The Compassionate Care Medical Clinic provides primary care as well as access to a variety of specialists. That growth is now extending to behavioral health.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An estimated 60,000 adults in the Corpus Christi area do not have health insurance, according to Compassionate Care Clinic Executive Director Joel Weiss.
For people without coverage, finding affordable medical care can be difficult. And providers say access to mental health care can be an even greater challenge.
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That’s one reason Compassionate Care Medical Clinic, located near Six Points on S. Staples, has expanded its behavioral health and counseling services.
The clinic opened its doors in January 2024 to provide free health care to uninsured adults. Since then, it has grown its enrollment.
“We went from opening our doors in January of 24 to now over 3,200 patients enrolled,” Weiss said. “That’s a phenomenal growth pattern.”
The clinic has also grown its medical staff. Weiss says there are now about a dozen primary care physicians and a dozen specialists volunteering their time.
“I think right now we have fewer than 10 people on paid staff,” Weiss said. “Everybody else is a volunteer.”
The clinic provides primary care as well as access to a variety of specialists. That growth is now extending to behavioral health.
The clinic has offers counseling, but a recent expansion has created more space and allowed more staff to provide behavioral health services.
Dr. Taylor Feldmann Kenne, says treating a patient’s physical health alone isn’t always enough.
“It’s mind, body, soul,” she said. “There’s more going on than just medical needs.”
The counseling services address a range of needs, including depression, grief, loss, stress and PTSD, along with more complex mental health conditions.
A psychiatric nurse practitioner working with patients at the clinic says some have gone years without access to medical or mental health care.
“I’ve seen people who say they have never had access to medical or mental health care in years and years,” he said. “So, it’s very helpful for the community.”
Providers also say mental health can affect how patients manage their physical health.
Rosa Martinez, an advanced practice registered nurse and family nurse practitioner, says patients struggling with their mental health may neglect chronic medical conditions.
“If their mental health state is not at a proper state, then they will self-neglect in regards to their chronic conditions,” Martinez said.
That can make conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol more difficult to manage.
Weiss estimates the clinic is currently serving about 5% of the uninsured adults in the Corpus Christi area. His goal is to double that reach over the next five years.
The clinic’s growth has been fueled largely by volunteers.
Retired orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charles Clark Jr. is among the physicians who continue to donate their time.
“I just felt like I could continue to do a little work,” Clark said.
Even with its growing network of volunteers, the clinic says it still needs more help, particularly nurses.
“Our biggest need right now is nurses,” Weiss said. “RNs, LVNs, nursing assistants. We’ll take them all.”
For Compassionate Care Clinic, the expansion into behavioral health represents another step in addressing the needs of uninsured adults and recognizing that physical and mental health often go hand in hand.
Compassionate Care Medical Clinic is located at 1660 S. Staples St. Suite 100. For more information call (361) 500-0122.