Rural Healthcare Crisis in Texas

The recent closure of Mid Coast Medical Center in Trinity, Texas is indicative of a statewide pattern of rural hospitals closing and leaving patients behind. 25 rural hospitals have shut down in the last 20 years in Texas. This leaves rural populations, who are often, sicker, older, poorer, and less insured than their urban counterparts, without access to vital lifesaving care. The implications of these hospital closures are not always immediately apparent. While emergencies like heart attacks shed light on the lack of access right away, the loss of preventative care that comes from a lack of access creates long term health issues.  When individuals don’t have the means to invest in preventative care, the cost of treating them and the severity of their conditions increase overtime. Our Health Equity advocates for access to vital, lifesaving care for all Americans, no matter where they live. Read more here.