March 18, 2019
(Austin, TX) –The Dell Medical School Family Residency Program at The University of Texas and a long-time downtown health clinic located next to the former Brackenridge Hospital are moving to the Central Health Southeast Health & Wellness Center.
Central Health-funded CommUnityCare Blackstock Health Center moved from its downtown location to Southeast Austin on Monday, March 18, 2019, to make way for Central Health’s redevelopment of its Downtown Campus. Central Health is redeveloping the 14-acre site at 15th and Red River Streets to generate money to pay for health care for Travis County residents with low income. Blackstock is also the primary training site for Dell Med’s Family Medicine Residency Program, operated jointly with Ascension Seton.
“Integrating Dell Med doctors into CommUnityCare continues to create a pipeline of physicians,” said Mike Geeslin, president and CEO of Central Health. “Data shows that doctors who train in a community often stay and practice in the same community. We believe many of these Dell Med family medicine residents – under the supervision of exceptional faculty – will stay in Travis County and care for residents with low income for years to come.”
Moving Blackstock to Central Health Southeast Health & Wellness Center, 2901 Montopolis Drive, is expected to increase the center’s available primary care visit appointments from 12,000 to 20,000 annually.
“The Blackstock Health Center on the Brackenridge Campus has served the surrounding community since the mid 1990s,” said CommUnityCare VP of Health Center Advancement Matt Balthazar. “But as Austin demographics have changed, our patients are moving further away from Austin’s core and into surrounding communities. Relocating to the Central Health Southeast Health & Wellness Center allows us to provide a one stop shop for our patients and families that includes specialty care, x-ray, pharmacy, lab, and a host of wellness programs, all under one roof.”
CommUnityCare acquired the Blackstock Family Health Center from Ascension Seton Family Health Centers in 2014. Since then, Blackstock has served as the primary training site and outpatient health clinic for Dell Med family medicine residents, while Ascension Seton hospitals continue to support the inpatient hospital training of our residents.
“Dell Med and Central Health are improving health and increasing access for those who need it most by expanding graduate medical education programs,” said Jonathan MacClements, M.D., Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education at Dell Med. “We have over 300 residents currently providing care in Travis County clinics and hospitals. About 21 of those residents reside at Blackstock and will continue to provide care at the Central Health Southeast Health & Wellness Center.”
The Blackstock family residency program is certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level 3 patient-centered medical home where side-by-side faculty members and residents see patients. Moving the program to Central Health Southeast Health & Wellness Center will increase the capacity of primary care visits.
“Integrating Dell Medical School students, residents and fellows into CommUnityCare creates a pipeline of culturally competent medical professionals that will care for Travis County residents with low income for years to come,” said Mike Geeslin, Central Health President and CEO.
About Central Health
Central Health is the local public agency that connects Travis County residents with low income to quality health care. We work with a network of partners to eliminate health disparities and reach our vision of Travis County becoming a model healthy community.
About CommUnityCare
CommUnityCare’s vision is to improve the health of the community by increasing access to the best care possible. Today CUC provides services at 25 locations throughout Travis and Bastrop Counties. Each year, its health centers provide approximately 330,000 medical and dental patient appointments representing more than 98,000 individual patients www.communitycaretx.org