While Heart to Heart International is known for rapid response in the immediate wake of disasters, our commitment doesn’t end when the headlines fade. We know that the “recovery” phase lasts much longer than a few weeks. Following the devastating Texas flash floods of July 2025, we transitioned from emergency relief to long-term community support through two separate initiatives.
Advancing Laboratory Capabilities at Arthur Nagel Community Clinic
One of these initiatives is enhancing the existing medical facilities in the flood-affected areas. Bandera, Texas, is one of those communities. The town is in a medically under-resourced area where the nearest ER is 40 minutes away, and for many in the community, in addition to the long distance to reach a medical clinic, a doctor’s visit is often something out of reach financially.
To support the work the clinic is already providing to its community, we recently completed a point-of-care laboratory installation at the Arthur Nagel Community Clinic in Bandera, Texas. This allows patients to see a provider, have their labs taken, and receive their lab tests results before they even leave the clinic. The clinic can provide expanded results—like A1c levels for diabetics or Strep and Influenza results—during a single office visit. No second trips, no extra fuel costs, and no waiting in fear for a phone call.
By providing these immediate results, the clinic can initiate treatment plans instantly, drastically improving follow-up care and health outcomes for patients who otherwise face geographic and financial barriers to medical services.
Empowering the Helpers Through Training and Preparedness Kits
The second initiative is our sponsorship of the Texas Association of Charitable Clinics Regional Leadership Summits. At the two events held in January, we focused on training frontline healthcare workers in disaster preparedness.
“Health clinic workers are often the first and last lines of defense,” said JP Fisher, HHI Director of Disaster Response. So, during these events, members of the HHI Disaster Response Team provide hands-on training for disaster scenarios, helping clinic teams build the confidence to manage future emergencies. Participants were also invited to tour HHI’s state-of-the-art 45-foot Mobile Medical Unit, which features treatment rooms, a pharmacy, and specialized counseling areas.
By sharing our expertise in disaster readiness and offering Healthcare Worker Emergency Kits, we’re making sure these dedicated professionals have the support they deserve to keep their doors open, no matter what the weather brings.
As HHI Senior VP Tenagashaw Tiruneh noted, these clinics do an incredible job, and our goal is simply to lend our expertise to help them implement best practices. As one of only four organizations in the U.S. with WHO EMT Type 1 Mobile certification, HHI is uniquely positioned to provide this level of technical mentorship. We aren’t just responding to the last disaster; we are building the clinical capacity to withstand the next one.
Building Capacity for the Future
At Heart to Heart International, we know that is not only about how quickly we arrive after a disaster, but also about the strength of the community we leave behind. By providing the Arthur Nagel Community Clinic with advanced lab technology and equipping the Texas Association of Charitable Clinics with disaster readiness training, we are ensuring that the local healthcare safety net is more resilient than ever.
