In 2021, Mayor Ron Nirenberg introduced San Antonio as “Inclusion City, USA” after major changes were launched at the San Antonio International Airport. Now here’s another reason why our city continues to live up to and exceed its nickname: The MAC. The Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland, located on the corner of Wurzbach Parkway and Thousand Oaks adjacent to the Heroes Stadium, is another project from Gordon Hartman coming in the fall of 2022. This facility will house not only physicians, but also dentists, navigators, and community agencies such as AACOG and a Fantastic Sams Hair Salon.
The four anchors of The MAC are navigation, medical home, therapy home, and community support services that will all communicate to work with The MAC member.
Two town hall meetings have been held in the past months to inform the community about The MAC. If you missed those meetings, don’t worry, I am here to report all the details of this amazing facility!
Here are the key points:
- Any age for a member
- Any special need
- Up to 10,000 members
- Not income based
- Navigator service is free
- Navigation is HIPPA compliant & cloud based
A special need is defined by The MAC as a long-term impairment of cognitive, sensory, motor, and/or communication that is congenital and not readily rehabilitated. Having a special need substantially limits an individual’s ability to perform activities that are considered typical for an individual of the same age and culture.
At the town hall meeting presentation, I learned that 70% of a person’s health depends on social determinants such as access to transportation, health literacy, and food insecurity. At The MAC, not only will the person with a disability have access to health care providers, but also to community services and agencies such as the Food Bank and Any Baby Can. With such a wide range of services, this will ensure that all the individual’s needs are met.
During the intake process (which began this month), the MAC member will be coded by a color indicating the level of support they require. From less to more intense support, the colors are yellow, orange, green, and purple.
The MAC seeks to solve the problem that many of us special needs parents have, juggling many appointments all over town and connecting with community organizations. The idea is that the member will have a day at The MAC with multiple appointments scheduled to maximize your day off work.
In addition to community agencies, there will also be a “court” where three judges will help parents with any legal documents required for their loved ones. The facility will also have a cafe called Morgan’s Happy Eats with HEB ready-to-eat meals.
Phase 2 of The MAC will open in the summer of 2023 with an ambulatory surgery center housing five surgical suites, as well as an employment center funded by United Healthcare. In the same timeline, the Fantastic Sams hair salon will open to serve clients even on the weekends as it will have a side entrance.
Some of the medical specialties that will be offered include:
- Dental
- Women’s Health
- Pulmonology
- Psychology
- Adult Neurology
- General Medicine
If you are interested in applying for membership to The MAC, please visit their website and join the interest list. They will notify you when the intake process opens. The fun-filled grand opening of The MAC will take place on October 2, 2022 with food trucks, entertainment, and much more!
Website: https://morganswonderlandmac.com/
Interest list: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/G7FA508
Town Hall Presentation: https://morganswonderlandmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MAC-Town-Hall-Presentation.pdf
