Houston Methodist Hospital’s dysplasia services makes a permanent move to Denver Harbor Family Clinic this month, adding to an increasingly robust specialty care program available at Vecino Health Centers.
The Raymond H. Kaufman Dysplasia Clinic, which treats women experiencing abnormal pap smears, was previously housed at Houston Methodist facilities. When the hospital needed to free up space for other services, it approached Vecino about taking on the project.
Early diagnosis and treatment of causes related to abnormal pap smears greatly improves a patient’s health outcomes.
“We are committed to meeting this important medical need in our community,” says Dr. Donald Briscoe, medical director at Vecino Health Centers. “Women from working families need access to high-quality, specialized services during what can be a frightening and complex time in their medical journey.”
Dysplasia clinic adds to a growing program of specialty care
For Houston’s working families, accessing specialty medical services outside their primary doctor’s office can be difficult. Limited appointment times often conflict with inflexible work schedules, and finding transportation across town is time-consuming and expensive. Cost is also a factor for many patients, especially those uninsured.
To meet this need, Vecino Health Centers continues to expand its in-house specialty services, giving patients access to high-quality, bilingual care right in their neighborhoods.
“We hope to remove the barriers to care that often cause patients to delay treatment,” says Dr. Briscoe. “By offering specialty services within a patient’s primary care home, the medical system becomes more welcoming and a little less complex.”
Expanded services are made possible through strong medical partnerships
A strong, existing partnership between Vecino and Houston Methodist will allow the transition of the dysplasia clinic to take place without interrupting care. Services will continue at previous levels, with staffing by Dr. Michael Pirics and Dr. Konrad Harms, attending gynecologists at Houston Methodist, as well as Houston Methodist OB residents. Houston Methodist is providing the specialty equipment necessary to operate the clinic.
The clinic takes place weekly. Patients can be referred by Vecino physicians, as well as by area clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers that don’t have the necessary personnel or specialty equipment.
Vecino also offers specialty services in cardiac care through a Houston Methodist partnership, as well as diabetes and high blood pressure management through a partnership with the University of Houston. On-site breast examinations are available through a partnership with The Rose.
Vecino medical residents have the opportunity to participate in all of the in-house specialty clinics, providing important educational opportunities and strengthening the level of training available to the next generation of local physicians.