Special to The Dallas Examiner
Parkland Health & Hospital System is expanding health care services to Southern Dallas County with the opening on Sept. 21 of a new state-of-the-art medical facility that will improve access to care for residents of the area, including Duncanville, DeSoto and Cedar Hill. The RedBird Health Center, located at 3662 W. Camp Wisdom Road, will offer adult and geriatric primary and specialty care, ranging from breast cancer screenings to behavioral health, as well as pharmacy, radiology and other services.
“We’re proud to bring high quality health care services to the RedBird Community,” said Christina Mintner, senior vice president of Population Health. “Our goal is to provide convenient and comprehensive care to residents of the area, regardless of income level or ability to pay.”
The health center will provide convenient access to care for thousands of patients living in five ZIP codes identified as underserved by the 2019 Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment. The health center will further address transportation barriers by including the technology needed to provide virtual methods of care such as telehealth, e-consults and virtual shared medical appointments. The location of the RedBird Health Center is central to the areas of greatest need in Dallas County. All five of the ZIP codes with the lowest life expectancies (75215, 75210, 75216, 75217 and 75232) are located within a 12-mile radius of the health center site.
Patients living in this part of the county frequently come to Parkland’s Emergency Department for basic primary care as well as for specialized care to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes. Others come to the hospital requiring life-saving cancer treatments at later stages because they did not have access to screenings and early interventions.
Many of the issues are preventable with a health care routine that includes regular primary care visits, a nutritious diet and physical activity. However, many Parkland patients face barriers including a lack of transportation, complicated or inflexible work schedules, food insecurity, a need for child care and other challenges that can prevent them from accessing care.
“We hope the opening of this new medical facility will help break those barriers,” said Mintner. “Our goal is to improve the overall health and wellness of the communities Parkland serves, while also reducing reliance on our ED for conditions and symptoms better addressed through comprehensive primary care services. Ultimately, it is our hope that every person in Dallas County will have the opportunity to live healthy, active lives.”
Once fully staffed, the new health center is projected to provide 18,000 primary care visits as well as 23,000 women’s specialty health visits each year.
The health center will provide services including:
- Adult and geriatric primary care
- Specialty care for women
- Today Clinic for walk-in appointments
- Pharmacy
- Behavioral health for all ages
- Breast cancer screenings
- Pathology
- Radiology
- Social work
- Nutrition
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Patient Financial Services
The RedBird Health Center is part of Parkland’s larger strategy for providing convenient, accessible care to Dallas County residents. Parkland currently operates 12 community health centers and 12 school-based youth and family centers and partners with other organizations addressing issues that affect health, such as food insecurity, homelessness and domestic violence, to make an even greater impact on the lives of residents in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Patients can schedule appointments by calling 214-266-4000. Anyone interested in employment opportunities at the center can visit http://www.parklandcareers.com.