Grant in Action: San José Clinic – A Lifeline for the Uninsured

When Christina Donalson first walked into San José Clinic two and a half years ago, her health was, in her own words, “a melting pot of trouble.”

“I was really sick,” she recalls. “I have congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes and I couldn’t breathe. If I took 10, 15 steps, I would get out of breath. It got so bad that my mother-in-law bought me a wheelchair. I was scared to go to sleep because I was afraid I would never wake up.”

The 51-year-old Sugar Land resident had no health insurance and was desperate for help. “I started searching online for clinics that could see someone without insurance,” she said. That search led her to San José Clinic – Fort Bend, which has been serving uninsured and underinsured residents since 2020.

Founded to address infant mortality in Houston’s Mexican-American community, San José Clinic is recognized as Houston’s original safety-net clinic providing life-changing health care to those who are uninsured or uninsurable—guided by compassion, dignity and respect. 

St. Luke’s Health - Sugar Land awarded San José Clinic Fort Bend a $26,500 CommonSpirit Community Health Improvement Grant to expand care for uninsured patients managing chronic diseases.

“One in four Texans is uninsured with no access to care, so the work of San José Clinic is lifesaving for many of its patients,” said Freemon Walker, Interim President of St. Luke’s Health – Sugar Land. “Our Community Health Improvement Grants program is one way we support organizations that contribute to the health and well-being of the underserved in our community.”

In 2024, the Fort Bend Clinic’s interdisciplinary care team—including a chief medical officer, two nurse practitioners, and a pharmacist—served more than 3,300 patients, many of whom are managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Christina’s first appointment was with Family Nurse Practitioner Claudia Patricia Galloway. “We talked for nearly an hour and worked together on a care plan,” said Christina.

“Mrs. Donalson established herself as a patient at San José Clinic in April 2023, presenting with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, diabetic neuropathic pain, high cholesterol and hypertension,” explained Galloway. “Through an interdisciplinary approach involving disease state, management, physical therapy and pain management, her diabetes and cholesterol are now well-controlled, and she reports feeling better overall. It has been my pleasure to witness such positive outcomes in her health through preventive and therapeutic care.”

The clinic's clinical pharmacist checks in with Christina weekly to ensure she remains on track with her medications. “It’s a team effort—caring and supporting our patients every step of the way,” said Karla Montejo, the clinic’s Associate Director of Development.

Today, Christina’s health has dramatically improved. Her heart is monitored, her glucose levels are stable, and she feels in control of her life again. “I feel so much better now,” she said. “I’m driving again for the first time in five or six years. I was so sick I couldn’t even get behind the wheel. Now I can cook, clean and do everything I did before I got sick.”

She added, “Without the care I receive from San José Clinic, my quality of life would not be as good.”

As Houston’s original safety-net clinic, San José Clinic continues to serve as a health care home for the uninsured—offering not just treatment, but a pathway to wellness. Thanks to the CommonSpirit Health – St. Luke’s Health Sugar Land grant and other community partnerships, the Clinic can continue to bring hope, healing and dignity to those who need it most.

“We are not state or federally funded, so we have the flexibility to help individuals who otherwise would not receive care,” Montejo said. “Our mission is to provide healing through quality health care and education, with respect and com