City approves letter of support and MOU for new Family Wellness Clinic to pursue federal rural health grant

Harlingen Medical Center representatives asked the South Padre Island City Council to approve a letter of support and a memorandum of understanding to help the Family Wellness Clinic apply for a federal Rural Health grant.

Kathleen Avila, regional director for business development, and Michael Schwartz, communications and grant-writing manager for Harlingen Medical Center, described plans to expand the clinic's hours to nights and weekends, add urgent-care capability and introduce imaging services. "What this grant would do, it would allow us to expand the hours of the clinic to become urgent care clinic, open weekends and at night," Schwartz said.

Schwartz said expanding hours and services could reduce nonemergency ambulance transports off the island by giving paramedics an on‑island destination for minor illness or injury during extended hours. The council approved a motion to send a letter of support and to approve the memorandum of understanding; the council also selected Mayor Pro Tem Rees Langston to represent the city on the Rio Grande Valley Rural Health Care Network formed as part of the initiative.

No financial commitment by the city beyond the MOU was described in the presentation. Harlingen representatives said the clinic is currently open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and that grant funding would support expanded hours and services.

The council voted without further discussion to approve the requested letter of support and the memorandum of understanding, and then voted to appoint a council member as the city's representative to the proposed rural health network.