University Health officials and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of the Vida clinic, a 60,000-square-foot, three-story multispecialty health center on San Antonio’s South Side. Located next to the Palo Alto Hospital (one of two new hospitals University Health is building, scheduled to open in 2027), the clinic serves the underserved South Side community, which largely lacks nearby health care options compared to the more affluent North Side.
Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores stated that the Vida clinic and coming hospital address long-overdue needs for residents. “No longer should your ZIP code determine your life expectancy,” she said, noting that many community members lack resources like gas money, transportation, or the ability to take time from work for routine checkups. University Health Vida offers urgent care services, primary and specialty care, behavioral health for adults and adolescents, pharmacy, imaging and lab testing, along with cooking classes and other health education resources.
A significant feature of Vida is its entire floor dedicated to mental health services. University Health President and CEO Ed Banos reported that since the clinic began seeing patients in mid-December, it is already treating 200 residents for mental health. The clinic is also home to University Health’s Institute for Public Health and its “Community Commons” program, which brings nonprofits on-site to collaborate and connect residents to resources. Partners include the city’s Metropolitan Health District, American Heart Association, Bexar County Public Health Department, Catholic Charities, ChildSafe San Antonio, Family Service San Antonio, UT San Antonio’s Kate Marmion School of Public Health, and the San Antonio Food Bank.
University Health Board Chair Jimmy Hasslocher noted that the idea to build these facilities came from lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing that health care organizations must take a leadership role to prevent illness, not just treat it.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://sanantonioreport.org/university-health-south-side-vida-clinic-palo-alto-hospital/