Health care
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
Health Care Edition
2026
Welcome to Community Impact’s annual Health Care Edition This special edition is packed with vital health care news and information relevant speci cally to Bastrop and Cedar Creek residents. As our community continues to experience rapid growth, keeping up with local medical infrastructure is more important than ever. In this issue, we dive into the city’s latest steps toward bringing a full-service hospital to our area, breaking down the latest feasibility study and what the newest data says about our community’s demand and viability. We’re also highlighting how St. David’s Foundation grants are funding four maternal health initiatives in Bastrop, along with the latest developments in local maternal and pediatric services—o ering a clearer look at the care available close to home. You’ll nd updates on PHI Air Medical’s expanded Cedar Creek services, including new tools and skills for critically ill patients, as well as insight regarding the rising cost of health care. I hope you enjoy reading the hard work of our local journalists who cover Bastrop and Cedar Creek, and learning more about the latest health care developments in our community. Thank you for your readership and for your support of the local advertisers who make it possible to keep you informed.
What's inside
Learn about area nonpro ts helping Bastrop mothers and babies (Pages 14 15)
Leslie Bradshaw General Manager lbradshaw@ communityimpact.com
Lawmakers study rising health care costs (Page 16)
See what Cedar Creek air medics are doing to help critically ill patients (Page 17)
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3 health care updates from Bastrop-area medical systems
1 Ascension Seton Bastrop Megan Drake was appointed president of the emergency hospital April 15. She brings seven years of experience as chief operating o cer for St. David’s HealthCare and recently served at the St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. Also in April, the facility added a high-resolution ultrasound system to support a range of medical services, including emergency care, cardiac evaluations, central line placement, obstetrics, wound care and ophthalmology.
2 Ascension Seton Smithville Hospital The Level IV trauma center received a designation of Critical Access Hospital from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in December. O cials said the designation is part of a federal program designed to keep essential services in rural areas by providing enhanced Medicare reimbursement. This status helps smaller, rural hospitals improve their nancial stability and maintain services that might otherwise be at risk.
3 Heart Hospital of Austin The facility recently became the rst in Central Texas to o er a cutting-edge photon-counting computed tomography, or CT, scanner designed to generate high-resolution images with greater diagnostic consistency for physicians treating pulmonary and cardiology patients. The technology converts X-ray photons directly into electrical signals without information loss, producing ultra-high-resolution imaging beyond what a conventional CT can do and allowing physicians to obtain all relevant CT data in a single scan.
Bastrop
71
Smithville
Austin
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71
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630 SH 71, Bastrop https://bit.ly/ascension-seton-bastrop
1201 Hill Road, Smithville https://bit.ly/ascension-seton-smithville
3801 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin https://bit.ly/heart-hospital-austin
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BASTROP CEDAR CREEK EDITION
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