Care Around the Corner: Cook Children’s Opens New Neighborhood Health Center

Kimberlee McGee would drive to the ends of the earth to access the medical care her grandchildren need, but thanks to Cook Children’s Neighborhood Health Centers, she does not have to.

“I'm a grandmother raising three children due to their mother's passing, and I feel like I'm just doing what their mother would want most,” McGee said.

This week, Cook Children’s Health Care System opened the Cook Children’s Neighborhood Health Center, provided by The Happy Davis Foundation and the Texas Rangers at 6825 Manhattan Boulevard in east Fort Worth. It is Cook Children’s eighth Neighborhood Health Center (NHC), all of them located in areas throughout Tarrant County where access to care is most needed. These centers provide primary health care, well-being services and more to families living in areas where residents are met with multiple barriers to accessing care, including limited transportation, food insecurity, language or literacy barriers, and a lack of awareness of available resources.

“Cook Children’s is very specific with where we build NHCs,” said Brian Leird, project manager for Cook Children’s Health Care System. “We conduct market studies to understand where in the Metroplex we can make the biggest impact. We find those health care deserts.”

The Cook Children’s Neighborhood Health Center, provided by the Happy Davis Foundation and Texas Rangers, would not be possible without the support of generous community donors who believe that collaboration builds strong and healthy communities. The new center will showcase this generosity and collaborative spirit with artwork featuring a local legend—Rangers Captain, the Texas Rangers mascot.

“The Texas Rangers and Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation are honored to join The Happy Davis Foundation in supporting Fort Worth’s children and this Cook Children’s Neighborhood Health Center,” said Karin Morris, Senior Vice President, Community Impact & Executive Director, Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. “We hope that the artwork featuring Rangers Captain brings joy to children who visit the clinic and look forward to hearing about the great work that will be done there.”

Count On Compassion

For years, Monica Goyal, D.O., a Cook Children’s pediatrician, has cared for McGee’s grandchildren at another NHC location. Dr. Goyal is one of two physicians selected to provide care at the new center. Because of their trusted relationship with Dr. Goyal, the McGee family has chosen to follow her there. It will become the family’s new health care home.

“Dr. Goyal just has compassion,” McGee said. “She knows the whole story. She knows where these children came from and what their needs are, and she just goes above and beyond.”

As a child of immigrant parents, Dr. Goyal can relate to many of the challenges her patients face. It’s what compels her to practice medicine in the NHC setting.

“In these clinics, I see real opportunities to make a difference, whether it is by advocating for the child or empowering families to make informed decisions about their child’s care," Dr. Goyal said. “It’s work that keeps me truly engaged and connected to the families we serve.”

Triveni Kallur, M.D., a Cook Children’s pediatrician, also will deliver care at the new center. She speaks fluent English, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi.

“I’m excited to serve a community that often includes vulnerable populations and those who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the health care system,” Dr. Kallur said. “The NHC model allows us to bring care directly to those who need it most and make a lasting impact.”

Better Together

Cook Children’s Neighborhood Health Centers are designed to be a comprehensive health care home where children and families can receive the care they need, all in one location. By offering everything from sick care and injury treatment to well-child visits and vaccinations, to behavioral health and nutrition services, the NHCs connect the health and wellness dots for families, and eliminate the need to travel to multiple locations for various services and resources.

“Pediatric care is not about just seeing the pediatrician,” Dr. Kallur said. “Our typical patient has various needs. Sometimes they need a dietitian. Sometimes their family needs food, diapers, durable medical equipment or complex care. The NHC is a place where they’re able to find these things in one single place, and I think that’s the most important role the NHC is playing.”

The McGee family has accessed all of these services at one time or another. When the care needed goes beyond what can be provided at the center, Dr. Goyal and Dr. Kallur have the full weight of Cook Children’s Health Care System and Cook Children’s Physician Network behind them, allowing them to refer patients to the specialty physician or service they need.

But it’s the feeling that she’s a partner in her grandchildren’s health care that means the most to McGee.

“Dr. Goyal always makes me feel good because she says, ‘You know your grandchildren and you know their needs, and you work really hard to make sure they get all that they need,’” McGee said. “I know that I do, but to hear the doctor tell me makes me feel good.”

Dr. Goyal, Dr. Kallur, and the center’s staff are dedicated to building lasting relationships with the community they serve. Through the new center, they hope to impact the health of children and families, both physically and mentally, for generations to come.

“I’d love to see that we helped create a strong foundation for their future,” Dr. Goyal said. “And that families felt supported, empowered, and truly cared for along the way.

The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, call 682-303-6825 or visit www.cookchildrens.org/nhc-manhattan.