Hope Cottage, a North Texas nonprofit with a 106-year history of transforming lives by uniting and strengthening families, opened a new maternal medical clinic today to provide affordable, comprehensive healthcare for underserved pregnant individuals. Located at Hope Cottage in East Dallas near downtown, CeCe’s Place operates through a strategic partnership between Hope Cottage and HHM Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and nonprofit that provides cost-efficient medical services. Funded by a gift from The George and Fay Young Foundation, the clinic is named after the Youngs’ late daughter, Carol Young Marvin, who they adopted through Hope Cottage.
Leadership from Hope Cottage and HHM Health celebrated the clinic opening with a ribbon-cutting and tours alongside friends, funders and community representatives.
“Texas is in a maternal health crisis. We hope that CeCe’s Place can be a model, bringing affordable prenatal and postnatal care, along with comprehensive support for mothers, under one roof. Our goal is to create a loving and supportive environment where women can easily access the services they need to have healthy pregnancies and give their children strong starts in life,” said Stephanie Bohan, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Cottage.
Texas ranks 49th in the nation for women’s health, according to a study from the Commonwealth Fund analyzing publicly available data. Thirty percent of women received no early prenatal care in the first trimester, putting Texas last on this measure. The 2022 Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee report estimated that 90 percent of maternal deaths in Texas may have been preventable and named increasing access to health services during pregnancy as a top recommendation for improving outcomes for mothers and babies. Additionally, KFF published research stating that Medicaid covers about half of all births in Texas, demonstrating the significant need for affordable care.
“HHM Health recognizes the need for better women’s healthcare in the great state of Texas. So many of our patients are part of vulnerable communities, lack sufficient resources and often don’t know where to turn. We have made a commitment to continue to step up and be that resource for women in Dallas. Partnering with Hope Cottage allows us to reach more mothers and help them deliver safely,” said Brian Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer at HHM Health.
CeCe’s Place is located at Hope Cottage’s location at 609 Texas Street in the Wilson District, adjacent to Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas. On-site, HHM Health will offer low-cost pregnancy testing, Medicaid enrollment and prenatal/postnatal care. In coordination, Hope Cottage will provide mothers with parenting education, case management and referral to community resources during and after their pregnancies, as well as adoption information and counseling for those who wish to explore that option. Women served at the clinic will be referred to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas for labor and delivery. After delivery, HHM Health will continue to care for mothers at its Women’s Health Center in Vickery Meadow or CeCe’s Place and babies at its Pediatric Clinic off Walnut Hill Lane.
Prenatal care appointments at CeCe’s Place can be made by calling (972) 354-8713 or emailing info@cecesplace.org. The clinic is open Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and plans to expand its hours and days in the future based on demand. HHM Health accepts Medicaid and a number of private health insurance plans, plus provides assistance with Medicaid enrollment.
The new clinic is HHM Health’s seventh location, with other clinics in East Dallas on Greenville Avenue, in Vickery Meadow off Pineland Drive, a pediatric office off Walnut Hill Lane, a clinic in Oak Cliff at Trinity Basin Preparatory Jefferson Campus, and two DISD locations at DISD Kiosco Youth & Family Clinic and DISD Redbird Youth & Family Clinic. HHM Health’s nine service lines include women’s health, pediatrics, adult/family medicine, diet/nutrition, vision, dental, behavioral health, imaging and 340B pharmacy.
CeCe’s Place will feature unique pieces of art from award-winning Dallas-based artists and founder of DAUM Gallery, Taylor Daum, and internationally-recognized artist Leah Ellermeier, whose original acrylic on canvas titled “The Power of Love” will hang in the clinic lobby.
source: press release
