Parkland Health to Address Healthcare Access Gap with New Clinic in Inland Port, Dallas
Parkland Health, Dallas County’s medical safety net provider, plans to construct a new clinic in the rapidly growing Inland Port area of southeast Dallas County. The 10,000-square-foot facility will provide primary care, pediatric care, and pharmacy services to address a significant lack of healthcare access for thousands of residents.
A Healthcare Desert
“It’s a health care desert,” stated Edmundo Castañeda, Parkland Health’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “There is a scarcity of medical providers in that area.” A recent community health needs assessment conducted by Parkland identified the Inland Port area as particularly vulnerable regarding health and well-being .
Addressing Disparities in Life Expectancy
The new clinic will be located within a mixed-utilize development in Wilmer, serving surrounding cities like Lancaster and Hutchins. Significant disparities in life expectancy highlight the need for improved healthcare access in the area. According to Castañeda, life expectancy in Wilmer is 73 years, compared to 86 years in zip codes with the highest life expectancy within the Dallas area.
Community Response and Existing Challenges
Wilmer Mayor Sheila Petta described the new clinic as “godsent,” emphasizing the lack of existing healthcare resources for residents, many of whom are economically vulnerable. “We have nothing out here…The people that live in this area…we’re not rich people. Everyone I know lives from paycheck to paycheck,” Petta said.
Parkland Health currently sees a high volume of emergency department patients from the Inland Port area – approximately 30% for conditions that could be managed with primary care. “Which can lead one to conclude that primary care services in that area would serve the population well,” Castañeda explained. “What’s happened historically is that underserved populations tend to not manage chronic conditions…. The whole point of primary care is to try to prevent disease as much as possible, to promote wellbeing, to ensure that we’re doing this in a customer-centric way that is close to patients and where they live.”
Growth and Future Expansion
The clinic, Parkland’s 18th community health center, is expected to open in 2028. While smaller than a typical Parkland clinic, the organization plans to expand the facility as demand increases. Developer Mike Rader noted that the Inland Port area experienced rapid industrial growth in recent years, but residential development has not kept pace with the community’s needs. He stated that Parkland recognized the lack of medical facilities and the potential for a successful clinic location.
Castañeda similarly highlighted the expected growth in the Medicaid and uninsured populations in the area, as well as the impact of social determinants of health, such as access to transportation and economic stability. “That’s why we exist,” Castañeda said. “As we believe that there are inequities in health care in our community and throughout the entire country. We’re here to seize care of those that are poor and disenfranchised that don’t have basic access to health care.”