Patients Get the Gift of Time With $1 Million Grant

The School of Nursing’s Combest Center recently received $1 million over the next five years to expand its clinic hours. The funds are part of a $24.5 million Promise Neighborhoods grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

“The [East Lubbock Promise Neighborhoods] grant will allow the [Combest Center] to remain open until the evening hours, and some weekend hours, so that families with parents who work during the daytime will now be able to come to the clinic at a time more convenient for them," said Christina Esperat, Ph.D., R.N., School of Nursing professor and associate dean of clinical services and community engagement.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Combest Center’s plans for a physical expansion expected to begin this summer.

Last year, the Combest Center received $5 million under the Affordable Care Act to construct a 10,000-square-foot addition to the existing 6,450-square-foot facility. The new space will include nine new medical exam rooms, a blood draw lab and a procedure/treatment room. In addition, 14 offices will be added to serve case management/behavioral health, diabetic education and the clinical administration staff as well as a large meeting room and teaching kitchen for health education.

Promise Neighborhoods, first launched in 2010, is a community-focused program that funds local-led efforts to improve educational opportunities and provide comprehensive health, safety, and support services in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Texas Tech will serve as the anchor institution for the East Lubbock Promise Neighborhoods grant, helping to build the collective capacity of partner institutions to serve and develop the historically underserved potential of children, families and communities in East Lubbock.

The consortium is a collaboration of the Lubbock Independent School District, a variety of colleges and administrative units of Texas Tech, TTUHSC, United Way of Lubbock, Covenant Health System, South Plains Food Bank, United Supermarkets, and the Betenbough Charitable Foundation. The City of Lubbock, South Plains P-20 Council and Generation Texas are also partners in the project.