North - Northwest Austin Edition | June 2024

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North Northwest Edition VOLUME 18, ISSUE 5 JUNE 29JULY 30, 2024

2024 Health Care Edition

Dr. Sanjana Luther explains the process of removal for polyps in the large intestine.

GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Experts urge routine care to intercept colon cancer before it starts

is colon cancer prevention,” Dr. Sanjana Luther with Austin Gastroenterology said. “We’re really making sure that polyps, which are abnormal growths, are out of there before the cancer can even start.”

While the benchmark age was previously 50 for insurance-covered colorectal screenings, that age has since dropped to 45. As the rate of colorectal cancer diagnoses in younger people rises, specialists are turning to prevention as their rst line of defense. “While we call it colon cancer screening, it really

BY GRANT CRAWFORD & GRACE DICKENS

In 2024, over 12,200 Texans are predicted to be newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. It is second only to California, which is estimated to have over 16,000 new cases.

CONTINUED ON 28

Also in this issue

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INSIDE

Impacts: PopStroke at The Pitch to oer mini golf in Parmer Austin (Page 6)

Transportation: US 183 North undergoing trac shift this summer (Page 10)

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Impacts

2 The Bond The apartment complex offers studio to two-bedroom units in its location near The Domain. The community has a pool, a 24-hour gym, a parking garage, a dog wash

183

183A TOLL

station and more. • Opened June 6 • 10300 Metropolitan Drive, Austin • www.thebondatx.com

45 TOLL

3 JustFoodForDogs The dog food brand sells fresh-frozen and pantry-fresh wet and dry dog food; treats; and supplements. The location also offers custom diet plans and veterinarian-

prescribed meals. • Opened May 17 • 11521 N. RM 620, Ste. 400, Austin • www.justfoodfordogs.com

MCCALLEN PASS

620

WELLS BRANCH PKWY.

POND SPRINGS RD.

Coming soon

620

4 Taco Palenque The Mexican fast food chain offers tacos, burritos, parrilladas, plates and more in the Braker Lane Crossing shopping center. The restaurant has a drive-thru and is located in the former location of Boston Market.

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

• Opening late June or early July • 4607 W. Braker Lane, Austin • www.tacopalenque.com

MOPAC

JOLLYVILLE RD.

MOPAC

WALNUT CREEK PARK

5 Einstein Bros. Bagel The shop in far Northwest Austin will serve a variety of bagels and cream cheese as well as breakfast and lunch sandwiches, pastries and coffee. • Opening in mid-July • 9215 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 110, Austin • www.einsteinbros.com 6 Esports Academy Alpha School will open a private school in Northwest Austin focused on gaming and esports. Serving grades 5-8, enrollment is expected to be 60 students and tuition is $25,000 annually. • Opening in the fall • 13915 Research Blvd., Austin • www.esports.school

ESPERANZA CROSSING

GREAT HILLS TRL.

360

183

METROPOLITAN DR.

2222

MAP NOT TO SCALE

RUTLAND DR.

location also features a pickup point, giving customers the option to arrange for pickup of in-person and online orders. The store is across from Gloria’s Latin Cuisine. • Opened June 21 • 3306 Esperanza Crossing, Austin • www.ikea.com ANDERSON LN.

Now open

CAPITAL OF TEXAS HWY.

1 IKEA Austin at The Domain The new-format store allows customers to meet with an IKEA expert to plan and order home furnishings. The

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY BRITTANY ANDERSON, GRACE DICKENS & DACIA GARCIA

7 Oumi Sushi Grill & Bar The restaurant will feature all-you-can-eat sushi as well as sashimi, tempura rolls, hibachi, seafood and other

Coming soon

Japanese-fusion dishes. • Opening in spring 2025

• 13845 US 183, Ste. D-180, Austin • Business website not available

8 ATX Braces and Smile Aligners Owned and operated by Drs. Ross Brenner and Nikoleta Konstantoni, the clinic will offer a variety of orthodontic treatments such as metal and clear braces, Invisalign and its own brand of teeth aligners—called ATX Smile Aligners—for patients of all ages. • Opening in the fall • 10521 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 1, Austin • www.atxbraces.com 9 Blo Blow Dry Bar The salon offers a variety of hair blow out services as well as hair treatments, extension installation and makeup application. • Opening in mid-August • 10510 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 114, Austin • www.blomedry.com

