Hope Clinic’s Kevin Crouch speaks to NARFE

June 27--ENNIS

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 1191 held its monthly meeting at the Grand Ennis Buffet in Ennis on Tuesday, June 12.

The guest speaker was Kevin Crouch, outreach coordinator for Hope Clinic in Ennis and Waxahachie. The Ennis clinic is at 805 W. Lampasas and the one in Waxahachie is at 411 E. Jefferson. Crouch has been with Hope Clinics since October 2017. His family has been in Ellis County since the 1800s.

Crouch described how the Hope Clinic in Waxahachie was started in 1999 and the one in Ennis in 2016. These nonprofit community health care clinics provide care regardless of income or insurance status. Initially using volunteer healthcare staff, current medical personnel saw over 24,000 clients in the past year. If care can not be provided internally, referrals are made to outside medical resources.

Since Texas did not expand Medicaid coverage, these community health care providers help make Medicaid more efficient by covering those making too much for Medicaid and not enough to pay for Affordable Health Care coverage. Use of hospital emergency rooms is a much more expensive approach to providing the health care made available by the Hope clinics.

Staff members assist patients in working through the various health coverage options. Uninsured, self-pay, Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance are all accepted.

Some of the services offered are pain management and substance abuse, preventive care, chronic disease management and diabetes education for adults; women's health; pediatrics; behavioral health including coping with depression, ADHD, and behavioral disorders; and dental health.

Crouch pointed out that good health care strengthens the community and support are needed from the community.

Tax-exempt contributions are welcome and needed. http://call4hope.org/ A question and answer period followed this very interesting and timely presentation.

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NARFE Chap. 1191 covers Ellis, Navarro and adjacent parts of the surrounding counties. Membership in NARFE is open to all active and retired federal employees and their spouses, former federal employees, and former spouses who are entitled to a federal survivor annuity. For more information, please call Midlothian at 972-268-5793 or 972-775-2463, Waxahachie -- 469-939-8102, Ennis -- 214-949-6197, Red Oak -- 412-722-6307, or Corsicana -- 903-874-3092. You may also go to www.narfe.org or http://www.dfwnarfe.net/Chapter1191/ChapterPage.html or see NARFE Chapter 1191 on Facebook.

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