Vital East End Organization Gets a Boost From a Making a Difference Afternoon — Health Care For All

El Centro Has Been There For 27 Years and Counting

By Shelby Hodge // Sep 23, 2021

Photography Jacob Power

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Barbara Van Postman, Leila Perrin, Heidi Rockecharlie, Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Sofia Adrogue, Frances Castaneda Dyess, Gracie Saenz at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, Maria Cowles, Robert Hillier at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

April Lykos, Mary Fusillo, Leslie Siller at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Beth Wolff, Cynthia Wolff at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Daisy Mendoza, Maria Montes, Frances Castaneda Dyess, Vicki Luna at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Gracie Saenz, Laura Jaramillo at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Lisset Garza, Maritza Gonazales, Daisy Mendoza, Maria Montes at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Marcie Mir, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, Roberta Schwartz at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Nicholas Rockecharlie, Debbie Macbeth at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

Ramiro Fonseca, Linda Flores Olson, Vicki Luna, David Vasquez at the El Centro de Corazón luncheon, held at Hotel ZaZa-Medical Center. (Photo by Jacob Power)

What: El Centro de Corazón “Making a Difference” luncheon

Where: Hotel ZaZa Museum District

PC Moment: The $140,000 raised will aid in the nonprofit’s efforts at providing health services for low-income, medically underserved children, adults and families living in Houston’s East End community. More than 50 percent of El Centro patients live at or below of the federal poverty level which is about $26,000 annually for a family of four. Sixty percent of those have no insurance. The nonprofit has been serving East End residents for 27 years and provides care for 13,000 patients each year.

Attended by 180 supporters, the annual luncheon was chaired by Heidi Rockecharlie and Barbara Van Postman and honorary chairs Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman and Leila Perrin.

Frances Castañeda Dyess, president of the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce, was recognized as 2021 Community Leader Honoree while Gulf Coast Distillers was recipient of the the Corporate Leader Honoree award, accepted by marketing manager Caroline Wright.

The program featured an interview with Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health System and Dr. Roberta Schwartz, executive vice president, chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist. Cyndy Garza Roberts, reprising her role as emcee, led the Q&A that focused on the pandemic, lessons learned, disparity in health care and what the future looks like in terms of collaboration between organizations.

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PC Seen: El Centro de Corazón CEO Marcie Mir, Beth Wolff, Emily Mir, George W. Connelly, Marilu Garza, Beckie and Gasper Mir, Ramiro Fonseca, Linda Flores Olson, Vicki Luna, David Vasquez, Michele Leal Farah and Ryane Jackson.