FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact: Joy Authur, (512) 684-1722
Public Health Clinic Ranked Among Top 10% in Country Is Well-Established as Austin Fixture
(AUSTIN, Texas — Sept. 29, 2020) People’s Community Clinic (People’s) will celebrate its 50th anniversary during its annual “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch” luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the event, traditionally held in person, will be conducted online. The virtual event will stream from 12 to 1 p.m. (CDT) and will raise funds for the clinic’s ongoing work of providing quality medical care to underserved and uninsured Central Texans. The keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Donna Shalala of Florida, who served as the 18th U.S. secretary of health and human services, interviewed by Evan Smith of The Texas Tribune.
“The luncheon is our clinic’s largest fundraiser of the year,” said Regina Rogoff, CEO of People’s Community Clinic, “and one of the Austin area’s largest events in support of public health services to the poor and to communities of color.
“This year the task is particularly critical,” she continued. “As with other health care providers, the COVID-19 pandemic has created serious challenges. The need for COVID testing has placed additional responsibilities and pressure on our medical team. Our expenses for personal protective equipment and other supplies needed to safely treat all our patients have gone up. And as the economic downturn continues, we expect the number of clients who have lost jobs or lack health insurance to rise significantly.”
People’s was founded in 1970 as an all-volunteer free clinic, operating from a church basement near The University of Texas. As of 2019, it had a budget of over $25 million and more than 250 physicians and other health care professionals on staff. The clinic expects to serve nearly 20,000 patients this year. Seventy percent of the clinic’s clients live below the federal poverty line.
People’s was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Gold Tier Health Center Quality Leader, ranking it among the top 10% of public health providers in the nation.
Congresswoman Shalala has represented the 27th District of Florida since 2019. She served as secretary of health and human services from 1993 to 2001. Also an academic, Ms. Shalala has served as president of both Hunter College and the University of Miami, and as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
As in past years, Evan Smith, CEO of the Texas Tribune, will emcee the event. Other special guests will include Marcia Ball, Sarah Bird, Alejandro Escovedo, Ray Benson and the Hon. Kirk Watson.
For tickets to the event or for more information on becoming a sponsor, you may contact Joy Authur (JoyA@austinpcc.org).
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People’s Community Clinic is among the nation’s oldest nonprofit health clinics offering comprehensive health and wellness care to uninsured and underinsured individuals. Its mission is to improve the health of medically underserved and uninsured Central Texans by delivering high-quality, affordable health care with respect and dignity.