At a Glance
The Primary Care L.E.A.D. continuity clinic experience takes place at The Texas Children’s Hospital Primary Care Practice. The clinic is an academic-based primary care practice, serving children and adolescents from birth through 21 years of age. It is home to 11 pediatricians who are also Baylor College of Medicine faculty, 40-50 pediatric residents, and 3 academic general pediatric fellows. The staff team includes a clinic manager, 2 medical assistants, 2 clinical administrative support team members, 2 registered nurses, a registered dietitian, a licensed professional counselor, and a social worker.
Serving our Community
The Texas Children’s Hospital Primary Care Practice is located 5 miles southeast of the Texas Medical Center in the Greater Third Ward of Houston. The office, which is more than 11,000 square feet of clinical space, is at 5400 Griggs Road, Suite 101, in the Palm Center - Business Technology Center along with the Houston Texans YMCA. It is easily accessible via the MetroRail Purple line (Palm Center Station) or Metro Bus Route 80. The Greater Third Ward location of the clinic establishes an academic practice rooted in a community. It creates an environment ripe for studying and implementing care plans to improve population health and combat social determinants of health. The impact of adverse social factors on the life trajectory of children is well established. Common problems faced by patients and families include:
- violence (in home and with peers)
- mental health
- food insecurity
- educational challenges
- household/family stressors
- poverty
- parental dysfunction/isolation
Families living in low resource and poor communities are at greater risk of being affected by adverse social determinants of health. An academic practice focused on these issues, practicing in the community they serve, offers a unique opportunity to implement plans of action to combat negative consequences, build resilience, and improve the overall health and well-being of children impacted by these circumstances.
Learning and Training Opportunities
The environment at the Texas Children’s Hospital Primary Care Practice emphasizes education and research to continue to strengthen the relationship between primary care providers and families. As a Primary Care L.E.A.D. resident, your continuity clinic site will be at the Texas Children’s Hospital Primary Care Practice, which will provide you exposure to the following:
- Diverse patient population: 45% Black, 41% Hispanic, 22% prefer a language other than English; more than 90% are insured by Medicaid or CHIP.
- Diverse clinic encounters: The most common chronic conditions seen within the practice are asthma, allergies, obesity, eczema/atopic dermatitis, behavioral problems, developmental delay, ADHD, mental health concerns for the patient or family. In addition, this clinic has the expertise and support infrastructure to care for the medically complex, including but not limited to patients with Down syndrome, congenital heart disease, spina bifida, and other genetic disorders.
- Community advocacy opportunities: We expect experience at this practice setting will increase awareness and provide pediatric trainees opportunities to design and carry out advocacy projects that would benefit individual patients, as well as the neighborhood.