12 The Salty Donut Located in Domain Northside between Velvet Taco and Lotus Chinese, the new gourmet donut shop will offer several varieties of donuts alongside baked goods and coffee. Some flavors include Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake Donut, Strawberry Shortcake and Vegan Ultimate Oreo Cookie. • Opening TBD • 11501 Rock Rose Ave., Ste. 158, Austin • https://saltydonut.com

14 PopStroke at The Pitch The family-friendly courses will mirror a traditional golf course and offer two 18-hole mini golf courses alongside entertainment and dining options in Parmer Austin. • Opening in spring 2025 • 13011 McCallen Pass, Austin • www.popstroke.com

In the news

10 Wings ‘N More-Austin The locally-owned and operated restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary in June. Located in the Tech Ridge area, the restaurant sells hot wings, ribs, sandwiches, seafood, entrees, desserts, alcoholic beverages and more. • 1200 West Howard Lane, Austin • www.wingsnmore.com 11 The League Kitchen & Tavern Prior to reopening June 10, Owner Tony Ciola said the restaurant was temporarily closed for remodeling to open up the space, install a new bar top, and add or replace TVs. The restaurant serves American food and cocktails and has three other locations. • 10526 W. Parmer Lane, Austin • www.leaguekitchen.com

closed at the end of May. The retail store sold a variety of mattresses, bedroom furniture and dining furniture. • Closed in May • 12518 Research Blvd., Austin 15 Conmaye Mexican Bar & Grill The restaurant, which opened last June as a brick- and-mortar location of food truck Taconmaye, served tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas and cocktails. The company’s food trucks will remain open at 3309 W. Hwy. 29, Georgetown, and 1615 Scottsdale Drive, Bldg. 1, Ste. 110, Leander. • Closed May 5 • 10700 Anderson Mill Road, Ste. 109, Austin • www.taconmaye.com

Worth the trip

TFM at Bell Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline moved to Cedar Park under a new name. Located in The Bell District mixed- use development, the market includes over 90 vendors. • Relocated in May • 200 S. Bell Blvd., Cedar Park • www.texasfarmersmarket.org/bell

Closings

13 Jollyville Mattress and Furniture The sole location of Jollyville Mattress and Furniture

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Government

BY ELLE BENT & BEN THOMPSON

Homestead tax exemptions boosted Austin City Council raised the local homestead tax exemption for senior and disabled residents in May, reducing the taxable value of senior and disabled Austinites’ primary residence by $30,000 more, for a $154,000 total exemption. Rising home appraisals plus the revised senior homestead exemption could cost others about $100 on their next bills. Breaking down the exemption Home value $520,835 - $104,167 New senior/disabled exemption - $154,000 20% homestead exemption

Temperatures rising The number of hot days in Austin is expected to increase through the 2000s, especially with high greenhouse gas emissions.

Historical (1979-2020)

Near term (2021-2040)

Mid-century (2041-2070)

End-century (2071-2100)

105

Min. temp. > 80°F 0 2 15

0 1 3

Max. temp. > 100°F

Max. temp. > 110°F

NOTE: MEDIAN PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON A HIGH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION SCENARIO.

Number of days annually

SOURCES: CITY OF AUSTIN, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN CITY CLIMATE COLAB/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Austin officials prepare for summer heat to worsen With dangerous heat levels likely to continue this summer, local officials are advising residents to stay safe and prepared through the season. The gist causing 123 hospital visits in May alone—a more than 150% increase over last year.

Austin/Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said residents should be aware of heat illness signs and hydrate or seek shade if experiencing them. City libraries, recreation centers and county community centers are open as cooling centers during business hours this summer.

