Martha Manquero-Butler witnessed firsthand the difficulties elderly patients face when trying to access health care. As a doctor at Texas Tech El Paso’s residency program, she helped by visiting patients where they were located instead of asking them to go to a clinic.

A few years later, with the support of family and savings, Manquero-Butler launched New Light Primary Care to bring the art and science of medical house calls to El Paso. It did not take long for the three-person practice to grow to 30+ employees who served more than 800 patients by 2017.

That’s when the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce referred Manquero-Butler to LiftFund, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), for a commercial real estate loan that would help her acquire a building to serve as a base for staff and patients.

LiftFund offers capital and business education to small businesses and entrepreneurs like Dr. Marquero-Butler. The nonprofit CDFI focuses on creating opportunities for a diverse range of clients: 85 percent of whom are minorities, 42 percent are women, 10 percent are veterans, and 68 percent have been in business for 5 years or less. 

LiftFund often works in collaboration with a variety of lenders and the US Small Business Administration to provide the SBA 504 loan that enabled Manquero-Butler’s New Light Primary Care building. LiftFund’s business loans range from $500 to $500,000, and up to $5 million through the 504 program. Since its inception in 1994, LiftFund has made nearly 27,000 loans totaling nearly $1 billion across its 15-state footprint, which includes New Mexico.  

Manquero-Butler said her goal is to share best practices and experiences with other doctors and the next generation of practitioners on how to treat elderly patients in the comfort of their homes. In addition to serving as the supervising primary care physician at her clinic, she is an assistant professor at Texas Tech University School of Medicine in El Paso and the University of Texas at El Paso, where she teaches resident physicians, medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. “I want to give hope to people that are homebound,” she said.

Learn more about New Light Primary Care in El Paso, TX. For information about LiftFund loans, visit its website and contact a LiftFund team member.