By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic

LANCASTER — Most days, the building at the northeast corner of Randlett Street and Alexander Avenue is an unassuming addition to the otherwise quiet neighborhood. Two mornings a month, though, a bustle of activity takes over as volunteers for St. Paul Medical Clinic put faith into action.

“This is what we are called to do,” said Dr. Mayra Jimenez Thompson, who along with her husband Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, heads up the low-cost clinic. “We’re called to share the love of Jesus Christ and, as doctors, we can do that by providing quality, affordable health care to all of God’s people.”

The Thompsons partnered with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas to open St. Paul Medical Clinic in December 2023 in an SVdP outreach center located in Lancaster.

“There are communities throughout the Dallas area that struggle to find affordable medical care. This area of southern Dallas County is one of them,” said Luis Gonzalez, who serves as CEO of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas. “Drs. Mayra and Jeffrey Thompson wanted to do something about that. We just happened to have a place for them to make that happen.”

The clinic serves people of all faiths, charging a $35 flat fee per visit. The fee covers everything from the doctor’s visit to lab tests.

“If they can’t afford that, we try to work with them,” Dr. Jimenez Thompson said. “It’s important for everyone to have access to healthcare they can afford. Everyone deserves that.”

St. Paul Medical Center currently is open every first and third Wednesday morning of the month, though the hope is to soon expand those hours. At the clinic, primary medical services and preventive care are offered by board certified physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other medical professionals who serve the community as volunteers without compensation.

Dr. Thompson, whose expertise is in nephrology (kidney disease) and internal medicine, specializes in diabetes care at the clinic.

Dr. Jimenez Thompson, an obstetrician and gynecologist, focuses on women’s health care and treatment for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

The clinic partners with St. Vincent de Paul’s charitable pharmacy in Dallas, which ships prescriptions to patients. To qualify for care, patients must have a household income less than three times the federal poverty level.

The Thompsons have been the driving force behind St. Paul Medical Clinic, working for years to open a low-cost medical clinic for an underserved community. Exam tables and several other furnishings at the clinic come from the two doctors’ own practices. The Faith in Action Initiatives at Baylor Scott & White Health provided medical equipment and other items.

“All the artwork is donated,” Dr. Jimenez Thompson said. “Every room has crosses. The hallway has crosses. We’re Catholic. This is a Christian-based clinic.”

Dr. Thompson said the journey to have the clinic become a reality began about five years ago when Bishop Edward J. Burns challenged the Catholic Medical Guild of Dallas members to start a Catholic medical care facility in Dallas.

“We were at a dinner, and one of the guild members asked Bishop Burns why there is no Catholic medical facility in the diocese,” Dr. Thompson said. “And the bishop says, ‘Why don’t you do it?’ So, we thought, ‘Why not?’”

The Thompsons began visiting and researching other charitable clinics, identifying best practices, forging partnerships, and looking for a location to establish a Catholic clinic. A few possibilities came to the forefront before falling to the side. Then the COVID-19 pandemic delayed efforts. In 2021, the Thompsons were attending an event for St. Vincent de Paul’s charitable pharmacy when they visited with Hank Hermann, who was the catalyst for creation of SVdP’s pharmacy, and that connection would eventually lead to the clinic being located at the Lancaster property.

“In the end, this was a perfect spot,” Dr. Thompson said.

‘God’s love and mercy’

According to Dr. Jimenez Thompson, the couple felt called by Jesus to open the clinic and help the poor.

“Jesus is here. He is all around us, and He is the reason why we do this,” she said. “We’ve been blessed in our lives. We wanted to give back.”

Dr. Thompson agreed, adding that what they do at the clinic was commanded by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

“He said, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me,” Dr. Thompson said. “So, yes, it’s a command, but it’s also a privilege.”

Claudia Patricia Corrales, who has volunteered at the clinic for the past six months, understands the impact such a mission can have on people in the community.

A year ago, Corrales was involved in a car accident leaving a Mass at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Farmers Branch. An injury to her right foot meant Corrales needed the aid of crutches to walk. She also needed physical therapy — something she couldn’t afford due to the lack of adequate health insurance.

“I don’t have my family here in the U.S.,” said Corrales, a native of Colombia, where her parents and siblings remain. “When I had the car accident, I needed help just like the people who benefit from this clinic today. I was helped, and that is why I know how important it is to help people in need.”

At nearby St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish in Lancaster, Corrales serves as a catechist of children with disabilities seeking to receive their sacraments of initiation. It was at her parish that she first learned of St. Paul Medical Clinic when Father Joseph Trinh, parish pastor, informed her that the clinic was seeking Spanish-language volunteers.

“God helped me when I needed Him the most. Why wouldn’t I do the same for others when God has presented me such an opportunity,” Corrales said. “I believe that each person makes a connection with the people that God wants; and because of God’s mercy and the confidence of Father Joseph in me, I was able to become a volunteer in this wonderful project.”

At the clinic, Corrales helps communicate with the Spanish-speaking patients, scheduling appointments and translating, when necessary. She also helps clean and set up the clinic on days it is open.

“It is wonderful to be a part of a project that allows me to witness that there is love in the world,” she said. “The same love we learn about in the Gospel — the love of God through service. People who do not have resources receive love and mercy through this project, and it allows me to feel connected to God’s work. I feel very blessed.”

Somewhere to go
Lucinda Torres first made the trip from her home in Garland to the Lancaster clinic in early April. The promise of an affordable check-up initially drew her to St. Paul. Quality care that led to the discovery of a surprise diagnosis brought her back in May.

“I came in for a simple check-up,” Torres said. “They told me I was diabetic. I was really shocked.”

Torres said the doctors at the clinic have helped her get her diabetes under control, offering her a “second chance” at good health. It is an opportunity Torres said she is truly grateful to have received and one that she hopes others find as well.

“I think it’s important for the lower poverty people to have somewhere to go and not feel like they’re going to get looked at shamefully for their financial situation,” Torres said. “Everyone deserves healthcare.”

That simple idea is exactly what the Thompsons hope to provide at St. Paul Medical Clinic.

“We are here to serve the poor, the uninsured, and underinsured people of this community,” Dr. Jimenez Thompson said. “That’s why we do it.”

“I’m healing the sick,” Dr. Thompson added. “It’s the same thing I do in my regular job, but this is different. This is for people who otherwise would not be able to see a medical professional.

“To us, it’s a joy to help these people.”

To learn more, donate, or volunteer at St. Paul Medical Clinic, visit stpaulmed.org.

Cutline for featured image: Flanked by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson and Dr. Mayra Jimenez Thompson, Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly offers a blessing for the St. Paul Medical Clinic on May 15 in Lancaster. The low-cost clinic opened in December 2023 with a mission to provide “quality, affordable health care to all of God’s people.” (Michael Gresham/The Texas Catholic)