Hope for Health Houston addresses the overwhelming need to promote healthcare usage among the poor and underprivileged. In 2017, only 67.9% of adults
in Houston had a yearly checkup. That means 32.1% of all Houstonians had no routine care.1
On top of this, Houston has a large and growing lower-economic population. The city’s poverty rate rose from 10% in 1980 to 17% in 2016.
2 Today, Houston experiences a population growth of .33% yearly.3
Well-intended government and nonprofit resources address financial barriers. Yet, finances are merely a brick in a wall of obstacles. Many reasons contribute
to why poverty-stricken Houstonians use healthcare less often. Navigating through the maze of services and qualification requirements is difficult for patients,
but also a significant part of overcoming hurdles.
With this in mind, Hope for Health Houston performs an Access Barrier Assessment to identify enrollment hurdles on an individual level. With the
information gathered, we narrow down every access difficulty faced by our clients. This allows us to place each person with the best suited services
designed to address their obstacles.
For instance, if a struggling mother informs us that she can’t visit the doctor due to lack of childcare, we would facilitate her enrollment in daycare
services with an organization like the Gulf Coast Community Service Association. Once this is complete, her barrier is removed. Childcare no longer prevents
her from going to the doctor, and she is ready to be aligned with the appropriate healthcare provider for her income-level. By supporting each person along
the way, we encourage health service usage. This brings tremendous benefits to both patients and the community.