NONPROFIT
FEDERAL FILING
AWAITING APPROVAL TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries, a safety net clinic that has served Tomball, Magnolia and Waller since 1989, has applied to become a Federally Quali ed Health Center to achieve more funding sustainability.
A Federally Quali ed Health Center is a community-based clinic providing primary health care services on a sliding fee scale and receiving federal grant funds. Since 2020, TOMAGWA has scaled up its operations by adding services such as: • Women’s care • Pediatrics • Mental health • Transportation services SOURCES: HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, TOMAGWA HEALTHCARE MINISTRIES COMMUNITY IMPACT
June: The Health Resources and Services Administration reviews TOMAGWA’s application.
2020 Jan.
2023
March
May
July
Sept.
Nov.
Jan.
March
May
July
Sept.
Nov.
August: The HRSA conducts site visits of the Tomball and Magnolia clinics before awarding a federal designation.
May 19: TOMAGWA les its application to become an FQHC Look A Like, the precursor to an FQHC.
September: TOMAGWA begins its internal transformation to add services and sta — among other changes—as the rst step to pursuing the designation of an FQHC.
TOMAGWA les for federal health site designation TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries submitted its application May 19 to become a Federally Quali ed Health Center Look A Like, the process of which began nearly three years ago To apply for the FQHC Look A Like designation—which meets the requirements of an FQHC before receiving federal funds—TOMAGWA has had to scale its operations, BY ANNA LOTZ patients reside in seven ZIP codes. The number of uninsured resi- dents grew the most from 2016-21 in Magnolia ZIP 77355 and Pinehurst ZIP 77362, rising 35.96% and 166.97%, respectively, according to American Community Survey estimates.
MORE DEMAND
TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries is seeing an increase in patient demand as the amount of residents without health
insurance rises locally. Uninsured residents:
2016 2021
77354 (East Magnolia)
% residents
14.5% 13.9%
5,089
including adding sta and expanding care. Most recently, TOMAGWA hired an OB GYN. “We are working with her now to fully design out the infrastructure for our program, and then we’ll start to market the OB services,” Simmons said in an interview. With more robust services and the ability to care for patients with Medicaid as part of the FQHC process as well, Simmons said patients can remain with the clinic for longer instead of being referred out. Growing demand As TOMAGWA awaits its desig- nation, the number of uninsured residents is growing. TOMAGWA’s 2023 community health needs assessment reported 14% of patients in its service area, or 29,111 individuals, did not have health insurance. The majority of
5,354
as the health care nonpro t has struggled to maintain funding to meet growing patient demand. According to previous reporting, FQHCs are community-based health centers receiving federal grant funds. TOMAGWA relies on private dollars to serve uninsured residents in Tomball, Magnolia and Waller. “This is an incredible milestone in TOMAGWA’s history and for its mis- sion of expanding access to primary care for those most in need while achieving nancial sustainability,” TOMAGWA CEO Timika Simmons said in an email. “We began this journey nearly three years ago during the global pandemic and have faced many challenges along the way.” Simmons said she expects the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct site visits in late August or early September.
“We are having trouble sta ng up at the rate of demand,” Simmons said in an email. “In 2023 we are projected to exceed prepandemic visit num- bers, and in 2024 we are projected to see exponentially more than we have in our history.” Simmons said as of late May, there were 140 people on the waiting list for dental services and 1,043 on the waiting list for medical services. She said TOMAGWA’s greatest need is nancial support to sustain opera- tions until federal funds are available. “TOMAGWA isn’t just transitioning to becoming a Federally Quali ed Health Center; TOMAGWA is transi- tioning to becoming a culture of ‘Yes,’” Simmons said in an email. “Women, children, mental health, medications and wrap-around services, to name a few, will be available in abundance.”
77362 (Pinehurst)
% residents
14.2%
666
28%
1,778
77377 (Tomball)
% residents
9.2% 8.5%
3,279 3,286
77355 (West Magnolia)
% residents
13.6% 15.7%
3,601
4,896
77375 (Tomball)
% residents
18.9% 10.9%
8,710
6,854
77447 (Hockley)
% residents
18.2% 20.6%
2,789
3,727
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 5 YEAR AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY COMMUNITY IMPACT
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MAGNOLIA 32731 Egypt Lane, Ste. 701
THE WOODLANDS 19221 I-45 South Ste. 140 Shenandoah, TX 77385 (281) 363-2847
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Tomball, TX 77375 (281) 351-1955
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