United Medical Centers celebrates National Community Health Centers Week

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The United Medical Centers celebrated the 2014 National Community Health Centers Week in the United States during the week of August 10-16, 2014 with a ceremony at their     El Indio Highway Medical Clinic in Eagle Pass, Texas, receiving two proclamations on behalf of the City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County Commissioners Court on Tuesday August 12, 2014.

Over 45 years ago, the United States Department of Health and Human Services established Community Health Centers throughout the country to provide comprehensive preventative and primary health care services to Americans regardless of their ability to pay. The United Medical Centers is one of 1,202 Community Health Centers in the United States.

Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo presented a proclamation on behalf of the Maverick County Commissioners Court to United Medical Centers Chief Executive Officer George Kypuros and expressed the community’s gratitude towards the United Medical Centers for providing professional and cost effective health care services, declaring August 10-16, 2014 as National Community Health Centers Week in Maverick County. “We thank you for everything that you all have done for our community,” said County Judge Saucedo.

United Medical Centers CEO George Kypuros thanked County Judge David R. Saucedo for Maverick County’s support of the important health care services provided to the community by UMC. Kypuros presented a brief history and synopsis of UMC and its preventative and primary care services provided to Maverick Countians.

Eagle Pass City Councilwoman Gloria Hernandez also presented a proclamation on behalf of the City of Eagle Pass City Council to UMC in recognition of its critical preventative and primary health care services to Eagle Passans on a daily basis. “Our community has become a great testament of what is being done here. This is one of the places that show’s that we are doing better and moving forward as a community,” said Councilwoman Hernandez.

“We are so fortunate that we have existed here for many years because only half of the Texas counties have a community health center that offers the medical services at a discount for people based on their ability to pay. We are soon going to be hitting 35 years of existence,” said Kypuros. Kypuros noted that UMC operates now in three counties, including Maverick, Kinney, and Val Verde.

Kypuros stated that one-third (33%) of the Tri-County residents use United Medical Centers as their primary health care provider. UMC currently counts with 330 full-time employees in the Tri-County area and has become a significant contributor to the economy and health care services field in the area as a result of assistance in discounted care and preventive medicine.

“Today is a day to celebrate and recognize the importance of Community Health Centers in our community,” said Kypuros.

Kypuros noted that in the State of Texas there are only 60 agencies such as the United Medical Centers who provide health services to communities in need of affordable preventive and primary health care.

Among the numerous attendees at the ceremony were UMC Board of Trustee Margarita Andrade, UMC El Indio Medical Clinic Manager Humberto Duran, Maverick County Commissioner of Precinct 4 Roberto Ruiz, Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustee Lupita Fuentes, and many other dignitaries and citizens.