Tarleton research gives Stephenville a safer, healthier community

 

Tarleton students and Stephenville residents have a new option for health care. A non-profit, federally-funded, bi-lingual health clinic opened its doors Aug. 9 on River North Boulevard.

 

Cross Timbers Health Center houses two doctors, Dr. Karen Hill and Dr. Molly Gray; a counselor, Dr. George Hill; and a dentist Dr. Dana Deardeuff. Demand has opened up the possibility for the clinic to hire a third doctor.

 

The facility is spacious and clean, with several exam rooms, as well as areas for counseling, dental work and teaching.

 

Fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on family size and income. The cost can range from 20 percent to 100 percent of the actual charge. Tarleton students are welcome to use the clinic, and being on financial aid will not affect eligibility.

 

The path to opening this clinic was paved by Dr. Marilyn Duran, assistant professor of nursing and faculty senate president and she encourages Tarleton students to use the clinic.

 

“They can get great health care,” Duran said.

 

The clinic will treat anyone, even those with absolutely no money. In a life-threatening situation, however, patients should go to an emergency room. 

 

A presentation done by a visiting professor about health-care standards in minority populations, piqued Duran’s “passion for research.” Duran later took on a similar research project to examine the health care needs in Erath County. She obtained funding from Tarleton for the research and during a timespan of about a year-and-a-half she used surveyors, along with translators and gift cards, to obtain a sample of about 300 surveys from Stephenville’s Hispanic population. 

 

According to Duran, the results showed that more than 70 percent of respondents did not have health insurance and did not have a doctor.

 

“This was concerning to me as a nurse,” Duran said.

 

Prior to the opening of the Cross Timbers Health Center, area residents in need of health care from a federally-funded clinic had to drive to De Leon, about a 30-minute drive southwest of Stepheville.

 

“We had a population here within our own Tarleton community that needed access to health care,” Duran said. “The need was even far greater than what I expected it to be.”

 

Duran calls the opening of the clinic “research in action.”

 

“Because of research we have the opportunity to help people who aren’t even born yet.”

           

The community came together to assist with Duran’s vision. Support from Tarleton President Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, the university, the Hispanic Clergy, Wal-Mart and many others all helped to get the clinic off the ground. Duran said Dottavio was “very supportive.”

           

“We have Tarleton students that are learning in the clinic. We have nursing students that are doing clinical rotations as part of their nursing education. We have a communications student who is doing two semesters teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. … We have a social work student who is doing an internship there and we will have counseling and psychology students next semester that will be doing an internship,” Duran said. “This truly is a service learning experience for Tarleton and our students.”

           

Although it’s not tied in to the current health care changes at a federal level –federally funded clinics have existed since the 1960s – it is in line with those changes. Duran mentioned that there was some resistance early on due to the political climate, but gradually many of those who did not support the clinic came on board.

 

“[The clinic is] here because of Tarleton,” Duran said. “If students want to be a part of something that Tarleton initiated, and know that their college and their school had a part in this, then go to this clinic and support it. If they don’t have the resources to pay, they’ll see them anyway. We’re there to serve.”

 

Duran received her bachelor’s degree at University of Arkansas, her masters at Arkansas State University and received her doctorate from Texas Women’s University. She has been a nurse, a nurse manager and is now an educator in Tarleton’s nursing program.

 

Potential patients can contact the clinic by phone at (254) 965-2810 or (800) 445-5895. The clinic is located at 135 River North near the Lone Star Lanes bowling alley. Students interested in an internship should speak with their faculty advisor about the Applied Learning Experience at Tarleton.