City and county officials said locals should plan to conserve energy and water this summer, and keep an eye out for friends, family and neighbors. Heat-related illnesses are already on the rise,

$262,668

Home taxable value

SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN/COMMUNITY IMPACT

NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION

Transportation

BY GRACE DICKENS

Drivers can anticipate a gradual trac shift this summer as ocials with the US 183 North Mobility Project slowly open a fourth travel lane in each direction. From the second week of June throughout the rest of the summer, transportation ocials are opening 3,000-4,000 feet of the newly-constructed fourth lane on US 183 North, according to a news release. The project is split into three segments. Work began with Segment 1 in the second week of June, and will be followed by Segment 2 and Segment 3 in order toward the end of the summer, per the news release. Project ocials are developing a plan to ensure the trac shifts impact the ow of trac positively, the release states. US 183 North to shift lanes

Moving forward

Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

45 TOLL

Segment 2 trac shift begins here and moves south on northbound US 183

Drivers can expect to gain a lane in the direction they are traveling over time on US 183 North, and there will be on- road signage to help guide drivers, the news release states. Timely completion of this shift is dependent upon weather and is subject to change, ocials said. Ongoing closures will still happen throughout the summer as work continues, with particular focus on frontage roads. The project spans 9 miles of US 183 and once completed will add two express toll lanes on the interior of the road plus one additional nontolled lane in each direction. Costing $612 million, the project broke ground in 2022 and completion is still on track for 2026, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority ocials conrmed earlier this year.

620

183

SPICEWOODS SPRINGS RD.

Segment 1 trac shift begins here and moves north on southbound US 183

183

MOPAC

Segment 3 trac shift begins here and moves north on southbound US 183

360

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Education

BY ELLE BENT & BROOKE SJOBERG

RRISD offers pop-up library this summer Students in Round Rock ISD will have addi- tional library access this summer, with the district’s pop-up library providing community access to summer reading materials. Books can be checked out, returned or exchanged during the following pop-up library dates. The details The pop-up library locations include: • July 9 , 9-11 a.m. at the Round Rock Serving Center, 1099 E. Main St., Round Rock • July 11 , 9-11a.m. at Oak View Park, 10902 Oak View Drive, Austin • July 15 , 8-10 a.m. at Springwoods Park, 9117 Anderson Mill Road, Austin • July 16 , 9-11 a.m. at Play for All Park, 151 N A.W. Grimes Blvd., Round Rock

Spring 2024 STAAR scores

Austin ISD State average 20% 40% 60% 80%

High school students in Austin ISD scored below state average in three subject areas.

Algebra I

Biology English I

English II

U.S. History

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

NOTE: STAAR SPANISH SCORES NOT LISTED

Mixed results reported for AISD STAAR scores Austin ISD high school students performed below the state average in three out of five subjects on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness End-of-Course assessment, according to results released by the Texas Education Agency on June 7. AISD student scores slightly decreased from 2023 in U.S. history, English I and algebra I, and increased

slightly for biology and English II. Statewide, student scores remained consistent in biology from the year prior, but scores were slightly lower for algebra as well as English I and II. AISD scores for U.S. history were slightly higher than the state average. What they’re saying “While we celebrate the gains in English II, we must also acknowledge the areas where student performance has not recovered to prepandemic levels,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in a news release.

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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION

Real estate

The 78729 ZIP code experienced a 35% increase in home sales year over year in May, according to Austin Board of Realtors data. Residential market data

Homes sold

May 2023

May 2024

-24.1%

+35%

+8%

+13.04%

-13.04%

45 TOLL

78727

78729

78750

78758

78759

78729

620

MOPAC

183

Median home sales price

78727

78750

78759

May

2023

2024

78758

360

$500,000 $520,600 $620,000 $422,000 $622,750

$567,500.00

78727

2222

$485,000 $433,000 $412,500 $772,500

78729

78750

78758

MARKET DATA PROVIDED BY AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS AND UNLOCK MLS 512-454-7636 WWW.ABOR.COM

78759

Average days on market

North-Northwest Austin

May 2023

May 2024

-39%

-39.13%

-64.86%

+70%

+65.22%

May

2023

2024

173

205

New listings

125

118

Closed sales

78727

78729

78750

78758

78759

Homes under contract

118

Homes sold by price point in May

Months of inventory

2.5

78727

78729

78750

78758

78759

- -

11 12 10

$900,000+

4 8 9

Price per square foot

$700,000-$899,999

$316 $321

12 15

$500,000-$699,999

$300,000-$499,999

Active listings

237

383

<$299,999

Everything changes for families and families to be.

