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A CRITICAL COMPONENT of Parkland’s mission to keep the community healthy,
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Parkland’s network of community health centers spans 12 primary care clinics
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located in targeted areas throughout Dallas County. Services at the centers

include primary medical care for children and adults, treatment of acute and
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chronic health conditions, preventive screenings, behavioral health, nutrition
counseling and social services. Laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services
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20 are available, and several locations offer optometry services. Podiatry
services are also provided at two of the centers.

Prioritizing the

patient perspective

Recognizing that community members
have a front row view of their
neighborhoods’ needs, Parkland has
established Community Advisory Boards
at several of the Community Oriented
Primary Care (COPC) health centers. The
boards meet regularly to advise
Parkland leaders about the needs and
issues of their communities.
“Our Community Advisory Boards help
us to consistently understand both the
patient and community perspectives,”
said Gretchen Collins, site administrator at
Parkland’s Hatcher Station Health Center.
Whether it’s a construction project at
the center, consideration of a program for
new moms, or the need for additional
bilingual services, Community Advisory
Board members review projects and
make recommendations to help the center
meet the needs of the community.
Members also serve as resources and
advocates, helping their neighbors
understand the health care services
available at the COPCs and how to access
those services.

e serve as a beacon of With 23 percent of Dallas County’s COPCs, Parkland recently implemented
light and hope for the 2.6 million residents uninsured and 17.7 telemedicine and continues to expand
community, bringing percent of residents living under the federal e-Consult services for low acuity issues.
convenient, preventive poverty level, the need for the community By leveraging this technology, patients
care to areas that need it the most” said health centers is great. In 2018, the can complete a visit with a primary care
Gretchen Collins, site administrator at network of clinics had more than 440,000 provider via their computer or
Parkland’s Hatcher Station Health Center. provider and nurse visits. smartphone. The service helps Parkland
care for more people in less time and is
RIGHT CARE, RIGHT TIME, “Patient volumes continue to grow, and
RIGHT PLACE our greatest challenge is maintaining often more convenient for patients who
Parkland’s innovative community health enough clinical support to meet patient can talk with a clinician from their
centers address the challenges of patient needs,” said Collins. home or work.
access by helping individuals get the right The health centers are also working to
level of care at the right time close to home. ACCESS THROUGH improve access through the patient
ONLINE INNOVATIONS
• The centers are conveniently located in portal MyChart. The service provides
medically underserved areas throughout To help address the growing need for access patients secure, online access to
Dallas County. to the healthcare services provided at the communicate with their doctors and
• The centers provide a medical home nurses, ask for medication refills, send
Virtual shared medical appointments blood pressure or blood glucose
where patients can build strong, long- improve access to education and preventive
term relationships with physicians care for patients with diabetes. readings to review with their health
and other providers. team, and access a number of other tools
designed to empower patients to take an
• The centers help decrease utilization of active role in managing their health.
overcrowded emergency rooms.
• The centers provide preventive and “Whether it is through in-person medical
primary care services and management visits, telehealth consultations or online
of chronic illnesses which can help education, the staff at our community
individuals avoid unnecessary health centers are committed to providing
hospitalizations. convenient, high quality care to improve
the health of Dallas County,” said Collins.