2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
AFFECTED GROUPS Clinics and other providers in the Greater Houston area indicated social barriers, such as location and employment, are a key factor preventing people from accessing quality health care. 1 of 5 Fort Bend County residents are either uninsured 22% of renters and 8.4% of homeowners spend over 50% on
accessing care as “social determinants of health.” She also indicated a lack of adequate transportation as one of these factors, while highlighting an inability to access healthy food, pay utility bills or generally nd employment. A lack of employment opportunities and low wages can cause many resi- dents to deprioritize health care over housing and food, according to obser- vations made in the CHA. “[People] want to work, they want to take care of their families, they want to contribute to society—but they work in jobs that are not required to o er them bene ts,” Clarkson said. Meeting demand Clarkson said San Jose is working to “bridge the trust gap” in areas around the Rosenberg community that they serve, especially people in more rural areas and people from marginalized communities. San Jose Clinic is planning to open a pharmacy in Rosenberg on July 1. The pharmacy will help provide ser- vices to places in the county with the highest demand, Clarkson said. It will be located on borrowed land on the
grounds of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 514 Carlisle St. “We’re always thinking about growth in the Fort Bend area,” Clarkson said. “We’re looking at … nding a funder that can help us secure our own land and our own space.” Jalan said AccessHealth has plans to expand its presence in Missouri City and is also considering future expan- sions into west areas of the county and the Katy area, where Jalan said there is high demand. A timeline for the proj- ects was not provided. Jalan said being medically under- served is a multidimensional problem a ecting Fort Bend County communi- ties. She said systems-based changes or changes to governing policy outside of clinics tend to be overlooked methods for taking on the challenge. “Access to green spaces, sidewalks, … things that we would [usually] asso- ciate with civic infrastructure, have a big impact on health and well-being,” Jalan said.
29% of people with an annual household income of less than $40,000 reported having very good health.
or have unmet health needs.
housing, or are considered “severely cost burdened.”
Percent of population 19 to 64 years old without health insurance by race/ ethnicity, 2019
Texas (Total: 25.7%)
Fort Bend County (Total: 17.5%)
Harris County (Total: 31.2%)
10% 20% 50% 30% 40%
0%
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
SOURCES: SAN JOSE CLINIC, FORT BEND COUNTY, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 2020 DATA COMMUNITY IMPACT
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SUGAR LAND MISSOURI CITY EDITION • JUNE 2023
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