A New Team Takes Flight: Community Collaboration at Work
A New Team Takes Flight for Las Vegas Trail!
A collaborative team gathered for breakfast on July 15, 2025, to prepare for the opening of a neighborhood health center serving Las Vegas Trail families. The health hub sits on the corner of Cherry Lane and Calmont Avenue just off of I-30 in west Fort Worth.
This "Meet & Greet" was specifically for the dedicated staff and partners who will be working in the building and serving the community. The agenda brought together representatives from Cook Children’s, JPS Health Network, WestAid, the City of Fort Worth Police Department, and more, all under one roof to forge a new approach to community health. The meeting's purpose was to ensure everyone was introduced and aligned on the promise and mission before the doors open to the public.
The breakfast served as a crucial kickoff, allowing the collective group to get to know each other and their respective roles within the new facility. Leaders from Cook Children's such as Chris Pedigo, SVP, Chief Strategy, Education and Community Health Officer, Veronica Tolley, assistant vice president of Cook Children's Physician Network, Karen Love, President, Cook Children’s Health Plan, Spencer Seals, VP Construction and Real Estate, Natalie Wilkins, VP Operations, Laura Van Hoosier, Public Relations & Corporate Communications and others were on hand to provide a comprehensive project overview, while department leads shared details on everything from the Cook Children’s neighborhood health center (Christina Reed, LMSW, Director of Operations, Neighborhood Health Centers and Outpatient Psychiatry, Cook Children’s Physician Network) to the JPS Health Center (Joy Parker) along with food pantry services (William Pherigo); teaching kitchen (Maya Rashad, Registered Dietitian), community health worker services (Sky Ramos, Community Health Worker, Cook Children’s Health Plan); job training programs (Kim Cummings, AVP, Human Resources, Cook Children’s and Christine Hernandez, Workforce Development Specialist) and the police storefront (Commander Amy Heise).
To ensure everyone was fully prepared, Robert Weber provided an orientation on building safety and protocols, while Brian Leird led a full tour of the facility, helping the team confidently navigate their new shared workspace.
As the meeting concluded, the team received a look at the exciting weeks ahead. The agenda highlighted key dates, including:
- July 23: First patient day for both clinics
- July 29: Media Day
- Aug. 5: Official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony
- Aug. 6 - Sept. 5: 30 Days of Wellness events (Dana Walraven)
- This initial gathering marked the official launch of a new, unified effort to bring comprehensive care and support directly to the Las Vegas Trail community and residents.
Our friends and partner from LVTRise, Paige Charbonnet, had a conflict this day, but we celebrated her many contributions.
In addition, Fort Worth City Councilman Michael Crain, who was a visionary for the project and was a part of the painting of the butterfly mural, had a chance to address many of the attendees during Media Day on July 29, and was a featured speaker at the grand opening festivities.
