EEHCC is an innovative partnership of nine individual agencies working together to improve the well being of children 0-18 who live in the East End community in Houston. This unique collaboration was initially formed in 1999 to help East End children reach their full potential in body, mind, and spirit. The group’s first task was to win a grant from the Texas Department of Health to support and sign up East End children in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The group is now focused on enhancing the overall health status of underserved children in the East End.
Realizing the significant health and social needs in the East End, SLEHC convened a 32-member advisory committee from the local community to advise its needs assessment process. From this grassroots committee, the nine partners of the EEHCC formed (one philanthropy, one local educational support organization, three faith-based organizations, two Hispanic community social service organizations, and two clinics). The EEHCC provides health care, community-based services and/or funding to help low-income families and children in the predominantly Hispanic population of Houston’s East End. The East End, which is in Harris County and in Public Health Region 6, is located just east of downtown Houston. It contains three neighborhoods: the Second Ward, Eastwood/Lawndale and Magnolia Park. The East End has culturally specific health and social needs due to its significant Hispanic population (89%). In addition, a majority of the 16,000 children live at 200 percent below poverty and are uninsured.
The teamwork and commitment of this innovative partnership led them to receive a CHIP grant from the Texas Department of Health. The Collaborative works with the schools, churches, and community-based organizations through this CHIP outreach program. The CHIP benefits package offers a broad scope of health benefits to Texas children in low-to-moderate income families. Approximately 8,800 uninsured East End children are estimated to qualify for CHIP insurance. The EEHCC met its first year sign up goal in the first two months.
In 1999, in response to community need, EEHCC initiated comprehensive mobile child health services, including education, immunizations, lead screening, hearing screening, vision testing, mental health and dental services at the collaborative sites as well as other locations throughout the East End, such as churches, schools, and clinics. The mobile medical clinic, Espiritu de Salud: The Spirit of Health, funded by SLEHC, is available to the Collaborative weekdays through gifts from The Cullen Trust for Health Care, Bank of America, and Christus. This clinic serves local area schools and one community center providing primary care, CHIP application assistance, and mental health services. Through an ongoing series of East End Days, EEHCC is also actively pursing funding for four additional priorities: dental services, mental health services, pharmaceutical assistance for children and enhanced childcare. In August 2003, the East End's El Centro de Corazon-Eastwood location received a Federally Qualified Health Center designation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Founding Member Organizations
St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities (SLEHC) is a public charity, provided by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, with a mission to advance community health: body, mind, and spirit in the 57-county Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Since its formation in 1997, SLEHC has awarded over 1100 grants for a total of over $66 million. To date, SLEHC has invested over $4.5 million in grants for the East End and has designated the East End as the priority target site to foster new community-wide health initiatives to help children in the East End.
Christ Church Cathedral (CCC) has been ministering at the corner of Texas and San Jacinto since 1839. It has a long history of involvement with the social needs of Houston. The initiative to provide health care for indigent children was started at the Cathedral and ultimately evolved into Espirítu de Salud (Spirit of Health) Mobile Clinic, which serves homeless adolescents and underserved families in the East End in the evening. In September of 2000, the clinic began providing daytime primary care services for underserved youth at five East End locations.
Communities In Schools (CIS) Houston offers a variety of school-based services: tutoring, counseling, information and social services referral, parental involvement and enrichment activities. CIS works with 15 public schools in the East End and facilitates effective outreach to area schools. The core mission of CIS is school dropout prevention. Since its inception in 1979, Communities in Schools Houston has been a part of the national network of 154 local and 15 state Communities in Schools.
Community Family Center was chartered in 1972 as a non-profit agency providing a full range of education and social services to low income families in Houston’s East End. Services include emergency food, parenting education, family health, childcare, and mental health programs. Numerous outreach contacts are in place through the SALUD! and Madres Apoyando a Madres programs. Youth services include character development, after school and summer tutoring, college preparation, and recreation/sports activities.
El Centro de Corazon was established in 1994 to provide case management, parent education, and early childhood development services to the families of the Second Ward. El Centro’s focus is to provide a home visitation approach to the well being of children and their families through crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, parent education, maternal/child care, nutrition and health education.
El Centro de Corazon – Eastwood Location was designated as an FQHC in 2003 and serves patients for family medicine, basic lab procedures, and dental services.
The Institute of Religion has been articulating a religious presence in the delivery of health care for over 40 years. It provides congregational service ministries, training for clergy and laity to address the spiritual as well as medical needs of families and children. The Institute has long been active in the East End.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church was established in 1910 and currently serves 2000 families in the East End. Approximately one-third of the congregation is undocumented. This is the oldest Mexican parish in the City of Houston.
The Rusk School Health Promotion Project, located at Community Family Center, has been serving low-income children and their families since 1995. The project consists of a health education and nutrition program for the child, family, and community. Health Education Programs include the "Growing Healthy in the New Millennium" classroom health education program, a parent health education program, various community health events and an outreach and assistance program.
To Learn More About East End Healthy Children Collaborative:
For more information about EEHCC, a unique public, private, and social sector initiative designed to advance community health for Houston’s East End children, please contact us.
