Health care
BY CHLOE YOUNG
Central Health seeks to close care gaps for Travis County residents Central Health has increased the number of patients it serves amid e orts to make health care more accessible for Travis County residents. Over the last year, the county’s taxpayer-funded hospital district has launched several new clinics, bridge services and service lines. The investments are a part of an $800 million, seven-year plan to address gaps in care for low-income and unhoused residents. The big picture Serving over 171,000 people in scal year 2023-24 with a budget of $744 million, Central Health saw a 10.1% increase in the number of people served from FY 2022-23, according to the organization’s 2024 annual report. Enrollment in the district’s Medical Access Pro- gram, or MAP, has increased from 6,000 to 29,000 members from 2023 to 2025, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The program covers doctors appointments and prescriptions for low-in- come, uninsured residents. Residents at or below 200% of the federal poverty level—or $64,300 for a family of four—are eligible for the program. Why it matters Growing Central Health’s services has reduced patients’ wait times. The wait time for a colonos- copy has been reduced from over a year to a few weeks due to having a larger team of gastroenter- ologists, said Central Health President and CEO Dr. Patrick Lee. This expansion could help Central Health better detect cancer, Lee said. Central
Since October 2023, Central Health has opened the following new clinics, in partnership with CommUnityCare, a federally quali ed health center: 1 Capital Plaza Speciality Clinic • 5339 I-35, Ste. 100, Austin 2 Hornsby Bend Health and Wellness Center • 3700 Gilbert Road, Austin 3 Rosewood Zaragosa Specialty Clinic • 2802 Webberville Road, Austin
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4 Del Valle Health & Wellness Center
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• 7050 Elroy Road, Del Valle
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SOURCE: CENTRAL HEALTH COMMUNITY IMPACT
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Health has detected only 30% of the cancer through its MAP bene ts that it would expect to see in the county, meaning some cancers may be going unnoticed, Lee said. “We are nding and preventing major compli- cations like foot amputations, like cancer, that otherwise without that access would have just continued to progress,” he said. Also of note In 2024, Central Health launched a bridge program to provide immediate care for unhoused residents at its Capital Plaza Specialty Clinic. In Sep- tember, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services began bringing people who are enrolled in or eligible for MAP bene ts to the bridge clinic instead of an emergency room or county jail. Central Health has created mobile teams that have visited the city of Austin Eighth Street Shelter for Women, Integral Care Therapeutic Diversion
New service lines opened as part of the partnership include:
Psychiatry
Infectious disease
General surgery
Medical weight loss
Cardiology
Ear, nose and throat
Center, the Hungry Hill Foundation and Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. Services provided have included blood draws, pap smears, prescription re lls and cancer screenings, according to Central Health Information. Haley McLeod contributed to this article.
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