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Health care

BY KAMERYN GRIESSER

Health Care Edition

2024

Community Impact ’s annual Health Care Edition features news on the timeliest topics in the industry. Health care trends in Austin range from urgently concerning (1 million Texas children dropped from Medicaid) to innovative and exciting (MD Anderson opening in Austin in 2030.) This important annual edition wouIdn't be possible without our advertising partnerships, as we are 100% advertiser-supported. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Texas Children's Hospital, our Premium sponsor, as well as Anthology of the Arboretum and Town Square Adult Day Center. I hope this issue is informative and useful to you as you navigate your health care journey.

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What's inside

Doctors ee private care as Medicare payouts lag (Page 16)

Work continues on new cancer center, hospital (Page 23)

Experts urge prevention to ght colon cancer (Page 28)

Sponsors: Anthology of The Arboretum | Town Square Adult Day Center

UT researchers use AI to create costly Alzheimer’s drug for less

From chat bots to art production, new uses for articial intelligence are blooming left and right. Now, University of Texas researchers have found a way to harness the power of AI to create an expensive Alzheimer’s medication for less. The goal The study, published in March, utilized an AI tool developed by UT post-doctoral researcher Danny Diaz to create the active ingredient in the common Alzheimer’s medication galantamine. Galantamine is typically manufactured using daodils. However, the extraction process is time-consuming and costly due to unpredictable crop yields and weather, Diaz said. Just one prescription of galantamine requires hundreds of daodils and costs around $70-$116, according to health care technology company Oracle Health. Instead of relying on daodils, Diaz said the goal of the study is to eventually use bacteria to produce the active ingredient. “The goal is to turn sugar, which is like food for the bacteria, into a pharmaceutical drug for Alzheimer’s,” said Diaz, who now leads the Deep Proteins group at the Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning. “Eventually, the hope is to

make the drug much more aordable.” How it works By genetically modifying bacteria, the researchers can essentially “program” the microbes to create the active ingredient in galan- tamine as a byproduct of its normal metabolic function. Diaz said the challenge has been creating the right instruction manual for the bacteria, which involves changing their protein structures. “There are almost innite combinations [of protein sequences] to try. ... So the AI can narrow that research space down and save time by signicantly lowering the risk of not nding something that works,” Diaz said. What’s next So far, Diaz said the team is about one-fourth of the way to completing the bacteria’s proper mutation, and he expects the study could wrap up within the next ve years. With 2024 being named UT’s “Year of AI,” the university has become involved in dozens of AI research projects and programs in recent years. Diaz said he believes AI research will have the largest impact in biotechnology and health care.

Other healthcare research from UT Austin has used AI to:

Enhance diagnostic CT Scans for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Predict and identify patients at risk for developing Type II diabetes

Assess mental health questionnaires for depression symptoms

Diagnose knee arthritis from medical images

SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT

“It’s really hard for humans to wrap their head around a lot of these

problems because they’re just so big and expensive to iterate. ... AI is going to be revolutionary in how we manufacture drugs.” DANNY DIAZ, UT POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER

NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION

Health care

Costs of care putting strain on doctors

Zooming in

Due to the “Baby Boomers” generation aging into Medicare and increasing average life expectancy, an influx of the population is using the insurance option, according to TMA officials. Current funding calculations for Medicare reimbursement to physicians don’t account for how much it costs physicians to provide care, said Brent Annear, associate vice president of media relations and leadership advancement for the TMA. As such, in the Southern region of the United States, the number of corporate-employed physicians grew 40% and the number of corpo- rate-owned practices grew nearly 59% between 2019 and 2020, according to a Physicians Advocacy Institute report. “A lot of these doctors that were in private prac- tice, they’re choosing to potentially either retire or leave the field or join a larger organization because of the burden of arguing with insurance companies [for proper] reimbursement,” Venghaus said.

