MolinaCares Accord Invests $325,000 to Improve Access to Health Care Throughout Rural Texas
Caroline Zubieta, Caroline.Zubieta@MolinaHealthcare.com 562-951-1588
DALLAS, Feb. 2, 2022 — The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Texas (“Molina”), announced a $325,000 investment to support two Texas nonprofits focused on improving access to health care for rural Texans — the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH) and Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA).
“MolinaCares is committed to expanding access to health care in Texas, especially to those in hard-to-reach rural areas,” said Chris Coffey, plan president for Molina Healthcare of Texas. “Location should never be a barrier to receiving health care and these grants aim to bridge a gap while providing local medical staff with the resources required to deliver care where it’s most needed.”
MolinaCares provided TORCH with $250,000 to advance rural health through clinical integration, telehealth, and data analytics. The funding will be used to develop a plan for a scalable, interoperable rural telehealth network, expand and support the organization’s Clinically Integrated Network (CIN), and convene regional executive roundtables to identify and pursue specific opportunities for collaboration and identification of best practices, such as shared services and physician credentialing.
“Texas’ primary care doctor shortage has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and our rural communities have been hit particularly hard,” said John Henderson, president and CEO of TORCH. “Telehealth is an important tool, both now and for the future of health care in rural Texas, and partners like MolinaCares make it possible for us to move the dial on rural health care by investing in programs that will ultimately make Texans healthier.”
MolinaCares also provided $75,000 to TRHA to bolster workforce training and telemedicine access through the expansion of the High School Telemedicine Technical Certificate Course. Funding will enable TRHA to bring the one-of-a-kind training program and the first telemedicine certificate training program to as many as nine high schools in the West Texas region and allow more access to young people who want to pursue a career in health care, equipping them with the tools to excel and fill gaps in the workforce.
“The development of appropriate health resources for medically underserved areas of rural Texas is critical for the future of our state, and this includes educational resources,” said Kelly Cheek, director of the Texas Rural Health Association. “Funding from MolinaCares will enable us to better equip the young workforce, filling critical health care jobs in rural areas and helping provide better care for our communities.”
To date, MolinaCares for a Healthy Texas has awarded $725,000 in total grants, including $150,000 to establish Family Scholar House’s Houston campus, and a $250,000 grant to Feeding Texas to fund increased demand for food security exacerbated by COVID-19 and severe weather events.
About The MolinaCares Accord:
Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc.
About Molina Healthcare of Texas
Molina Healthcare of Texas has been providing government-funded health care since 2006. The Company serves members through Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Health Insurance Exchange programs, with service areas across Texas. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, served approximately 4.8 million members as of September 30, 2021. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Texas, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.