Houston Methodist today announced it has received a $1.9 million philanthropic commitment from Houston-based energy company Occidental to support education and patient services in the community. This commitment will support the Occidental Houston Methodist Community Scholars Endowment and will fund at least one fellow and preceptor in pulmonology annually. This gift will enhance the existing pulmonology program within the Houston Methodist Community Scholars program, which partners with local health clinics to provide high-quality specialty care to the underserved and uninsured.

 

Through the program, a Houston Methodist pulmonology fellow and preceptor, an experienced practitioner who provides supervision during clinical practice, will offer specialty care at HOPE Clinic. This organization is a long-standing nonprofit partner of Houston Methodist that provides health care services to all people, regardless of patients’ ability to pay, and facilitates more than 100,000 patient visits per year in 30 different languages.

 

Dr. Rodney Folz, chief of pulmonology at Houston Methodist, leads the pulmonary rotation for the Houston Methodist Community Scholars program.

 

“Many respiratory diseases are chronic and significantly impact the quality of life, and this type of specialty care is not always accessible to those who may need it the most,” said Folz. “Our team is committed to working with patients through HOPE Clinic, so they get this much-needed care. Thanks to this generous gift from Occidental, we will be able to not only support more patients, but also train the next generation of pulmonology leaders to diagnose, treat and work with other care providers to help some of our community’s most vulnerable patients get the care they deserve.”

 

A longtime supporter of Houston Methodist and its Community Scholars Program, Occidental has contributed nearly $12 million in the last decade to support Houston Methodist fellows who offer specialty services in medical clinics across the Greater Houston area.

 

“We’ve seen the incredible impact the Houston Methodist Community Scholars program has had, and I’m proud we can grow the program even further by enhancing patient care and providing specialized training in pulmonology to treat those who might not otherwise receive this critical medical care,” said Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub. “Occidental is dedicated to strengthening our communities, and we know that improving access to essential health care services is beneficial to Houstonians who don’t have services near their homes.”

 

In addition to patient care, the Houston Methodist Community Scholars fellow and preceptor in pulmonology will have opportunities to study respiratory diseases in their early stages. Since the pulmonology rotation began in 2016, over 400 patients have received pulmonology care, including the diagnosis and treatment of lung-related diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis, COPD and more through the Houston Methodist Community Scholars program at HOPE Clinic. The Houston Methodist Community Scholars program has made it possible to see approximately 8,000 patients in the local community since its inception in 2013.