Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Simmons.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Lirios Pediatrics is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2021 in Austin, Texas by a pediatrician and pediatric nurse who recognized a need in our community that was not being met. The mission of Lirios Pediatrics is to improve the well-being of uninsured children by providing them with free, equitable, comprehensive, and high-quality medical and mental healthcare. We exclusively serve uninsured children and most of the families are living in poverty so have few choices for obtaining the healthcare their children need. Services are provided by culturally competent, patient-centered staff who utilize a team-based approach to providing care.
Texas has both the highest rate and highest number of uninsured children in the United States. In the past several years Texas has also seen the largest increase in uninsured children in the nation, with approximately 942,538 TX children being uninsured in 2023. While there are other healthcare providers and entities that serve this population, the need is great, access is limited, and cost is a barrier to uninsured families who need services. Lirios Pediatrics is the only clinic in Texas with the sole dedicated mission of comprehensively serving uninsured children for free. In doing so, Lirios Pediatrics’ goal is to reduce the number of children who are not receiving the medical and mental healthcare that is necessary to grow and thrive.
In our first full year of operation in 2023, Lirios had the privilege of serving 1,028 patients, providing a total of 1,646 appointments, including 233 mental health counseling sessions, and administering 3,060 vaccinations. These services helped children remain healthy, enroll in school and participate in sports. In our second year of operation in 2024, we completed 2,087 medical appointments for 1,374 patients, offering well-child exams, lab work, x-rays, prescription and over-the-counter medications, 370 mental health counseling appointments, and more than 4,700 vaccinations — all at no cost to the families we serve. With the recent addition of a part-time Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, we anticipate that the number of children we serve will continue to grow, and our goal is to provide care to over 3,000 children annually by 2027.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been an amazing journey—but definitely not without a few bumps along the way. One of our first major challenges was simply getting the word out to families that we existed. As the only free clinic in Texas exclusively serving uninsured children, we knew the need was there—but connecting with those families took effort. Through outreach to local school districts, community agencies, and fellow nonprofits, we quickly built awareness and filled our appointment slots.
That success led to the next hurdle: demand. As more families found out about our clinic, our schedule started filling, and families were waiting four to five weeks for a new patient or well-child exam. For the kids we serve, delays can have serious ripple effects—missing school because of incomplete immunizations, parents missing work, or families turning to the ER for non-emergent issues. We knew we had to act. Thanks to generous funders, we were able to add a Nurse Practitioner at the end of 2024, and now patients can usually be seen within just a few days.
Another unexpected twist came when we learned that the building we lease had been sold and will be redeveloped. Thankfully, we have until July 2026 to move, and we’re using that time to find the perfect new home. It’s a challenge, yes, but one we’re approaching with optimism and resolve. The care we provide is too important to pause—we’re committed to continuing and growing this work, no matter what.
And like most nonprofits, funding is always top of mind. But we’ve been incredibly fortunate. A little more than a third of our budget comes from donated goods and services, from vaccines and medications to technology and professional support. That generosity allows us to stretch our dollars and deliver high-quality care. We’re also grateful for the trust and backing of family foundations, local grant makers, corporate supporters, and individual donors who believe in our mission. We truly couldn’t do it without them but will continue to need all of the community support that we can get to continue our important work.
Through every challenge, we’ve grown stronger and more committed to our mission. And today, we’re proud to be delivering exceptional, equitable care to uninsured children who need it most.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
What makes me most proud of Lirios Pediatrics is that all of our care is completely free. For the families we serve, this isn’t just helpful—it’s life-changing. It can mean the difference between a child living with an unmanaged chronic condition like asthma or diabetes or getting the treatment, medication, and ongoing support they need to live a healthy life.
As a nonprofit clinic, our mission is to provide free, high-quality medical and mental health care to children in underserved communities. Our clinic exclusively serves uninsured families, and for them, Lirios can be the difference between going to the ER for an asthma attack—or coming to our clinic for an evidence-based treatment plan, the medications they need, and consistent, compassionate care at no cost.
What sets us apart is our commitment to removing every possible barrier to care—whether it’s cost, language, transportation, or trust. We’re not just a clinic—we’re a team that truly cares. We build relationships with families and do everything we can to make sure that they and their children are healthy and thriving.
At the heart of Lirios is a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves high-quality, comprehensive, equitable healthcare, no matter their circumstances.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Healthcare is a necessary and rapidly growing field, but uninsured populations continue to be overlooked. During the next 5-10 years, the nonprofit healthcare sector, particularly clinics like our that provide free care to uninsured children, will remain crucial. As the safety net to the safety net, we will continue to fill the critical gap for tens of thousands of children without insurance in our area. Our clinic dreams of a world where our services are no longer needed, but until that day comes, we will continue to provide comprehensive, free pediatric medical and mental healthcare for every child, ensuring a strong foundation for a long and healthy life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liriospediatrics.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liriospediatrics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liriospediatrics/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lirios-pediatrics
