HCA pitches on-campus employee wellness clinic to La Porte ISD; trustees express support, no formal vote

Yasmeen McDaniel, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, presented a proposal for an on-site employee wellness clinic to the La Porte Independent School District board on May 13, describing a clinic model HCA operates for other local districts and employers.

McDaniel said the model typically uses a small clinic space (two to three exam rooms) on or near a campus and offers primary-care visits, telehealth, point-of-care testing (flu, strep, COVID), referrals to specialists and monthly operational metrics for the district. “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human lives,” McDaniel said during the presentation.

The HCA team told the board the clinics are designed to reduce overall health costs, lower employee absenteeism and speed access to care. McDaniel and Wumbi Okolan, HCA’s director of physician services, said their organization usually files patients’ insurance and collects typical primary-care copays; HCA can also structure contracts so employees pay nothing out of pocket depending on how the district chooses to fund the service.

Trustees responded positively. Trustee Jeff Martin — who the presentation’s supporters said has championed the idea — praised HCA’s work with Pasadena ISD and Goose Creek ISD and pressed for next steps. Dr. Jackson, La Porte ISD superintendent, said he had already invited HCA to meet with district staff; trustees and HCA representatives said they would schedule follow-up meetings with district staff and city officials, including the city manager and mayor, to discuss logistics and possible joint use.

No motion or vote was taken. Board members described the presentation as a promising option and asked staff to pursue a meeting to discuss contract details and possible pilot arrangements. Questions from trustees covered how insurers would be billed, whether employees covered under a spouse’s plan could use the clinic and typical daily patient volumes at other district clinics (HCA said some sites see as many as 30 visits per day on busy days).

The discussion noted HCA’s existing local relationships and its capacity to refer internally to specialists and to provide discounted lab and supply pricing through its enterprise contracts. Board members highlighted possible benefits for all district employees (teachers, custodians, bus drivers and others) and discussed whether the city might join as a partner to increase utilization.

Next steps described in the meeting were scheduling a detailed follow-up meeting between HCA, La Porte ISD staff and city officials to review contract options, service scope, pricing and implementation timeline.

Ending

The board did not take formal action on the proposal; trustees directed staff to continue negotiations and to bring back more detailed contract terms and cost options in a subsequent meeting.