By Marie-Theresa Hernández The plane, with the name “Tommy Joe” painted on its nose, is in the front yard of a private home on Navigation Boulevard. I wish Tommy Joe was still around to tell us stories about the plane in action. Photo by Golnar Makvandi. In spring 2021, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, […]
We are honored to have partnered with the San José Clinic to tell the story of their first 100 years providing healthcare to Houston’s underserved. Please see the joint letter introducing this issue from Houston History editor, Debbie Harwell, and San José Clinic President and CEO, Maureen Sanders.
Malnourishment and disease from Mexican Americans and Mexican’s impoverished communities in 1922 led to high infant morality rate and mothers’ lacking adequate knowledge about childcare. To combat these concerns, Msgr. George T. Walsh enlisted the help of Katherine Carroll and Theodora Kendall to establish a free clinic for the Mexican and Mexican American community in […]
By Miles Bednorz Emerging from the rapidly growing congregation of St. Vincent’s Catholic Church, Annunciation Church became Houston’s second Catholic Church when it was dedicated in 1871 and is the oldest existing church building in Houston. The Catholic Church has always been the foundation of the San José Clinic. Catholic groups and institutions like the Archdiocese […]
The San José Clinic’s activities foreshadowed future successes for the clinic, changing tens of thousands of lives, as it took advantage of advancing medical technology, expanding community partnerships, and twice moving to new and larger facilities in the decades to come.
By Grace Conroy, Caitlyn Jones, and Debbie Z. Harwell The local Sembradores de Amistad chapter held a fundraiser in 1970 to provide glasses for San José Clinic patients. Club president, Virginia “Vergie” Treviño, left, and fundraising chair Mrs. Roy Molina, right, walk with Beatrice Moreno proudly wearing her new glasses. Photo courtesy of the […]
By Joseph Castillo Pins added to the map above indicate the early clinic locations in Second Ward. Pin 1: 1900 Franklin (1922-1925); pin 2: 1909 Canal (1925-1954); pin 3: 1919 Runnels (1954-1956); and pin 4: 301 Hamilton (195 6 -2 010 ). Map from Alacrán essay courtesy of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public […]
By Joseph Castillo In the forty years that she has been with the San José Clinic, Maria has watched the clinic grow and maintain its family-like community. Her devotion and ability to connect with patients in both Spanish and English make her a beloved member of the San José Clinic community. Photo courtesy of the San José […]
Fifty-nine dollars is all it took to open one of the longest-running charity clinics in the United States. When Monsignor George T. Walsh decided to start a clinic in 1922 to battle high infant mortality rate in Houston’s Mexican community, he knew who to call on for help. With approval from Bishop Christopher Byrne, Msgr. […]
By Alondra Torres The San José Clinic opened its facility at 2615 Fannin in 2010. The state-of-the-art facility accommodated 27,940 patient visits in 2019 and in 2020, during the pandemic, provided 18,662 visits, including drive-through services. Photo courtesy of Wes Jackson, Ph.D. In a U.S. healthcare system trying to service hundreds of millions of people, many find themselves living without access to proper healthcare. Yet, […]
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