Texas County Progress
The Official Publication of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas
During its first six months of operation, the Webb County Employee Medical and Wellness Center treated 500 patients and saved taxpayers an estimated $135,000, reported Pedro F. Alfaro, M.D., director of the Webb County Risk Management Department. All Webb County employees enrolled in the county’s health insurance plan and/or their enrolled dependents have access to … [Read more...] about Webb County Employee Medical and Wellness Center
County Progress asked the director of the Webb County Risk Management Department, Pedro F. Alfaro, M.D., to explain how the county’s new employee clinic grew from an idea to a reality. We would like to thank Dr. Alfaro for taking the time to visit with us. What prompted Webb County to open a county clinic? Webb County is a self-funded entity for employee health insurance. … [Read more...] about Webb County Employee Clinic: Behind the Scenes
Mental Health: The more services, the better. While mandates require us to provide mental health services, it is the right thing to do. The mental health population inside our jails is not going down anytime soon. It is something all jails and we administrators are experiencing. So my solution is, the more help and services I can provide these citizens, the better … [Read more...] about County Jail Telemental Health Care
When using the analogy of “the domino effect,” the prompted image is of dominoes falling down. However, when it comes to employee health clinics, the metaphor works in reverse. As per the definition, one change causes another change that causes another. And in this case, the dominoes pull one another up. Consider the “when-dominoes-fall” scenario. A county employee feels flu … [Read more...] about Win-Win Employee Wellness Centers Reap Multiple Benefits
Expansion of Telemedicine Authorized Recent legislation authorizing expansion of telemedicine in Texas should enable counties to achieve significant cost reduction and improved services in jail health services and indigent health care. Senate Bill 1107, effective Jan. 1, 2018, removed prior restrictions and increased the availability of telehealth services. Previously, the … [Read more...] about General Counsel’s Report
