Empowering communities by transforming health care access

In 1979, a group of compassionate Maricopa County, Arizona residents recognized that the health care needs of local migrant workers weren’t being addressed and decided to take matters into their own hands. They enlisted the help of a doctor who agreed to provide volunteer medical services to the migrants.

That first outreach effort inspired the idea of a health care company committed to providing quality, accessible care to anyone. Health care without barriers, as it would become known, was born.

Clínica Adelante opened its doors the following year. In the beginning, only three providers delivered care, but in the decades since, the team has grown to more than 100 providers in nine clinics across Arizona. Today, Adelante Healthcare serves more than 85,000 people annually.

“We like to think of ourselves as a one-stop shop for health care needs,” says Pedro Cons, CEO of Adelante Healthcare. “Once you come through our doors, you have access to pediatric care, family medicine, internal medicine, dental care, behavioral health care, OB/GYN services, emergency services—you name it, we want to provide it. We pride ourselves on being there for our community in every way.”

Though Adelante Healthcare has evolved over the years, it still retains the spirit of that first outreach effort—in fact, clinic staff still travel to provide services to migrant farm workers. Motivated by the belief that healthy families make healthy communities, and that care should be available regardless of background, status, or station, Adelante Healthcare remains committed to providing health care without barriers.

Adelante Healthcare is a community-minded company that meets its patients where they are, regardless of ability to pay for services. Providers act with cultural awareness and sensitivity and communicate in a way that relates to their patient base, says Mike Cody, Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) senior vice president, who has worked with Adelante Healthcare on its employee health and benefits and business insurance for the past 15 years.

“They're an organization that is always growing and looking for ways to expand services where possible to meet the demand for health care that exists in the communities that they serve,” he says. “They are definitely not a ‘rest on your laurels’ kind of organization. They are always moving forward and moving up.”

Sometimes Adelante’s community focus reaches beyond traditional health care. For instance, before the school year began, the company hosted a series of “Back-to-School Jungle Jams,” where students received free backpacks and school supplies, setting them up to succeed in the classroom.

Of course, while the kids were collecting their school swag, enjoying music and snacks, and hanging out with the popular kids’ TV character Bluey—“You know Bluey? You’ve got to have Bluey,” Cons says with a laugh—they were also able to be seen by pediatricians and schedule wellness visits. As for the parents, “We’re doing blood pressure checks and other things,” Cons says. “We’re getting the kids seen and the parents seen. Events like this help us close gaps in care that we might otherwise miss.”

Other times, it helps remove the barriers to receiving care. This summer, Cons sat down with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to discuss strategies for improving health care access. Cons moderated a panel that included Secretary Becerra along with Neera Tanden, director of the United States Domestic Policy Council, and other health care professionals. It was part of the announcement of the $500 million federal Health are Navigator program, which helps people find coverage through the Healthcare Marketplace. Adelante's Eligibility and Enrollment team helps families apply for the program, understand their insurance coverage, and choose options that fit their needs. Cons says hosting the event was “an honor,” but it was also an opportunity to discuss the Navigator program’s success and how it, and programs like it, can reach even more people.

“Adelante is very well connected with the community at large, but also with the government and other health care providers, so they can provide the best service to their patients,” says Cody.

Adelante Healthcare believes that its holistic health care model can serve as a source of comfort and stability for the community. That’s why following the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization significantly beefed up its behavioral health services. “Before that, we provided behavioral health services, but on a much smaller scale,” Cons says. “But once we saw that need was there, we knew we had to do more.” Today, Adelante’s behavioral health care workers see over 700 patients a day, and internal data found that when patients can access behavioral health, Adelante sees a 10% increase in health care success outcomes.

Adelante believes that as industry leaders, it’s their duty to cultivate a “culture of care,” where people are empowered to reach their full potential. Cons has extensive data to show Adelante Healthcare’s positive impact, but often more convincing are the stories he hears from the community. These accounts illustrate some of the challenges to health care access for patients and the importance of the inclusive care that Adelante Healthcare provides.

One such story is about a little girl who was the child of migrant workers. Though she grew up without housing, she was able to receive health care at Adelante. The organization was instrumental in supporting her family and became a big part of her life.

As an adult, she wanted to give back and improve health care for the underserved. She now serves on the Board of Directors at Adelante Healthcare, helping to provide medical services to the children of migrant workers.

“Her story and so many others are why the amazing Adelante staff and I do the work we do,” Cons says. “We see on a daily basis what our presence means for our community. We never forget our roots and our mission. Every day we have a responsibility to ensure that our services are out there and that we’re eliminating every barrier to those services so that they reach as many people as possible.”