During a recent open house Vecinos had the chance to show off the capabilities of its new building, which CEO Marianne Martinez called a “co-location” of medical, dental and mental health services.
In a series of guided tours held at the open house on Nov. 6, the health nonprofit’s staff led partners and visitors through the Community Health Hub, which opened in May. The building is designed to offer a collection of services to Vecinos patients in a single space.
Vecinos has been in operation since 2004 and spent three years running as a part of the Jackson County Health Department before that, Martinez said. For the past 21 years, Vecinos has operated as a mobile clinic and out of a small, part-time office space provided by Western Carolina University. Originally the clinic exclusively treated agricultural workers, who may not have as strong access to medical services and prided itself on bilingual staff able to provide services for Spanish-speaking patients.
In 2021, the nonprofit began working on the new building after patients requested Vecinos continue the services it picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which it would require a larger, full-time building.
“One of our patient qualifications was you had to have worked in agricultural work in the past two years,” Martinez said. “Our patients said that’s great, but you know there’s a lot of other people that also need help and you need to kind of step up to the plate for that. So we knew we couldn’t do that where we were because we were only a mobile clinic.”
Hurricane Helene impacted the project when a storm drain pipe collapsed and required the nonprofit to raise an additional $365,000 for repairs, but the building was completed and the nonprofit received a certificate of operation on May 1.
Vecinos has expanded its patient base beyond farm workers and now serves low-income (at or below 200% of the federal poverty line) adult patients who either have no health insurance or whose insurance fails to effectively cover their needs. The nonprofit does not accept Medicaid, but Martinez said the Community Care Clinics in Franklin and Highlands do.
The tours gave staff the chance to show the difference between the pair of mobile clinics, parked out front, and the capacity of the Community Health Hub.
In the main reception area there is a pantry with fresh vegetables and pantry staples to give to patients who need it. Community Health Worker Elaina Quijada said the pantry is useful since the clinic deals with a lot of chronic illness and diabetes where diet can be a treatment and some patients may be “at a loss for what to provide for their families.” Quijada said the clinic focuses on high-protein diets with lots of fruits and vegetables, but what will be in stock on any given day or season will vary.
The tours showcased the pharmacy, therapy rooms, medical examination rooms and the dental ward. Marianne Martinez said the nonprofit is still looking for volunteer pharmacists to help in the pharmacy and is looking for a dental partner to take over the dental ward. She also said she would like to see the building host days for specialty services like ultrasounds or cardiology in batches to expand patient access to care.
Two community partners have already set up in the building. Pisgah Legal Services, based out of Asheville, will offer free, non-criminal legal services by appointment in the building. Pisgah helps with housing to prevent foreclosures and evictions, assistance with domestic violence and child abuse, accessing public benefits and applying for health insurance in addition to helping clients navigate the legal system for tax, drivers license and immigration purposes. Likewise, WNC Alliance has set up in the building to extend bilingual advocacy on mental health, legal aid and the justice system and for domestic and sexual violence victims and veterans.
Martinez said other nonprofits interested in setting up or needing to rent office space at the building can contact her.
Pisgah Executive Director Jaclyn Kiger and Martinez spoke about the future of Vecinos. “What a moment to see what it has been and what it’s going to be for so many … connecting the services people need in one spot,” Kiger said.
Martinez said, “In 2021, when we first started to imagine the Health Hub, we weren’t just thinking about a building. We were thinking about what happens when care becomes community, when health, compassion and collaboration live under one roof … Right now, more than 40 million people are wondering where their next meal will come from. They’re wondering how they’ll afford lifesaving medications; they’re wondering if they’ll be warm enough tonight with the electric bill still unpaid.”
“These are not abstract numbers, they are our patients, our neighbors, our friends,” she said. “The Health Hub is our response … to make sure every neighbor in our region has access to free, high-quality, bilingual health care.”
The Community Health Hub is located at 19 Smoky Mountain Dr., in the former Smoky Mountain Systems building on the 441 Bypass. For information, visit vecinos.org or call 828-293-2274.