Since 1971 there has been one health center leading the way in achieving a high standard of excellence in health care delivery and clinical education in South Texas. With four clinic locations spanning Cameron and Willacy Counties, Su Clinica has grown to be a respected and vital part of the medical community in the Rio Grande Valley.
In its pursuit of excellence, Su Clinica has formed affiliations with the area’s leading hospitals and universities. As part of a national network of community health centers, Su Clinica is at the vanguard of technology and innovation.
The seed for Su Clinica was planted in the late 1960s. That seed blossomed in the early 1970s with the opening of the first clinic in Raymondville and continues to grow strong and proud into the twenty-first century.
Growing with the Community.
The early years of Su Clinica were marked by a rapid expansion of programs designed to meet the needs of the community. Initially, there were two clinics, one in Harlingen to serve Cameron County and one in Raymondville to serve Willacy County.
Within six months of opening it doors, Su Clinica began offering maternity services. The Medical and Nutritional Outreach program was initiated in 1972 to provide basic medical services to rural communities. That same year, Su Clinica entered into an agreement with the National Health Service Corps to provide additional medical personnel to underserved areas. During the mid-1970s to early 1980s, the clinic expanded by adding dental services.
In 1996, Brownsville native, pharmacist, and pediatrician, Elena Marin, M.D. was appointed Executive Director (now Chief Executive Officer). Her leadership ushered in a new era of visionary leadership for Su Clinica, marked by the clinic’s recognition as one of the first community health centers in the nation to be accredited by the Joint Commission, a standard of excellence that the clinic maintains to this day.
Commitment to Education.
In 1998, Su Clinica became a key player in bringing a much needed medical education presence to South Texas through the establishment of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC) in Harlingen.
As an integral partner along with Valley Baptist Medical Center and the Veteran’s Administration, the clinic provides medical residents a unique opportunity to gain frontline experience in treating many of the perplexing medical conditions prevalent along the Texas-Mexico border. Fostering a unique synergy of primary care, medical education, and hospital care, the partnership has solidified Harlingen’s growing medical complex. The integration of medical education programs complements Su Clinica’s longstanding commitment to providing educational opportunities for dental students and allied health professionals.
Su Clinica has always been known for its highly credentialed, caring staff of professionals. Su Clinica’s transformation from a small clinic into the region’s leading community health center fostered a need for a modern, new facility which could efficiently serve the needs of the community. In 2000, serving an expanding base of over 24,000 clients with over 100,000 annual visits, Su Clinica’s leadership set the goal of constructing a patient-friendly facility that would also nurture the learning experience through its affiliation with the Health Science Center.
Construction started on the new multi-specialty primary clinic in 2001 and the doors were opened to the clinic’s patients in October of 2002.
The results were spectacular. The 62,000 square foot, headquarters clinic boasts four ‘mini-clinics’ housed under one roof, providing separate admissions and waiting areas for each of its four specialty areas: Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Dental, and Internal Medicine.
Keeping its promise as a one-stop medical home for the entire community, Su Clinica offers: pediatrics, internal medicine, family practice, OB/GYN, minor surgery, podiatry, and pharmacy. Lab & x-ray, 24-hour on call hospital coverage, health professions training, dental services, nutrition, health education, social services, outreach, case management, integrated eligibility screening, and specialty referral coordination round out the clinic’s core services. Su Clinica staff also take pride in opening its pediatric wing weekday evenings and on Saturday and Sunday to fulfill its pledge to those who need care.
One of the largest employers in the area, the clinic’s staff has grown from 26 employees to over 400 professional and administrative staff. In 2014, the dedicated team of over 40 medical and dental providers and their support staff provided affordable, quality services to 34,720 patients through more than 181,741 patient visits.
Su Clinica currently operates clinics in Brownsville, Harlingen, Raymondville, and Santa Rosa.
Building for the Future.
The Rio Grande Valley will continue to experience a high demand for quality health care services well into the future. Su Clinica is leading the campaign to empower our communities and create a healthy future for the next generation.
To meet the growing needs in Brownsville and southern Cameron County, a new 62,000 multi-specialty clinic opened its doors in 2012. The new clinic, located at the intersection of Alton Gloor and Expressway 77, closely mirrors the highly successful Harlingen multi-specialty primary care clinic.
At full capacity, the new Brownsville Clinic will serve over 17,000 patients and will offer the same compliment of medical, dental, and support services that are available in Harlingen.
Su Clinica’s committment to continuous quality improvement strengthen’s its reputation as ‘the medical home of choice’ for all residents of the Rio Grande Valley.
Su Clinica
