Page 53 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine

HONORING J.T. & MARGARET

T ALKINGT ON

Partnering to Build a

Healthier West Texas

BY SHERRY SANDERS

According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
46,683 Lubbock County residents are
uninsured, and 57,292 residents are
living in poverty. Through a generous
contribution from the J.T. and Margaret
Talkington Charitable Foundation,
Community Health Center of Lubbock,
Inc. (CHCL) is working to ensure that
all individuals and families in Lubbock
and surrounding counties have access to
quality primary and preventative health
care services, regardless of their hardship.
CHCL was formed as a safety net in
1992, under the guidance of the Lubbock
Indigent Healthcare Coalition. Sister
Mary Kathleen Small led this coalition, Board implemented the “Building with an additional contribution,
which formed CHCL by the principle of a Healthier West Texas Capital which went directly to reduce the
a “hand up rather than a hand out”. The Campaign” to raise money for a new mortgage. Since the new clinic
organization’s first clinic was located at facility. In 2011, CHCL was awarded opened in December 2015, the
1313 Broadway. CHCL has grown to eight $5 million in capital development clinic has become a cornerstone
clinics within the city of Lubbock and two funding by the federal government. of the revitalization of downtown
mobile units that provide medical, dental, With a desire to support programs Lubbock and a place of healing,
vision, mental health and preventative that build resiliency and promote both spiritually and physically. The
services to the counties of Lubbock, quality of life for individuals Talkington Foundation’s willingness
Crosby, Lynn, Terry, and Garza. In 2017, and communities, the Talkington to fund and partner with CHCL has
CHCL served over 25,000 patients. The Foundation awarded CHCL another helped thousands of uninsured and
organization’s mission is “to provide sizable grant in October 2012, to low-income residents to have access
quality primary and preventative health assist with building the new facility. to a medical home. CHCL is forever
care services to those in need”, regardless The Foundation’s generosity did grateful to the Talkington Foundation
of their ability to pay. not stop there. In October 2016, the for helping the organization build a
Talkington Foundation funded CHCL healthier West Texas.
With this mission in mind, in 2010,
CHCL’s Board of Directors and staff
had the vision to purchase property in
the downtown redevelopment area. The
decision to purchase the property and
build a new health care facility there
was prompted by the desire to reduce
the number of medically homeless
individuals – those without a primary
care doctor – in the Lubbock area.
Additionally, CHCL’s Broadway Clinic,
the organization’s largest clinic, was
plagued with numerous structural and
mechanical problems.

To address these issues, CHCL’s

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