CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It's been about one month since Nueces County leaders decided not to renew their public health district partnership with the City of Corpus Christi.
After the separation was announced, discussions quickly arose regarding the future of both entities.
Featured heavily in those conversations, was the fate of the satellite clinic in Robstown that reopened in February 2023 through the City-County Public Health District. The clinic had limited hours but was meant to help expand the public health district's services to the county's most rural communities.
When the end of the City-County partnership is finalized in April, Nueces County will be the sole entity in charge of providing healthcare to rural residents outside of Corpus Christi city limits. Nueces County Pct. 3 Commissioner John Marez said that progress is steadily being made to address the challenges of running the clinic without the city.
"The action that we took yesterday that we formalized as the court 5-0 was to convert our current county to a hospital unit," he said.
Marez said it's the lowest unit of healthcare that a county can get in the State of Texas, but it gives leaders flexibility.
"Plenty of access that we can utilize. Now that, the issue with that is and that we're going to be doing this alone," he said.
It's something Marez said inevitably comes with it's own set of challenges.
"The biggest issue is transportation right, access to healthcare, I mean that's always an issue no matter where you live. Even right here in Corpus Christi," he said.
Robstown resident Abigail Ramon said that the limited hours provided by the clinic make it hard for her to balance her health and other responsibilities, especially while she is pursuing a college degree.
"I'm a college student, so it's very hard that most of my classes are on Thursdays to make it all the way back here, since this is my hometown," she said.
Ramon attends Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She said that often times, balance just isn't possible.
"Sometimes I have to miss a class to come, if not, then it's just a gamble," she said.
Marez said that in order to help bridge those gaps, the county is already working on contingency plans.
"We're gonna pursue state funding, federal funding, we're gonna look at a partnership with the Nueces County Health District. That organization is going to help us fund key positions and partnerships," it's all about partnership," he said.