Legacy Responds to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Legacy was one of Houston’s first COVID-19 testing organizations and continues to provide testing to the public regardless of their ability to pay. We are screening all patients, staff, and visitors for COVID-19 at each clinic entrance to ensure the safety and health of everyone who walks through our doors, while ensuring COVID-19 testing for those who need it.

Operations Update: July 10th, 2020

COVID-19 Testing

As of July, Legacy has provided more than 3,300 COVID-19 tests to low-income patients in Houston and Beaumont. Free screening and testing is still available at three clinics in Houston (Legacy Fifth Ward, Legacy Montrose, and Legacy Southwest) and one in Beaumont (Legacy Central Beaumont). We have re-opened testing tents in areas of high need in response to Harris County being under a Severe Threat Level, meaning the health care system is at or over capacity. We are also offering drive-up testing for those who want to remain in their vehicles.

Telemedicine

Legacy continues to offer behavioral health and pediatric appointments via telemedicine to better protect staff, as well as healthy and vulnerable patients, from potential exposure to COVID-19. Given the recent rise in cases, we have increased our capacity for telemedicine to ensure no patient is left behind. Many patients have expressed appreciation for these virtual visits and one patient have described them as “a lifeline during this trying time.”

Re-opening

Legacy recognizes the increasing need for healthcare services, and some service lines are still in the process of returning to a more typical schedule. All patients who enter our clinics are screened for COVID-19 symptoms and have their temperatures taken. Once inside, everyone must wear a mask or face covering and practice social distancing guidelines. Thanks to Legacy’s #Task4Masks campaign, we are able to provide washable, reusable cloth masks to those who have been unable to purchase or acquire their own mask. Legacy will ensure that all decisions moving forward are built on a foundation of known scientific/health care driven evidence and with the safety of our patients and employees in mind.

Measuring the Impact

Legacy cannot continue to serve our community without your support. The cost of our COVID-19 response, the increase in uninsured patients, and the decline of patient volumes for our services threatens our ability to serve our community, both now and in the future.

Financial Impact for Legacy

• More than $8 million spent in fighting COVID-19
• More than $160,000 spent on testing alone

Legacy is currently more than $13 million behind budget, a deficit that will only grow larger as the pandemic continues.

Legacy Patients’ Impact

More than 30% of Legacy’s patients are uninsured. This number will increase significantly as more and more Texans lose their health insurance as they are laid off or furloughed. 69% of Legacy’s patients are living in poverty and many will be devastated as the unemployment rate continues to rise. These at-risk Texans need your help to stay healthy so they can go back to work once the economy begins to climb out of the current recession.

Community Impact

As the community recovers, demand for affordable healthcare will increase significantly. More than 200,000 people in Southeast Texas rely on Legacy for their care each year, and we plan on being here for them on the other side of this crisis.

We need your help. This is an ongoing, constantly changing situation and your philanthropic support is more valuable than ever as it provides Legacy with the financial flexibility necessary to react to new circumstances as they arise.

Click here for a Printable Donation Form

You may also Donate by texting legacycv19 to 832-990-0289

MATCHING GIFTS

Does your company have a matching gift program? Your or your spouse’s gift, even if you’re retired, can double or triple its impact for Legacy’s patients when your employer matches your family’s charitable contributions. Click below to see if your company participates in matching gift program.

If your company matches gifts, please complete the available form listed in the search results above. Then, submit the completed form with your signature to your employer and submit a copy of it by regular mail or email to the addresses listed in our contact information below.

Legacy Community Health
ATTN: Development Department
P.O. Box 66308
Houston, TX 77266-6308
giving@legacycommunityhealth.org