Local physicians have said increasing costs to run a practice alongside issues with insurance companies are contributing to doctors in the Austin area–and throughout the country– leaving private medical practices. Medicare is the federal health insurance used by people with permanent disabilities and the elderly. Congress must pass funding for different branches, and one of the biggest payouts is paying physicians to care for Medicare patients. Adjusted for inflation, Medicare physician payments declined 29% from 2001 to 2024, while the overhead costs increased, according to data from the Texas Medical Association. “Last year, and this year, Medicare gave pay cuts, and in the setting of record inflation that’s made it extremely difficult for many practices to stay financially viable,” said Dr. Brad Venghaus, owner of Thrive Medical

Nearly 4.6M people in Texas, or about 15% of the state, enrolled in Medicare plans 135 national and state organizations petitioning for national change in payout structure 29% decrease in physician payouts from 2001-24, adjusted for inflation

SOURCES: AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, HEALTHINSURANCE.ORG, TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Clinic. “While the cost of care has gone up, our average salary for employees–we’ll call it support staff, for medical assistants and nurses and everything–has probably gone up somewhere between 20 and 25%.”

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The context

Looking ahead

stay financially viable,” Venghaus said. If this trend continues, Callas said he thinks it will impact every field of medicine, but hurt the small rural practices the most. “I’m scared that you’re not going to have any physicians that will even see Medicare patients,” Callas said. “That’s what scares me. We’re seeing the trend now.”

As a result of the lack of Medicare reimburse- ment to physicians, doctors are having to turn away Medicare patients in order to keep up with the rising cost of operation, Texas Medical Associ- ation President Dr. Ray Callas said. “Last year, and this year, Medicare gave pay cuts, and in the setting of record inflation that’s made it extremely difficult for many practices to

Callas describes the Medicare payment system as “completely flawed” and is working with the TMA to advocate for Congress to pass two bills in order to end annual physician payment cuts. If passed, HR 6683 will increase payments under the Medicare physician fee schedule for 2024 by 4.62%–current law provides for a 1.25% increase. Additionally, if passed, HR 2474 bill would modify certain adjustments to payment amounts under the Medicare physician fee schedule, according to Congress.gov. “The federal government knows it’s a problem,” Callas said. “It’s not about physicians whining about money. It’s about being paid fairly for a job that we do so we can keep our doors open. ... Medicare, people paid into it their whole lives, they deserve to have physicians that can take care of them.”

A rising trend Texas, Florida and Oklahoma have the highest percentage of corporate-employed physicians and experienced the biggest increase in physician employment between 2019 and 2020.

Northeast

South Midwest

West

58.6%

51.3%

45.4%

44.3%

40.4%

26.1% 29.7%

19.4%

Percent of corporate- employed physicians

Percent of corporate- owned practices

SOURCE: PHYSICIANS ADVOCACY INSTITUTE/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION

Health care

BY GRACE DICKENS

BY SARAH HERNANDEZ

Baylor Scott & White launches Epilepsy Center in Lakeway

Texas nursing homes face continued stang shortages

Looking ahead

To be admitted to the center, individuals must be referred from an outpatient clinic. It takes around 10 years on average for doctors to determine whether an epilepsy patient will respond to medications or must be referred to a specialist, Montoya said. The new center aims to decrease that timeframe through education and improved access, Montoya said.

a grade of F and the lowest ranking out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Looking ahead New rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aim to combat poor quality of care in nursing homes. It outlines minimum stang requirements that mostly impact registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certied nursing assistants by requiring additional hours of care a nursing home patient receives daily. “It’s a great concern for the nursing home environment because while you can mandate these requirements, there are just not enough nurses or clinicians out there to meet this requirement. It’s unrealistic,” Caballero said. The Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies recommends several plans for improving sta retention and recruitment in long-term care facilities, including pay increases, recruitment plan improvements and educational partnerships.

Nursing homes in Texas and across the U.S. face high sta turnover rates due to exhaustion, linger- ing eects of the pandemic and sta’s tendency to leave for other health care jobs, according to the American Health Care Association. The context In 2022, the median turnover rate for direct resi- dent care registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses in long-term care facilities was over 50%, an increase from previous years, according to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. Leticia Caballero, director of government rela- tions for HMG Healthcare, said a reason for the high turnover rates after the pandemic was exhaustion. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates U.S. nursing homes based on their quality of care and stang. Families for Better Care, an Austin citizen advocacy group dedicated to creating public awareness of nursing home conditions, uses the ratings to compile state report cards. Texas received

Nursing home sta turnover Texas nursing homes have a higher sta turnover rate than the national average.

