DALLAS — Dubbed as a health care desert, Parkland Health in conjunction with Jubilee Park and Community Center opened a clinic in the Jubilee Park neighborhood to bring resources to the underserved. The Jubilee Park Clinic opened last month offering health and dental services to residents in three out of the five poorest zip codes in Dallas.
“This area was identified in the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment as an area with significant health care disparities,” said Christina Mintner, Parkland’s senior vice president of Population Health in a statement. “We know Parkland cannot do it alone. The only way to effectively address health disparities in Dallas County is to work collectively within communities. Our partnership with Jubilee will help address the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, like economic stability, education, food, and community engagement.”
Through the new venture, officials expect the clinic will serve roughly 3,500 patients in its first year and about 7,000 in the following year. The opening of the Jubilee Park Clinic reportedly decreases the “shortage of physicians” in what Parkland Health describes as a 62-block neighborhood service area that resides between Interstate 30 and Fair Park. Additionally, people in southeast Dallas live 22 years less on average in comparison to their neighbors in the Uptown/East Dallas neighborhood.
“The clinic will be a true game-changer for the greater southeast Dallas community,” said Marissa Castro Mikoy, president and CEO of Jubilee Park and Community Center in a statement. “Leveraging the expertise of Parkland, Jubilee and Jewish Family Service will move the community towards improved health outcomes and health equity. Both Parkland and Jubilee are so proud of this collaborative effort and look forward to our work together for years to come.”
As part of the clinic, Jewish Family Service will serve clients on the second floor of the 15,000 square-foot, two-story building with mental health services. Its mission aims to provide affordable health care services in the zip codes of 75223, 75210, 75214, 75226, and 75227 by bridging the gap in mental health disparities.
“Five years ago, JFS initiated a meaningful partnership with Jubilee Park aiming to promote affordable and culturally responsive mental health services to the community. As part of the impact of this partnership, the community has become more comfortable with counseling services,” said JFS Offsite Clinical Program Manager Gustavo Barcenas in a statement. “We are looking forward to working alongside our partners to provide clients with a more comprehensive approach to their overall health and to continue normalizing mental health and wellness in this community.”
Reports show that 96% of those who received mental health services achieved two out of three of their treatment goals. Last year, JFS reached 39,000 residents. Its mental health care program for adults includes crisis intervention, psychosocial assessment, safety planning for at-risk behaviors, diagnostic testing and assessment, marital and family counseling and individual counseling for anxiety, depression and personal crisis.
“With the COVID-19 global medical crisis as a backdrop, Jewish Family Service has embraced the need to support our community in new and highly impactful ways. The devastating impact of the pandemic on those we serve has shown us that many families are disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to healthcare,” said Cathy Barker, president and CEO of Jewish Family Service, in a statement. “This partnership and coordinated approach will directly address this issue and provide a best practice solution that will make this community and these families emotionally and physically stronger as a result.”
Jubilee Park Clinic sits at 820 Ann Avenue. For more information, visit Jubilee Park.