Central Health broke ground on its Del Valle Health Center in Eastern Travis County on Saturday. The location will house the second of three community health center projects in the county being overseen by Central Health.
When completed in the summer of 2023, the 18,900 square foot Del Valle Health & Wellness Center will provide primary care, integrated mental health services, dental care, and a retail pharmacy to more than 21,000 local residents.
“Just because you don’t have health insurance, doesn’t mean you don’t have access to health care,” said Central Health President & CEO Mike Geeslin to KVUE News Austin at the ceremony. “Fortunately through Central Health, we have the means to help those that are living in poverty and cannot get health insurance get enrolled in the medical access program.”
Travis County voters approved the creation of Central Health in 2004 to provide access to health care for uninsured and poverty-level residents in the county. Founded under Chapter 281 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, Central Health will use its publicly funded provider network to subsidize health care services for eligible residents of Travis County, individuals who are at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Earlier in March, officials broke ground on its first location in Hornsby Bend, which will house a 7,800 square foot state-of-the-art facility with primary care, behavioral health, select specialty care via telehealth, and community spaces.
Plans for a third community wellness center at Colony Park are underway as part of Central Health’s mission to eliminate disparities and improve health outcomes in Travis County.
Officials have prioritized near-term improvements in the following service delivery focus areas:
- Specialty care access including continued expansion of endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, and podiatry.
- Health care for the homeless including expanding street medicine teams.
- Behavioral health initiatives including expanding psychiatry and therapy in primary care settings.
“It’s going to be huge for us,” said Lorena Cruz, a longtime resident of Hornsby Bend, in a press release. “I can’t wait for that to be open. We’re one community that really needs it. Right now, if you don’t have transportation, it’s at least 30 minutes to get medical attention by bus. It’s going to have space for cooking and health classes. There’ll be rooms to learn a whole different set of skills. I look forward to anything that improves that part of Austin.”