Health & wellness
BY HALEY MCLEOD
Travis County health professionals face chal- lenges navigating “historic” disparities in life expec- tancy throughout the eastern part of the county, hampered by slow delivery of state and federal data to local providers, according to local o cials. Some parts of eastern Travis County see up to 15 years fewer of life expectancy than in western counterparts of the county, according to a report released in 2022 by nonpro t research organization Episcopal Health Foundation. Though the data—collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—dates back nearly a decade, the numbers are expected to remain pretty consistent due to “historic dividing lines,” said Brian Sasser, chief communications o cer for the Episcopal Health Foundation. The analysis revealed that Travis County resi- dents in lower-income neighborhoods with higher poverty rates, lower education levels and signi cant minority populations have signi cantly shorter life expectancies than those in more a uent areas. The foundation has plans to renew its research with more recent data, Sasser said, but added it could be years before receiving those gures from state and federal sources. Zooming in Dr. Nicholas Yagoda, the interim CEO of Com- mUnityCare Health Centers, called the slow data process a “stumbling block” for local providers tackling health discrepancies in their communities. Eastern TravCo sees 15 years less in life expectancy
Health divide in Travis County Many areas along the outskirts of Travis County see projections for reduced life expectancy. These areas also see higher poverty rates, lower education levels and higher minority populations.
Life expectancy in years at birth 65-70 70-75
75-80
80-85
85-90
No data
130 TOLL
620
290
MOPAC
71
183
35
N
SOURCE: U.S. SMALL AREA LIFE EXPECTANCY ESTIMATES PROJECT, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Yagoda explained that more a uent communities are moving east, with some of the original vulner- able populations either being displaced or getting buried behind the larger income levels of their new neighbors. The community provider continues to evaluate areas for economic stability, environmental hazards, food deserts, safe housing, play space and other nonmedical health determinants. What else CommUnityCare also functions as a care provider for Central Health, which adopted its Healthcare Equity Plan in early 2022—a $700 million e ort to increase direct care to patients. The hospital district opened its rst permanent specialty clinic at the Rosewood-Zaragosa center in East Austin in July and has plans for another east health and wellness center in Del Valle.
“Frankly, it makes it very hard for us as a commu- nity, as a state, as a nation, to be able to react in a timely fashion,” Yagoda said. Newer surveys conducted by CommUnityCare and other local health providers indicate that the di erences between life expectancy between east and west Travis County is shrinking, but Yagoda says the data is complex. CommUnityCare’s analysis of vulnerable popu- lation footprints examines education and income levels across the region, as these have proven to be an e ective determinant of health outcomes, Yagoda said. “It appears, at face value, that that gap is closing, but that may not be for the right reasons,” Yagoda said. “... When you do the analysis, it has everything to do with the change in demography within the county. We see that the net isn’t disappearing, it’s just being diluted.”
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