Solid Gold Neighbor: Health
A healthy community requires many entities working simultaneously and together in synchrony. At Baylor, we feel honored to connect with the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, healthcare agencies and nonprofits that are advancing the needs of our community members - through creating awareness around food insecurity, supporting needs in maternal and child well-being, and creating access to healthcare we are grateful to take part in watching Waco identify and strive to meet the specific needs of our city.
Our office seeks to understand the daily impact of behavioral health and the great need to break down the stigma associated with counseling and this is why we enjoy working with local organizations to create opportunities for our community members to access free monthly virtual content to support parents in effort to prevent child abuse. In addition, this is what drives us to work with a large city-wide committee to plan and bring a symposium to Waco that focuses on providing quality education and knowledge around local behavioral health resources.
Prior to stepping into this role at Baylor, I worked in healthcare for 15 years and typically in the acute care environment which allowed me to experience the value of having access to a medical team. Much of my clinical career was working with premature children and their parents educating them about developmental milestones and preventing unnecessary stress to a child’s brain that was still in critical stages of development but outside of the womb early. Many of the families I worked with did not have access to prenatal care prior to the birth of their child and also experienced barriers to receiving care such as transportation or language. Although we worked diligently to support these families despite limitations, it opened my eyes to a domino effect that impacted a child’s success in this world from the day they arrived that played a large role in their development, education, and behavioral health.
As Waco continues to grow, our office will work diligently to connect resources, create awareness and work to partner with organizations because we are confident in a brighter future that includes our community members acquiring and having access to resources to help them not only live but thrive.