The Arthur Nagel Community Clinic (ANCC) was honored to receive a point-of-care laboratory upgrade from Heart to Heart International (HHI) as part of HHI's national point-of-care laboratory program. The program equipped our clinic with modern lab equipment, provided staff training, and supplied reagents and other supplies for the first 12 months. This upgrade was made possible through disaster relief funding associated with the July 4th Texas flooding.
While the Clinic was not directly impacted by the flooding, ANCC is located within the affected regional service area. Through this investment, HHI supported regional recovery efforts by strengthening healthcare access and improving diagnostic capacity for rural and underserved communities.
Improving Access to Timely Diagnostic Services
At ANCC, we serve uninsured and underinsured residents who often face significant barriers to care, including cost, transportation challenges, and limited access to laboratory testing. These barriers often lead to delayed diagnoses and postponed treatment.
The installation of additional point-of-care laboratory equipment enabled our providers to perform even more on-site testing with same-day results, improving clinical decision-making and enabling more timely treatment. This advancement reduced the need for off-site lab referrals and helped ensure patients receive care when it was most needed.
According to Heart to Heart International Laboratory Director Heidi Schutz, “ANCC is fortunate to have Linda Vos leading their onsite laboratory. Her wealth of knowledge and experience with lab processes and procedures provided the confidence needed in allowing us to equip the clinic with analyzers enabling them to provide a full slate of laboratory testing to help in screening and diagnosing conditions faster, with fewer samples being sent to reference labs and streamlining results so patients can be treated in one visit.”
Supporting Chronic Disease Management
The additional laboratory upgrade significantly enhanced the Clinic’s ability to diagnose and manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, which are prevalent within our rural service area. Regular monitoring is essential to prevent long-term complications, yet many patients struggle to return for follow-up testing.
With point-of-care testing available onsite, our care teams are better equipped to:
- Monitor critical health indicators during patient visits
- Initiate or adjust treatment plans immediately
- Improve care continuity and medication adherence
- Strengthen patient education through real-time review of results
- Reduce patient follow-up visits waiting for lab results
- Reduce transportation barriers
These improvements supported better health outcomes and reinforced our commitment to patient-centered care.
Strengthening Community Health Through Partnership
Our partnership with Heart to Heart International reflected a shared commitment to restoring health and hope across Bandera County and surrounding rural communities. By investing in sustainable clinic infrastructure, HHI helped ANCC enhance long-term capacity beyond immediate disaster response.
The Arthur Nagel Community Clinic extends sincere gratitude to Heart to Heart International for its leadership, compassion, and continued investment in strengthening rural healthcare systems.
