New Round Rock medical clinic working to serve uninsured in Hispanic community
A new clinic in Round Rock is working to provide affordable, quality health care services to the uninsured members of the Hispanic community.
Clinica Hispana Rubymed offers affordable care by providing services through telemedicine, which reduces the overall cost to the patient, said Yamaira Otamendy, one of the owners.
It is not clear how many Hispanic people in Round Rock are uninsured, but census data say 28% of the population is Latino and the public policy nonprofit Every Texan reports that 31% of working-age Hispanics in the state are uninsured. Otamendy said 99% of patients the clinic serves are uninsured.
The clinic was opened in December by Otamendy and her partner, Carlos Pullido. The couple were doctors in Cuba, but they are now working as a nurse practitioner and a medical assistant as they become certified in the United States.
The Round Rock clinic, at 1013 S. Mays St., Suites D and E, is one of four locations in Central Texas. The partners opened their first location in Cedar Park in August 2021 and later two more in Austin.
Consultations are similar to what a patient might be used to at any clinic, Otamendy said. The main difference is a doctor prescribes a treatment plan virtually. She said any lab tests, shots and medicine are given at the clinic only after a doctor has prescribed it. Pullido said they work with two doctors for the four clinics.
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Otamendy said they also serve patients who have health insurance and are looking for a quick appointment when they have a cold or the flu. Because of the telehealth model, Pullido said, they can see patients only above age 5, since younger patients might not be able to express their concerns to be properly treated virtually.
Pullido said that, on average, uninsured patients pay $240 to $270 for the entire visit, including exams and medication. Vaccinations at the clinic cost up to $140. Pullido said they can offer affordable and accessible care as they are part of a Texas-based chain of clinics and do not have to go through insurance companies.
For comparison, some local clinics charge $99 to $139 for a visit on a specific issue, not including medication or treatments, and up to $245 for vaccinations, Pullido said.
"Our clinic model and medical care model is to give the low-income Hispanic population ... greater accessibility to medical care," he said.
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Pullido said that after moving to Round Rock from Cuba in 2019, the couple decided to open the clinics because so many Hispanics in the area could not afford medical care. Having worked at other clinics in the area, Otamendy said she wanted to open the location to create a greater abundance of service to the Hispanic community.
She said that, despite being open for only a short time, the Round Rock clinic has been popular — with an average of 12 patients per day — and has received positive feedback. End-of-visit surveys said that patients chose the clinic based on the quality of service, the staff's ability to speak Spanish and the ability to create a feeling of home.
Pullido said their culture has allowed them to create a clinic that is humanized compared with most others. He said while medical attention is excellent in the United States, the human portion of it is lost. Pullido and Otamendy said staff members make time to chat with patients about their life and how their children and grandparents are doing, similar to the approach of many doctors in Hispanic countries.
"That is what the Hispanic population has found in us," Pullido said. "They prefer us over other options."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: New medical clinic in Round Rock serves Hispanic community's uninsured
