Madison Health Resource Center Holds Open House

The Madison Health Resource Center (MHRC) will hold an Open House on Thursday, January 15, 2004, from noon until 2 p.m. A ribbon cutting will take place at 1 p.m. The MHRC is located in the Madison St. Joseph Professional Building, behind the Madison St. Joseph Health Center on 100 West Cross Street in Madisonville. Speakers at the event include School of Rural Public Health Dean Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M.; Reed Edmundson, chief executive officer of Madison St. Joseph Regional Health Center and Burleson St. Joseph Regional Health Center; and Madison County Judge Cecil Neely.
The Brazos Valley Health Partnership, assisted by the Community Health Development Program at The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center’s School of Rural Public Health, created the health resource center model used by the MHRC. Through the MHRC, organizations headquartered in Brazos County now have the opportunity to expand their services to Madison County and provide increased access for Leon County residents. These agencies are all located in one office space.
“The Brazos Valley Health Partnership has made a lot of progress in the past two years, and the School of Rural Public Health has been fortunate to be a part of that process. We value the relationships we’ve established with our partners and that they recognize the impact of our coming together in the Madison Health Resource Center to meet a huge need,” said Monica Wendel, assistant director of SRPH’s Community Health Development Program.
“The Madison Resource Center is a symbol of hope for rural communities,” said Jeannie McGuire, director of Project Unity, one of the agencies participating in MHRC. “People needing help will no longer have to drive long distances to find help. Project Unity is a proud partner of the BVHP and will provide quality services from the Madison Health Resource Center for those needing access to health, education, employment, housing, basic needs and much more.”
A fragmented health care delivery system in rural areas is one reason that community resources may not get utilized as well as they could be.
“If we are to achieve parity in health-related services to rural communities, we will need to develop easy-to-use, efficient processes,” said Edmundson. “We believe the Madison Health Resource Center is a model that will help to bridge this gap. This center depends on community support, service provider partnerships, cost collaboration, and technology. No doubt that the Madison Health Resource Center will improve access and the health status of the people in Madison County.”
The MHRC co-locates the following service providers:

• Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol & Substance Abuse
• Project Unity
• Health for All
• Brazos Valley Community Action Agency – Women, Infant and Children Program
• Brazos Valley Council of Governments – County Indigent Health Care Program
• Audiologist Ronny Baker
• Area Health Education Centers – Piney Woods and Brazos Valley
• Central Texas Mental Health
• Mental Health & Mental Retardation – Early Childhood Intervention
• Texas Department of Health
• AIDS Services of the Brazos Valley
• Brazos Valley Telehealth Partnership

Following a comprehensive community health status assessment in 2001, community leaders and organizations participated in task groups to develop recommendations on how to address health issues in the Brazos Valley community. The residents of Madison County formed the Madison County Partnership, which is open to all residents. They are providing local support and leadership, and will be able to give feedback to the process.
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center provides the state with health education, outreach and research. Its five components located in communities throughout Texas are Baylor College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Institute of Biosciences and Technology and the School of Rural Public Health.
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