HEALTH CARE BRIEFS
2022 HEALTH CARE EDITION
County questions Central Health e ectiveness
BY DARCY SPRAGUE
HEALTH CARE GAP O cials expressed concern over gaps in care with Central Health. Right now, the district faces a lack of full-time and part-time providers.
Travis County commissioners raised concerns that Central Health, the county’s health care district, is not meeting all the needs of low-income residents during a recent update on the service’s progress. Central Health o cials pre- sented their 2021 annual services report and an update on their equity plan at the commissioners’ April 26 meeting. Central Health was created in 2004 with the mission of providing health care services to the lowest-income residents in the county, including homeless individuals. During the report, Central Health o cials said their goal is to continue expanding its services and reach. “It is the board’s intent to not only provide the health care services need, but to continue to improve on how, when and where we provide those services,”
Ascend Medical is launching mobile care in the Austin area. (Courtesy Ascend Medical)
Number of Central Health heath care providers*
37.7
Ascend Medical launches Austin-area mobile care
Current
88.7
Needed
*The factors refer to providers who only work with Central Health clients part time.
SOURCE: CENTRAL HEALTH COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
BY JENNIFER SCHAEFER
“What you are showing us is a lot of gaps. What does a community do to ll the gaps?” In 2021, Central Health served more than 147,000 patients, which was up 6% from the year prior, according to the presentation. President and CEO of Central Health Mike Geeslin and other Central Health representatives also spoke about new services the district is able to o er, such as convalescent care for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Ascend Medical, a membership-based primary and urgent health care service that includes pediatrics and mental health therapy, held a ribbon cutting for its business in Westlake on June 2 at 805 Las Cimas Parkway. Ascend’s mobile team visits patients wherever the patient wishes. It also provides 24/7 care with virtual telehealth. Mobile services available include labs, immunizations, and radiology, or x-rays. The practice, which takes insurance, can be reached at 888-647-3912 and at www.ascendmedical.com.
Central Health board Chair Dr. Charles Bell said. One issue the health district is experiencing is a lack of health care providers. The district currently works with 37.7 primary care providers, while it needs at least 88.7—the factors refer to providers who only work with Central Health clients part time. “Where are we seeing the increase in access to care based on what we campaigned on?” Com- missioner Ann Howard asked.
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • JUNE 2022
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