After Christus Spohn closed its doors in Mathis two years ago, residents have had to drive about 30 miles to the nearest medical care.
“A lot of people complain there’s nothing in Mathis, you have to go to Corpus,” says resident Antonia Trevino.
A generous donation is moving forward, Mathis’ Economic Development Corporations efforts to open a new clinic in town.
“It saves us a tremendous amount of money to be able to have a facility,” says EDC executive director Doug Dowler.
The full-service clinic will be the former Grace Lutheran Church building.
“We wanted something for the community, something that would last,” says Grace Lutheran Council President Dianne Wilder.
Church officials say after winding down, they decided to donate the building to the community.
The EDC plans to renovate the sanctuary into the actual clinic.
“With exam rooms and doctor offices and nursing staff,” says Dowler.
They also plan on renovating Sunday school classrooms into a laboratory and diagnostic center. Dowler says they are working with Hospital Corporation of America to eventually provide specialty services in a third building.
The clinic will be open Monday through Friday and provide services to everyone.
“They’ll see patients insured and uninsured,” says Dowler.
Construction starts in January and they hope to open their doors by the summer.
