10/07/2026
💙 El Centro de Corazón at the University of Houston! 💙
Yesterday, El Centro de Corazón Community Engagement Manager Obed Canjura had the opportunity to represent El Centro and speak with approximately 200 first-year UH nursing, medical, and social work students as part of the Household Centered Care program.
Obed shared the story of El Centro, the East End, our community roots, and the people we serve — families, children, working families, immigrant families, uninsured and underinsured individuals, and people from neighborhoods throughout Houston and beyond.
We shared the story of how El Centro started in 1994 and became a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in 2003, growing from our community roots into a health center that is much more than a clinic.
We talked about some of the realities that affect a person's health every day:
🏠 Where they live
💰 The cost of care and insurance
🚌 Transportation
🗣️ Language and communication
🤝 Trust and respect
❤️ What happens outside the clinic
We also answered a question we hear often:
“Is El Centro only for Spanish-speaking people?”
No. El Centro is for everyone. ❤️
Students learned about the many services we provide, including primary and preventive care, behavioral health, dental care, HIV and STI services, navigation and support, community outreach, and sliding-fee access.
But we also talked about the work that happens outside our exam rooms — from our Back-to-School Family Expo to our Adopt-A-Family holiday program and other community outreach efforts that help support the families we serve.
Most importantly, we talked about seeing the person before the diagnosis.
Our patients are more than a medical chart. They are parents, children, workers, neighbors, and members of our community. Building trust takes time. It takes listening, respect, compassion, and understanding the whole person.
Thank you to the University of Houston for giving El Centro the opportunity to share our story and help future healthcare professionals better understand the communities they will serve. 💙
And thank you to Obed Canjura for representing El Centro and sharing our community’s story with the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Community roots. Community health. Community change.
