SISD hears urgent public pleas as district weighs closing on-site clinic and partnering with UMC near-site clinic

Socorro ISD trustees and staff on June 24 heard emotional public testimony from clinic clinicians and physicians and a detailed presentation from district administrators and University Medical Center (UMC) about a proposed transition from the district-run on-site employee clinic to a UMC-operated near-site clinic.

Speakers at the meeting described the on-site clinic as a high-value service for employees. Jennifer Feeley, a nurse practitioner who worked at the SISD employee clinic, said the district's previous annual operating budget "ranged from $800,000 to $1,200,000," supporting a physician, two nurse practitioners, a physician assistant, seven medical assistants and other staff. Feeley said the board's proposal "is a reduction in services, a reduction in access, and a reduction in outcomes" and warned the change would shift costs and reduce continuity of care.

Dr. Alba Nydia Nevarez, a physician who worked in the clinic, told trustees the clinic had provided value-based care and medical savings. "We built more than a clinic. We built a model focused on value based care, high quality, personalized…