Central Health, Travis County’s public hospital district, has revived a former East Austin neighborhood health center, opening doors to the new facility Monday.
The Rosewood-Zaragosa clinic at Webberville and Pleasant Valley Road will expand access to heart, lung, and kidney care for low-income county residents.
Central Health renovated the historic clinic, which opened in 1982. It will offer cardiology, nephrology, pulmonology, psychiatry, and palliative care. There’s an onsite pharmacy, a dietician, and behavioral health counseling.
The opening is part of Central Health’s plan to broaden its direct care offerings; in the past, the organization has funded health care for the county’s low-income residents by partnering hospitals and clinics.
“In a little more than a year and a half we have gone from offering no specialty care services to 19,” Central Health’s Patrick Lee wrote in a community letter. “This rapid expansion underscores our unwavering commitment to enhancing our patients’ healthcare experience and delivering top-notch diagnostic services.”
Central Health’s shift to offering direct care is part of the organization’s Healthcare Equity Plan, a $682 million effort to add more clinics and services over seven years.
Services at Rosewood-Zaragosa are available to members of Central Health’s Medical Access Program, which accepts low-income Travis County residents who lack access to Medicaid, Medicare, and traditional insurance.
Central Health leadership projects the clinic will administer between 25,000 and 40,000 annual visits and will reduce wait times for MAP patients.
