Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is a private, faith-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating access to health care for uninsured and low-income families through direct services, community partnerships and strategic grant-making in 74 counties across South Texas.
Building partnerships through collaboration is a key objective of Methodist Healthcare Ministries mission. Using an asset-based and client-centered approach, Methodist Healthcare Ministries community engagement efforts seek to champion and empower the community voice. With a focus on developing long-lasting, trusting relationships, Methodist Healthcare Ministries connects communities to identify health issues and design collaborative, community-driven solutions. Methodist Healthcare Ministries takes a community-wide, or regional, approach to health improvement with intentional investments in each regiona strategy Methodist Healthcare Ministries refers to as regionalization. Through community engagement, Methodist Healthcare Ministries works to infuse health equity principles by highlighting the social determinants of healththe unique social and physical conditions in which community members live, learn, work, play and praythat are present in its service region to improve health for all.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries also works with similarly focused organizations and state government in developing more socially conscious public policy. The purpose is to change legislative perspectives and policies so that the root of the problems of the underserved is addressed for the long term.
In 1955, the Southwest Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church chartered the Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital; it opened in 1963. Its purpose was to deliver and promote improved health care as well as enhance access to health care with concern to include those least served. From this charter and that first hospital, Methodist Healthcare System was formed in 1995 and today is the largest healthcare provider in San Antonio and 24 surrounding counties. Since 1995, in partnership with HCA Healthcare, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has retained one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System and provides the local governance to ensure that the needs of the greater community are served.
This mission includes Methodist Healthcare Ministries one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System the largest healthcare system in South Texas. This creates a unique avenue to ensure the Methodist Healthcare System continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed, and it provides revenue to Methodist Healthcare Ministries for its programs.
This mission also includes Methodist Healthcare Ministries one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System the largest healthcare system in South Texas. This creates a unique avenue to ensure the Methodist Healthcare System continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed, and it provides revenue to Methodist Healthcare Ministries for its programs.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries team members defined their own set of core values embraced in the message of I am the caring servant, which shapes our relationship with the people we serve and each other. Our values are more than a philosophy at Methodist Healthcare Ministries; it is the compass that guides our behavior and our continuous improvement. Its how we lead by example.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. believes that to improve the wellness of the least served and fully live out its mission of Serving Humanity to Honor God, it must recognize the inequities inherent in its communities that contribute to poor health outcomes.Health Equity is both the process and goal by which Methodist Healthcare Ministries seeks to carry out that purpose. Health Equity is a framework of thought and action that strives 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 and contribute to that of others.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.s long standing mission is Serving Humanity to Honor God and our vision is To be the leader forimproving wellness of the least served. We believe that to improve the wellness of the least served and fully live out our mission we must recognize the inequities inherent in our communities that contribute to poor health outcomes. Inequities revolving around maternal and infant health, chronic stress, trauma, education, food security, safe housing and financial wealth have resulted in vast differences in life expectancy and quality of life for people living in the 74 counties we serve.
We believe that by nurturing resilient familiesregardless of ones spirituality, income, race, gender, or sexual orientationwe help communities to thrive. And, only when everyone has access to quality healthcare, a good education, meaningful job opportunities, as well as safe and just living environments, can communities truly thrive.
The disenfranchisement of people of color in our community through policies and practices contributing to systemic racial oppression, including the suppression of opportunities to reach ones full potential for health and life, does harm to all families and prevents every community from thriving.
As an organization rooted in the traditions of the Methodist faith, we proclaim, with the 2017-2020 Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, recognition of racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons. We rejoice in the gifts that every racial group and culture bring to our total life and stand with our partners, patients, clients, and the communities we serve in rejecting all expressions of racism and policies and practices that erode inclusion and diminish health equity for all.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. changes lives. For more than 25 years, we have been faithfully dedicated to providing quality health care to those who cannot afford such services. We have built a reputation for advocating for the least served. We have become a family to many and a trusted source of healthcare needs to countless others. With your support, we can continue to affect change in the lives of numerous of South Texans for years to come. To continue to minister to the uninsured and underinsured, we need your help. There are a number of ways to contribute to Methodist Healthcare Ministries.