Bridging the Gap: How Cook Children’s Health Plan is Transforming Las Vegas Trail

Since the Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center opened in August 2025, it has served as more than just a medical facility; it has become a one-stop shop for a community that was once a health care desert, providing health care clinics, workforce solutions, a food pantry, and more. A key player at the forefront of this transformation is Sky Ramos, Cook Children’s Health Plan’s (CCHP) first-ever clinic-based Community Health Worker (CHW). 

For the roughly 7,000 CCHP members living in the Las Vegas Trail corridor, Ramos represents a major shift in how care is provided for this community. Previously, most member interactions happened over the phone. Today, Ramos is a constant, in-person presence, helping families navigate the complexities of health care from right in their own neighborhood.

Beyond the Phone Call: Personalized Advocacy

Ramos leads CCHP members in this area by organizing community-building events and establishing member engagement. She led the initiative to provide Thanksgiving meals to members and to secure donations from community partners, including turkeys from a church. She also led the holiday assistance programs to help member families have presents under the Christmas tree. 

Ramos’s role as a hands-on advocate who helps members is uniquely designed to break down the barriers that often keep families from seeking care. 

Ways that Ramos helps members: 

• Primary Care: She helps members find primary care that fits their needs to help the whole family stay healthy.
• Benefits: She provides face-to-face guidance for Medicaid enrollment and helps members seek care through the onsite JPS Health Network clinic.
• Incentives: Ramos ensures members take advantage of CCHP rewards, such as $25 gift cards for wellness checkups and incentives for completing preventive screenings.
• Transportation Hurdles: By utilizing CCHP transportation services, Ramos ensures that a lack of a vehicle doesn’t stand in the way of a doctor’s visit. 

“To them, these are things that these residents have been struggling with for such a long time,” Ramos said. “It takes somebody to really listen and understand what they’re going through to guide them to where they don’t feel overwhelmed.” 

CCHP members can use transportation services to get to appointments. For the members she has encountered, Ramos says it’s convenient to have everything they need at one location rather than spending the day traveling to different locations. 

“It’s been very beneficial to the families overall, especially in the sense of how transportation is a big issue in this community,” Ramos said. “Once we’re able to connect them with health care services, that's what's rewarding for me – seeing their reaction and how grateful they are."

A Community-Focused Model

The center’s success relies on a strong collaborative environment. Alongside Cook Children’s Neighborhood Health Center, the facility houses the WestAid Food Pantry, JPS Health Network and a Fort Worth police satellite office and food nutrition services with a Cook Children’s dietitian and a demonstration kitchen. 

One of the most impactful partnerships is the Las Vegas Trail Workforce Development Training Program. In collaboration with JPS Health Network, Tarrant County College, and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, this program provides residents with the skills needed for the medical administrative field, ranging from medical office duties to patient- and family-centered care. The first graduating class recently completed the program in December.

Restoring the “Mojo”: Dominika’s Story

The impact of this holistic approach is clear in the lives of members like Dominika McQueen who says she is grateful for Cook Children’s.

“Being in the community is the most amazing thing because people are benefiting from Cook Children’s being here,” Dominika said. “You guys are really helping a lot of people come out of situations that we probably didn’t think we could get out of.” 

After an illness kept her out of the workforce for years, Dominika turned to the Las Vegas Trail center for support. While CCHP's holiday assistance program ensured her children had presents under the tree, the workforce development program gave Dominika something even more lasting: a career path.
 
“Cook Children’s has helped me tremendously and this has been a great opportunity for me,” Dominika said. “This program is giving me my mojo back. I’m ready to be back in the workplace."

Looking Forward

While Ramos primarily serves CCHP members, her door is open to everyone. She frequently assists community members with Medicaid and SNAP applications, often seeing people travel from well outside the neighborhood for her in-person expertise. 

“It’s been so rewarding to hear the appreciation from our members,” Ramos said. “My wish is that this model grows. Every community deserves a ‘home area’ where they feel supported.” 

To access services provided by the community health worker, call 682-303-8319 or visit the neighborhood health center’s website.