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Improving Community Conditions

Opportunity Statement

Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to supporting approaches and initiatives that disrupt the cycle of intergenerational poverty. These approaches may include convening cross-sector partnerships, investing in community infrastructure, policy/legislative action, creating opportunities, eliminating barriers, and/or addressing the long-term needs of individuals, families, and communities. A combination of solutions and an integrated approach are needed as disrupting the cycle of poverty is complex. Selected strategic initiatives have been identified as priorities within the systems change focus area to address the root causes of health inequities.

Colonia Safe Water Project:


Methodist Healthcare Ministries and Texas A&M University School of Public Health partner together to improve water quality in the Rio Grande Valley

McAllen, Texas (April 6, 2022) – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. announced a new partnership with Texas A&M University School of Public Health to conduct a two-year study of arsenic and other toxic contaminants that occur in residential drinking water within border colonia communities in the Rio Grande Valley. The event highlighted the importance of a new partnership between Methodist Healthcare Ministries and Texas A&M University as they work together to address and potentially reduce health disparities, as exposure to toxic contaminants disproportionately affects underserved and low-resourced populations in Texas border communities that depend on unsafe drinking water sources.

The projects aim to test and capture measurements of existing health risks of exposure to water contaminants, develop solutions for how to reduce the risk of exposure for communities near where contaminated water is found, collect important data for the community that can be used to implement the necessary solutions and train the next generation of citizen scientists and cultivate a love of learning science for students in South Texas.

Click here to read more about this work.

 

 

Towne Twin Villages:

Methodist Healthcare Ministries Announces $250,000 Funding for Towne Twin Village

San Antonio (May 6, 2022) – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. announced that it is providing the Housing First Community Coalition (HFCC) $250,000 in funding to support the Towne Twin Village project on San Antonio’s east side. Once completed, Towne Twin Village will be the first single-site Permanent Supportive Housing provider in the San Antonio community for individuals experiencing homelessness.

“The Housing First Community Coalition is doing an incredible job bringing individuals and organizations together to address homelessness in our community and Methodist Healthcare Ministries stands ready to join the movement,” said Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. “This funding embodies our commitment to health equity by supporting initiatives that help to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life.”

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VelocityTX Community Health Accelerator

Methodist Healthcare Ministries Announces Three-Year Partnership with VelocityTX

SAN ANTONIO (August 9, 2023) – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM) announced a three-year partnership with San Antonio-based bioscience innovation center VelocityTX to advance awareness, research, and innovation related to the social determinants of health (SDH).

Speaking at an event organized by Healthcare Think Tank, MHM President & CEO Jaime Wesolowski made the announcement following a keynote address that emphasized the need for greater focus on the role societal factors play in shaping health outcomes. Among the areas discussed were education, socioeconomic status, living conditions, access to care, and environmental factors.

In his address, Wesolowski called for a collaborative effort between healthcare institutions, research organizations, and private industry to tackle the root causes of health disparities, noting the potential of innovative technologies in addressing these critical—but often overlooked—factors that contribute to health and well-being.

Click here to read more about this work.

 

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Jaime Wesoloski

President & Chief Executive Officer

Jaime Wesolowski is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. A healthcare executive with three decades of leadership experience, Jaime is responsible for the overall governance and direction of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. Jaime earned his Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Xavier University, and his Bachelor’s of Science from Indiana University in Healthcare Administration. As a cancer survivor, Jaime is a staunch supporter of the American Cancer Society. He serves as Chair of the American Cancer Society’s South Texas Area board of directors and he was appointed as Chair to the recently created South Region Advisory Cabinet, covering eight states from Arizona through Alabama. Jaime believes his personal experience as a cancer survivor has given him more defined insight and compassion to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families.