TOMAGWA EARNS FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER LOOK-ALIKE INITIAL DESIGNATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Dusty Marshall
832.559.5223
DustyM@tomagwa.org
TOMAGWA EARNS FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER LOOK-ALIKE INITIAL DESIGNATION- A RIGOROUS THREE-YEAR JOURNEY
TOMBALL, Texas, February 29, 2024 – TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries announced it has achieved Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike designation by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on February 1, 2024, the first in TOMAGWA’s 600 square mile service area, and only the second new center in Texas in over a decade. The FQHC Look-Alike status allows organizations opportunities to develop and implement services required to meet the full qualifications for designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center.
TOMAGWA now joins the prestigious ranks of the existing seventy-six health centers in Texas. This significant milestone underscores the center’s ongoing commitment to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare services within its immediate community while maximizing the impact of each donor dollar. Together FQHCs and FQHC Look-alikes work to ensure health care for the Nation’s underserved communities and vulnerable populations through service provision to all, regardless of ability to pay.
Under the visionary leadership of Timika Simmons, TOMAGWA's chief executive officer, the organization embarked on a transformative journey amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The TOMAGWA Tomorrow campaign was launched in 2020 to pursue FQHC status as part of a strategic plan to expand its service capacity and ensure future financial sustainability through FQHC program support.
“It was an unsettling time in our history to not know how we were going to care for existing patients while having our systems overwhelmed with new patients who had lost jobs during the lockdowns and needed comprehensive healthcare services,” said Simmons. “We had a choice to either succumb to the pressures of the times and close our doors or stand for those most in need who depend on us. After seeking God, we were clear that we had to make a clarion call to our community so that we could once again, bind together, to meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.
With the FQHC Look-Alike designation, TOMAGWA can now forge stronger alliances with other healthcare organizations and FQHC’s to offer a comprehensive range of healthcare services. This includes pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, radiology, family medicine, comprehensive dental, behavioral health, pharmaceuticals, and preventive care, all aimed at promoting holistic well-being at each service site.
TOMAGWA is now also able to expand its income based sliding fee discounts to individuals and families, regardless of their insurance status. High deductibles and copays will no longer be a barrier to quality healthcare if a patient has an income at 200% or below the federal poverty level. TOMAGWA’s onsite pharmacy can expand its discounted prescriptions to patients through select retail pharmacies like HEB, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens through the 340B Federal Drug Pricing Program for those with
transportation barriers and bring National Health Service Corps healthcare professionals to the region while offering student loan forgiveness to clinicians employed by TOMAGWA.
“To God be the Glory” said Simmons as she expressed her profound gratitude to the board of directors, staff, volunteers, donors, grant partners, legislators, supportive FQHC’s, and the Texas Association of Community Health Centers for their unwavering support throughout this journey. “I would be remiss if I did not esteem a few key staff members who were charged with higher levels of responsibility while maintaining a positive outlook throughout this rigorous journey. We call it the ‘TOMAGWA Way,’ meaning to handle everything with grace, class, excellence, and extreme professionalism,” said Simmons. “Failure was not an option. Subpar performance was not an option. Abandoning our faith was not an option. These unsung heroes rose to the challenge and became my co-anchors; Jared Erdmann, Chief Operations Officer, Diana Gayle, Chief Nursing Officer, and Markeysha Small, Sr. Director of Finance,” said Simmons.
In recognition of this achievement, Ms. Simmons will be a guest speaker at the Mayor of Tomball's monthly breakfast, April 11, 2024, to discuss TOMAGWA's recently published community health needs assessment, its strategic response, and further insights into what this designation means for the local community.
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TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries (TOMAGWA) For 35 years TOMAGWA has proven itself to be an exemplary model of charitable care and is now the newest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike in Texas serving Harris, Montgomery, Waller counties. Alongside its partners, TOMAGWA provides compassionate Christian healthcare to community members with limited resources by offering award winning primary care, dental, vision, lab, pharmacy, diagnostics, and case management services, while also extending outreach services through school-based dental clinics, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, religion, or ability to pay. TOMAGWA is also a teaching facility for future healthcare professionals, a site for cancer research and prevention and an award winning Immunization program through the State of Texas, and Gold standard ratings for Hypertension, Cholesterol, and Diabetes control by The American Heart Association. Learn more at www.tomagwa.org