Doctors at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Lakeway opened a new center in mid- May to help tackle epilepsy, one of the most common problems in neurology. The new center is led by Dr. Victor Montoya and Dr. Diego Tovar, two fellowship-trained epileptologists. The center oers four hardwired inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit beds alongside two mobile units. While mobile units are used to monitor seizures, doctors can use hardwired units to classify the type of seizure and develop customized care plans, Tovar and Montoya said. “Each patient’s epileptic condition is dierent, and therefore the treatment plan should be individualized,” Tovar said.

By the numbers

Total nursing sta turnover rate as of April 2024

1 in 26 people develop epilepsy at some point in life

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

National average

3 million Americans of all ages are aected by epilepsy

Around 200,000 new cases of seizures and epilepsy recorded annually

“We have a lot of needs in terms of neurological care in our region.” DR. VICTOR MONTOYA, EPILEPSY CENTER COLEADER

30% of epilepsy cases can’t be resolved by medication

About 1 million patients do not nd relief from seizures or experience side eects

SOURCE: EPILEPSY FOUNDATION TEXASCOMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICESCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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Health care

BY HANNAH NORTON

Over 1M Texas kids cut from Medicaid

Navigating Medicaid cuts Texas accounts for nearly one quarter of the children removed from Medicaid since the "unwinding" process began in April 2023.

Over 2 million Texans have lost their health care coverage since the state began reviewing Medicaid eligibility in April 2023. This includes around 1.3 million children—more people than the entire population of Austin. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 6 million Texans had consistent access to health care through Medicaid, as federal regula- tions prohibited states from stripping coverage. The state- and federally-funded program provides health insurance for certain low-income Texans, including children, pregnant and postpar- tum women, people with disabilities, and seniors. The big picture Nearly 74% of the children removed from Texas Medicaid rolls through March 11 were cut for procedural reasons—meaning the state did not have enough information to confirm the child’s eligibility—the Texas Health and Human Services Commission reported. Many of these children are likely still eligible for coverage, said Joan Alker, the executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. “This means that the renewal process has broken down in some way,” Alker said May 2. “Perhaps the renewal letter got lost in the mail or a family has trouble completing the paperwork, the state’s computer system is not determining eligibility, ... or the notices the state sends are too complicated to understand, especially for families for whom English may not be the parent’s first language.” Texans are notified at least 10 days before their Medicaid coverage ends, according to an HHSC spokesperson. Texas has removed more children from Medicaid

than any other state during the Medicaid “unwind- ing” process, according to a new Georgetown University report. Nationwide, 4.16 million children lost Medicaid coverage from April-December 2023. What they’re saying Texas already had the country’s highest rate of people without health insurance—16.6% of Texans— before the Medicaid unwinding began, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. “Because states run Medicaid and [the Children’s Health Insurance Program], the nation’s governors, and to some degree, their legislators, but primarily the governors, are ultimately responsible for how millions of children are faring during this process,” Alker said. Dr. Kimberly Avila Edwards, an Austin pediatri- cian, said the impacts of Medicaid unwinding are “painfully visible” to pediatricians every day. “Families are foregoing vital care for their chil- dren and teens for fear of financial devastation. Par- ents are checking in for their child’s appointments, only to learn that child is no longer covered,” said Edwards, who is also a professor at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas. Patients who experience gaps in health coverage are more likely to experience delayed medical care, unmet medical and mental health needs, and unfilled prescriptions, Edwards said. “This in turn exacerbates medical issues and can force families into situations where they must decide whether to pay for out-of-pocket emergency care at the expense of groceries and other necessi- ties,” Edwards said. “Medicaid is not a luxury—it’s a vital program for tens of millions of children, their families and their communities.”

Texas: 24% Florida: 14% Georgia: 7% California: 5% All other states: 50%

4.16M children

There are a variety of state and federal options for Texans without health insurance, including: • 73 federally qualified health centers serving 126 Texas counties, which offer medical care regardless of insurance coverage or a patient’s ability to pay • Texas’ Primary Health Care Program, which provides primary care services at clinics across the state • Healthy Texas Women, which offers free women’s health and family planning services • Local mental and behavioral health authorities, which charge for services based on a patient’s ability to pay • The Texas HIV Medication Program, which helps low-income Texans access medications to treat HIV and related complications To appeal a decision about their Medicaid coverage, Texans can visit a local eligibility office; call 211 and select option 2; or mail a letter to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, P.O. Box 149027, Austin, TX 78714-9027. To apply for Medicaid and other benefits, submit renewals, respond to requests from the HHSC, and more, Texans can visit www.yourtexasbenefits.com.

