HOPE Clinic Health and Wellness Center (HOPE), the second largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Houston, Texas, recently received $16 million in total financing from Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) for a new 70,000 square foot health and wellness facility. PCDC’s financing package included $10 million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) and $6 million in debt financing. The new facility, located in the Alief neighborhood of Houston, will replace HOPE’s current facility, which is at maximum capacity. This new center will offer a full suite of services including primary care, pediatric, OB-GYN, adult medicine, dental, behavioral health, laboratory services, translation services, and case management. At capacity, this center is expected to serve approximately 20,000 patients through 70,000 visits.

HOPE serves a unique and diverse patient population. A recent needs assessment of the clinic’s patients and community members indicate many are uninsured, under-insured, born outside of the United States, have limited English proficiency, or live below the federal poverty level. HOPE has the capacity to provide services in 30 different languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Burmese, Arabic, and Spanish.

“With our rapid growth, the New Markets Tax Credits from PCDC are vital to expanding our operations at a larger scale,” said HOPE Clinic CEO Andrea Caracostis, MD, MPH [pictured]. “Through the financing, we can continue to provide immigrant communities in Houston with quality healthcare services in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.”

HOPE faces large challenges in reaching its patient populations—Houston features of the United States’ largest populations, spread across the country’s largest urban areas. HOPE is one of several FQHCs in the city. The new facility will serve over 11 zip codes, which includes over 612,000 total people and 285,000 low-income people, with HOPE serving approximately 10% of the total population and 21% of the low-income population. Patients in this service area experience a wide range of health disparities including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, Hepatitis B and C, as well as access to prenatal services, oral health, and behavioral health. With this new facility, HOPE Clinic will treat these health disparities and focus on expanding OB-GYN and pediatric services to their patient population.

“Primary Care Development Corporation is proud to support HOPE Clinic’s growth as they continue to provide high-quality and culturally and linguistically competent care to their diverse patient population,” said Anne Dyjak, Managing Director of Capital Investment.

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