Births on the rise From the cover
Zooming in
In a nutshell
In recent years, area hospital systems have renovated and expanded existing square footage dedicated to women’s care and increased the number of beds available in high-needs areas. In 2023, St. David’s Austin Medical Center added two rooms intended for post-operative recovery. At the hospital system’s South Austin Medical Center, another 11 rooms were renovated for postpartum care, and several rooms have been converted to delivery and recovery. A representative of St. David’s HealthCare said these expansions were based on increases in demand for maternal care, as well as the growing population of Travis County. “Our most complex women’s services programs at St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas and St. David’s Medical Center have seen tremendous growth,” the representative shared via email with Community Impact . “Additionally, St. David’s South Austin Med- ical Center continues to grow as the region south of Austin continues to develop.”
At the same time, in 2022, Texas saw its first year-to-year increase in births since 2014, according to a report from the University of Houston, which attributes the increase to the 2021 passing of a state ban on nearly all abortions after six weeks. Patients could face longer wait times, also as a result of increased births, Whitney said.
The Department of State Health Services estimates that by 2030, Texas will fall about 1,600 practitioners short of the demand for obstetricians and gynecologists as fewer students are completing OB-GYN residencies. Whitney said the dwindling pool of applicants for these residency programs raises concerns for her regarding quality of care.
Travis County population trends
Births
Net migration
1.4M
5K 10K 15K 20K
Total population
1.35M
1.3M
1.25M
0
0
-5K
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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