SOURCES: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES, TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION, U.S. CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Health care

BY ELLE BENT & KATY MCAFEE

Medical center to replace Frank Erwin Center

The Frank Erwin Center will be replaced by two new hospitals, including a cancer center, to treat

Austinites by 2030. What’s happening

How we got here

1977

Plans to launch the hospital towers—The Univer- sity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a UT Austin hospital—were announced in August 2023, set to replace the former events center. “The establishment of the [medical center] will undoubtedly result in transformative cancer care, provide students at the agship campus with unmatched experiences, and benet patients throughout the state and nation for all time,” said Kevin P. Eltife, UT System Board of Regents chair. The hospital will have about 250 beds, while the new cancer center will include 156 beds and over 230 outpatient exam rooms. UT students studying medicine or similar elds could work and learn at the new hospitals, which will be staed by MD Anderson physicians. The framework The Frank Erwin Center was completely demol- ished May 19, a task that has been in the works since June 2023. By September, crews are expected to nish clearing away pieces of remaining concrete. The backstory The center opened in 1977 and had about a

November: The Frank Erwin Center opens, hosting University of Texas basketball games, graduation ceremonies, concerts and more.

Crews cleared the last standing remains of concrete and steel May 19, before the Frank Erwin Center fully came down.

COURTESY VALERIE NIES

2022

50-year standard, after which it would need to be reinvested in or rebuilt. The center was around 500,000 square feet, spanning up to six stories that hosted UT basket- ball games, graduation ceremonies, concerts and other large-scale events. Now, it is replaced by the Moody Center, which opened in April 2022, just a few blocks north of the old center. What’s next Construction on the new medical towers will break ground in 2026. “We’re looking forward to the future,” said Dan Cook, UT’s executive director of planning, design and construction. “We’ve seen that Austin has been growing, and the partnership between the university and the MD Anderson Cancer Center presents itself as a really special opportunity to create what we’re referring to as a joint Medical Center that will provide world-class health care to the community.”

April: The Moody Center opens May: The Frank Erwin Center closes after hosting its last event, UT graduation ceremonies

2023

May: The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted to demolish the Erwin Center August: Ocials announce the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a UT Austin hospital will replace the Frank Erwin Center June: Crews begin taking down the former arena piece by piece

2024

May: Frank Erwin Center was fully demolished September: Last remaining pieces of concrete will be cleared away by crews

2026

Construction to begin on the hospital towers

2030

Patients will be accepted at the hospitals

SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF TEXASCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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Health care

BY BRITTANY ANDERSON

Local groups target nursing shortages

Looking ahead

ABSN graduate Michael Guerrero said exposure to nursing, such as career fairs, at the K-12 level is key. “Letting them get to touch medical equipment that nurses get to use. ... To put it into their hands so they can have something tangible and kind of view themselves doing it, I think that was huge for me,” Guerrero said. Central Texas Healthcare Partnership’s K-12 initiatives include: Its biannual Nursing Academy, where high schoolers participate in interactive nursing labs Observation clinical placements at local hospitals, where high schoolers rotate through several different units Informational sessions for teachers and counselors so they know about in- demand jobs

A handful of Austin-area institutions are working to combat projected nursing shortages with special programs. Texas will experience a shortage of 56,370 registered nurses by 2036, according to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. While there is a “huge interest” in nursing, and students are applying, there are a limited number of spots, said Ashley King, Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s director of healthcare partnerships. “We have 10 different schools of nursing here in Austin. ... All of those programs are looking to expand,” King said. One local program to address that is at Concordia University Texas. In fall 2024, Concordia will provide a $10,000 Workforce Development Scholarship for all eligible students toward its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Austin nursing school graduates Through WSCA’s partnership with local hospitals, nursing graduates across all ten Austin-area nursing programs have risen.

1,200 1,000

800 600 400 0

*NOTE THAT DATA WAS UNAVAILABLE DURING 2019-20 DUE TO COVID-19.

SOURCE: WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS CAPITAL AREA/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS CAPITAL AREA/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

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