Laredo, TX – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $291,264 in federal funding to Gateway Community Health Center. These funds, awarded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center Cluster Program and the Quality Improvement Awards these funds will help Gateway Community provide critical health care services to communities in Zapata and Webb Counties.

 “Gateway Community Health Center is the backbone to our health system, especially as we continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congressman Cuellar. “These federal funds will work to improve efficiency in care delivery and quality of care, leading to better overall health and well-being in the region.

“As a senior Appropriator, I will continue to ensure that health centers receive the necessary long-term funding to deliver the critical health care services that our community needs and deserves. I would like to thank Elmo Lopez, CEO of Gateway Community Health Center, and the rest of his staff for their constant commitment in continued care for patients during these unprecedented times.”

“Our 25 million patients across the nation and all of our clinicians and employees are grateful for this grant that allows us to continue to provide quality care for all,” said Elmo Lopez, CEO of Gateway Community Health Center. “Congressman Henry Cuellar has always been a champion for Gateway and accessible, affordable healthcare for those most in need. Preventive healthcare and access to a primary care medical home will keep families healthier longer. Community Health Centers across the country care for all patients regardless of their ability to pay for services.”

Gateway Community Health Center provides primary care and support services to underserved and rural populations. Services include pediatrics, women’s health, adult care services, dental health, behavioral health services, pharmacy care, podiatry care services, support services and health education. 

Quality Improvement Program

Specifically, Gateway Community Health Center was awarded $124,264 through HRSA’s Quality Improvement Awards. HRSA distributes these awards to help health centers further strengthen quality improvement activities and expand quality primary health care service delivery.

The Quality Improvement Awards are also given out to  recognize the highest performing health centers nationwide, as well as those health centers that have made significant quality improvements from the previous year. Health centers are recognized for achievements in various areas, including improving cost-efficient care delivery while also increasing quality of care, reducing health disparities, increasing both the number of patients served and patients’ ability to access comprehensive services, advancing the use of health information technology, and delivering patient-centered care.

Gateway received the following awards:

·         Clinical Quality Improvers: $31,889

·         Access Enhancers: $5,750

·         Health Disparities Reducers: $25,875

·         Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality: $5,750

·         Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition: $55,000

Health Center Cluster Program

Gateway Community Health Center also received $167,000 through the Health Center Cluster Program. This program works to improve access to health care by building healthy communities, strengthening the health care workforce, and achieving health equity in rural and underserved areas. More than 27 million people– 1 in 12 nationwide – rely on a HRSA-funded health center for affordable, accessible primary health care.

Through this grant, Gateway Community Health Center will ensure that underserved rural communities in Webb and Zapata counties have access to behavioral health care. This funding will support the clinic’s behavioral health initiative including two licensed professional counselors and one pediatric psychiatrist. The psychiatry team at gateway has seen 835 individual patients totaling 3,012 visits.

In addition, the funding will support to health educators who work to educate the community on the impacts of substance abuse disorders. These health educators have impacted 6,296 individuals in the area. This funding is critical to the clinic in order continue providing services to patients with Behavioral Health treatment.

In the last year, the Gateway Community Health Center provided 26,890 patients with care. These funds will allow Gateway to increase these numbers and treat more underserved members of this community.