Whether it’s their impressive new digs, confusion over the state of health care, or just an increase in people needing care, TOMAGWA Health Care Ministries is seeing record numbers of patients come through its doors.

According to information published by TOMAGWA, new patient visits increased 272 percent between 2008 and 2009.

Not only is TOMAGWA seeing hundreds more new visitors, those who are registered patients with the ministry are visiting more often. According to the report, registered patient visits increased 194 percent last year.

TOMAGWA moved into a new facility in November, a two-story building on School Street and Director Judy Deyo said the increase in numbers was expected.

“That’s what we were prepared for,” she said. “We knew there were people out there not getting served. We absolutely were planning for an increase in the number of people.”

However, that increase came sooner than expected. Deyo explained that TOMAGWA’s projections on patient visits put the current numbers they are seeing out to later this year.

Deyo said the new patients came “a little quicker than we thought.”

Word spread quickly once TOMAGWA’s new facility opened that their ability to see more patients had increased. In December 2009, the first month of operations in the new building, the clinic saw a record number of new patients – 104.

Deyo cites the new building’s welcoming atmosphere, as well as tough economic times for many as reasons for the increase.

“I think the economy has an affect,” she said. “We’ve also found that this facility seems to draw people. It’s very warm to be here. I think people are more willing to come here and we’re able to offer more services.”

One of those services that TOMAGWA has increased is its pharmacy. Last year, TOMAGWA filled 206 percent more prescriptions that in 2008 and in December of 2009, issued “an unprecedented number of prescriptions”  - 1,171.

One of the hinderances of the old facility was the small size of the building forced TOMAGWA’s volunteer doctors to schedule appointments several days in advance; there wasn’t the space or time available to treat everyone.

While the new facility has eased that delay, Deyo said the increased numbers are forcing visits to be put off “several days out.”

“We have so many more people sooner than we thought,” she said. “We’re just trying to get everybody in that we can.”

In order to ease the strain, Deyo is looking to increase the number of volunteer doctors and nurses at TOMAGWA.

“For every doctor we have, we need a nurse,” she said.

Deyo added that doctors who work in the area can volunteer for as little as a few hours a month, on their lunch breaks or several hours a month. TOMAGWA is also in need of funding, in part to help pay for new dental facilities.

TOMAGWA opened in 1989 and offers low-cost health care to residents of southwest Montgomery, southeast Waller and northwest Harris counties.

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