project Medical Home to offer affordable, convenient, quality pediatric health care services --and something more--support services that contribute to the total well being of the child,” he said.

Location and community collaboration are important components of Project Medical Home’s success, said Wallace, and Texas Children’s found both at Pointe 2.3.4. , the large, master-planned community located in Houston’s central southwest area. The community’s Corinthian Pointe subdivision, which contains quality, affordable homes for low-to-middle income families at below-market rates, was based on Caldwell’s vision of a neighborhood that could serve as a catalyst for revitalization. Texas Children’s Project Medical Home is the newest addition to this 234-acre, $174 million mixed-used community being developed by several non-profit corporations to improve the quality of life in southwest Houston.

“Texas Children’s Project Medical Home is an essential and welcome addition to our community,” said Caldwell. “It provides families with convenient access to top quality health care for their children, which helps us build a strong, healthy and empowered community. Families are welcome to Project Medical Home regardless of their financial ability, which enables children to receive the consistent health care they need to thrive and succeed,” he said.

Among families who lack insurance or a primary care physician, the emergency room is the first place they take a sick child for treatment, often for non-emergency care. One indication of Project Medical Home’s effectiveness is the 24% reduction in low-acuity visits to Texas Children’s emergency room from 2007 – 2008 among the program’s 12 target zip codes, according to statistics gathered by the hospital. With its extended hours and affordable services, Project Medical Home’s purpose is to offer families a better alternative and to establish a consistency of care that leads to healthier children.

“We are encouraged every day by the positive feedback we receive from parents and by the positive impact we see Project Medical Home making on the lives of Houston’s children,” Wallace added.

Project Medical Home at Corinthian Pointe is staffed by pediatricians Dr. Cheryl Hardin and Dr. Tyeshia V. Babineaux, as well as nurses, a social worker, and office staff. The bright, cheery 5,000-square-foot facility has 12 examination rooms, a lobby with a play area, an aquarium and books to occupy waiting children, plus a health information kiosk for parents and many other family-friendly features. While walk-in patients are welcome, families are encouraged to make appointments for their children by calling 713-283-1039.

Texas Children’s Pediatric Associates operates four additional Project Medical Homes in the Houston community: TCPA - AAMA at 6001 Gulf Freeway; TCPA - Gulfton at 5900 Chimney Rock; TCPA - Ripley House at 4410 Navigation Blvd.; and TCPA - Cullen at 5751 Blythewood. For more information, visit the Texas Children’s website at www.texaschildrenspediatrics.org.

About Texas Children’s Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top ten best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation’s largest primary pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has embarked on a $1.5 billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a neurological research institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing on high-risk births and a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information on Texas Children's Hospital, visit www.texaschildrens.org.