Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Ann Kroon.
Lee Ann, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
A group of medically minded friends began gathering for breakfast in Tomball during the early 80’s. They would discuss current, local health issues. A hot topic at the time was the ER community costs. Locals were using the ER for coughs, colds, and other common illnesses.
In 1989, these same passionate neighbors banded together to increase health care access for Tomball, Magnolia, and Waller. TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries was conceived at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Tomball. Volunteers managed patient visits & operations for the first seven years. Finally, in 1996, Judy Deyo was hired as executive director.
The name TOMAGWA means “Tomball, Magnolia, & Waller,” which roughly defined the original service area of our clinic. Our name is unique and holds great importance to low-income, uninsured families, who need health care and reside in southwest Montgomery, southeast Waller, and northwest Harris Counties.
In addition to lowering community health care costs, TOMAGWA has blossomed and expanded our scope and reach. We offer a growing number of medical, dental, lab, pharmaceutical, vision, vaccine, chronic disease, hearing, and wellness services. We are also an education facility.
Over 700 medical volunteers ranging from high school to college level courses, learn from us, annually. All of this is made possible through funding from individual and community donations, grants, in-kind donations, fundraising events, and some patient contributions.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries relies on God first, people second. God’s steadfast love has made the money coming in possible, the volunteers, and the medical professionals.
When you work with uninsured, low-income families 200% or below the poverty level, the road may have some bumps. Our gracious staff goes above and beyond to assist everyone we serve. Relying solely on donations is never easy.
We do not accept any form of government funding.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries story. Tell us more about the business.
TOMAGWA is a nominal fee, comprehensive family practice clinic that provides medical services regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, religious affiliation or the ability to pay.
Last year, more than 750 dedicated professional and service oriented volunteers along with a small staff provided more than 22,000 family member visits, from babies to grandparents, who could not afford health care and were without health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. It is important to understand that more than 85 percent of the uninsured in our community live in a household where one or more family members work full time.
That’s where our clinic provides the necessary medical assistance to those who might go without care; the repercussions of lack of medical access affect every single one of us – crowded ER’s, rising insurance premiums, and most importantly neighbors and children in our community at great medical risk. TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries offers hope, provides care, and restores dignity to all we serve.
Image Credit:
Esau and Angely
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
