Community Health Development, Inc. (CHDI) is a 501(c)(3) community-based health care agency incorporated in 1983 in Uvalde County, Texas by concerned residents of Uvalde. CHDI provides medical and dental services to those who are uninsured and underserved, with a primary focus on migrant/seasonal farm workers.
In 1984, CHDI employed 4 staff members and operated out of an 800-square-foot trailer. Nearly thirty-five years since inception, the agency’s annual budget and serevices have grown dramatically. CHDI today operates four full-time service sites, employing over 100 staff, and serving more than 10,000 people annually. It is estimated that the agency serves 78 percent of the area’s residents determined to be living in poverty and 67 percent of the area’s uninsured.
CHDI is governed by an 11-member, policy-making volunteer Board of Directors. The Board is composed of client representatives (51 percent) and community leaders who share a common vision for improving access to quality health care services for all, and is representative of the community served. The Board is responsible for ensuring that CHDI complies with all federal and state requirements and maintains a scope of services that is consistent with community needs. The Board also sets our strategic direction so that our services and actions align with our original mission.
With unfaltering dedication and commitment, Community Health Development, Inc. has remained true to our original mission: To continuously improve the Nuestro Bienestar (Health and Well-Being) of the community we serve by providing access to quality health care services that are responsive to the diverse rural, cultural and bilingual populations in our community.
Although migrant/seasonal farm workers were a primary reason for our inception nearly three-five years ago, our target population has grown and broadened considerably. CHDI’s target population consists of uninsured/underserved individuals residing in our service area who have limited financial resources. However, our doors are open to everyone in the community, regardless of their economic status.
The individuals we serve are children, mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers with diverse cultures, employment and backgrounds. Our patients work on near-by ranches and farms, they clean houses, they work at local retailers, they cut yards, they work in construction, they attend school and they sit next to us at church services. Our patients live, raise their children, and contribute to our community in meaningful ways. Despite their contributions and their efforts, many cannot afford or do not have access to adequate health care.
CHDI serves the community and our patients by providing the following services at reduced rates based on household income and size:
- Primary & Preventive Medical & Dental Care services for the entire family
- In-patient Care
- Diagnostic Lab and X-ray services
- Specialty Care Referrals
- Pharmacy
- Disease Screening & Management (including Glaucoma screening)
- Community Health Education
- Social Services
- On-Site Medicaid Eligibility
In addition, CHDI has partcpated actively in programs such as the Bureau of Primary Health Care’s “Diabetes Collaborative” as part of the organization’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of patients with diabetes. The agency also operates the D.R.E.A.M. Project – Diabetes Readiness: Education, Awareness, and Management. Since 1998, this project has been instrumental in raising community awareness and building a strong constituency for diabetes prevention in Uvalde and surrounding counties.
The health services and programs offered by CHDI are designed to proactively and effectively contribute to the overall health of our patients and our community. When health and vitality are restored to an individual there is a ripple effect that can be felt throughout the community. A more productive, reliable workforce benefits the employer and the economy at large. Our patients live, raise their children, and contribute to our community in meaningful ways.
New professional jobs created by CIP II will stimulate positive economic growth and expansion for the individual employee and the community. As a part of this community, we recognize that our actions impact others and thus we strive to take actions that benefit all.
In 2006, CHDI conducted an extensive survey to carefully assess the health needs of the four-county service area. The assessment revealed significant omissions in mental health services, dental services, chronic disease management and wellness. CHDI then developed a plan to address these pressing community health needs by funding and constructing a new Center for Community Wellness. This new Center, opened several years later, expanded oral health services, established the only comprehensive and affordable Mental/Behavioral Health Department in our community, created a teaching kitchen and classroom for nutritional health, an includes an exercise/fitness facility to promote physical activity, and supports new medical and administrative technology.
