Texas is referred to as "The Lone Star State" that is symbolized by the star on the 1836 flag of the republic. It is a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. Texas is the top producer of oil in the nation, but it also leads in beef production, cotton production as well as the space industry and technology. Texas covers 261,797 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 23,507,783 people – 3,000,707 living in rural Texas (USDA-ERS). Austin, the capital, is located in the south-central region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. According to the 2006 Census, 82.7% of the state’s population is white, 11.9% Black/African American, 3.4% is Asian, and 35.7% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 392 hospitals in Texas,
150 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health
Research and Policy Analysis Center, 2007). The state has 74 hospitals
currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals.
There are 344 Rural Health Clinics in Texas, and 49 Federally Qualified Health
Centers provide services at 248 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2006). Most Texans
have some form of health insurance coverage, although 24% of its residents lack
any health insurance (Kaiser, 2005-2006).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Texans in 2006 was $35,166, although rural per-capita income lagged at $26,243. 2005 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 20.1% exists in rural Texas, compared to a 17.1% level in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 30.4% of the rural population has not completed high school, while only 23.3% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Texas is at 4.6%, while in urban Texas it is at 4.3% (USDA-ERS, 2007).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Attorney General of Texas: Child Support Services
State government
The official child support enforcement agency for the State of Texas, the Office of the Attorney General provides services for parents who wish to obtain or provide support for their children.
Border Epidemiology and Environmental Health Center (BEC)
State/regional organization
A mechanism to establish, organize and develop technical health activities that enhance the quality of life of the people living on the border region of United States and Mexico, focused on New Mexico-Chihuahua-West Texas border
Borderland Information Center (BIC)
State government
A central clearinghouse and referral center for information about the Texas/Mexico border region. BIC is a section of the Texas Water Development Boards' Texas Natural Resources Information System Division and has access to all of its geospatial data and mapping products.
Community Resource Group (CRG)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works in rural areas to expand the opportunities for families to build assets, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities.
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
State/regional organization
Addresses emerging challenges in mental health by contributing to improve mental health services, research, public policy, and public education for Texas and the nation.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Texas
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
International organization
An international public health agency, part of the United Nations, working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. Serves as the specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System and as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.
South Texas Center
Academic/Research
Provides training in public health, assesses training needs for promotoras, increases access to care for residents, and conducts research on community health.
Tech Pro Services, Inc.
Commercial
Provides all types of EMS training, from EMT through Paramedic, in rural Texas. Courses can be online or onsite.
Texas Association of Community Action Agencies, Inc. (TACAA)
State/regional organization
A private nonprofit corporation created to provide a unified voice for Community Action Agencies in advocacy, policy, programmatic and legislative issues and innovative hunger relief programs affecting families and communities in the state of Texas.
Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC)
State/regional organization
A private, non-profit membership association that represents safety-net health care providers in the state of Texas.
Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS)
State government
Provides a comprehensive array of aging and disability services, supports, and opportunities that are easily accessed in local communities.
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
State government
Works in partnership with Texans with disabilities and families with children who have developmental delays to improve the quality of their lives and to enable their full participation in society.
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
State government
Protects the unprotected - children, elderly, and people with disabilities - from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services: Adult Protective Services (APS)
State government
The agency responsible for investigating abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults who are elderly or have disabilities.
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)
State government
Provides a variety of housing and community development services that includes low interest mortgage financing, emergency food or shelter, rental subsidy, energy assistance, weatherization, economic development, and the basic public infrastructure for small rural communities; also provides titling, licensing, inspection, enforcement, and customer service in connection with manufactured housing.
Texas Department of State Health Services
State government
An agency of the Texas Health and Human Services System.
Texas Department of State Health Services: Community Mental Health
State government
The state agency responsible for delivering evidence-based mental health and related services, fostering recovery, improving quality of life, and meeting the multiple needs of mental health consumers across the life span.
Texas Department of Transportation - Public Transportation Division
State/regional organization
Provides financial and technical assistance to urban, rural and elderly or disabled transit providers. The division also represents transit in the planning and programming process and prepares funding-needs projections. Oversees the public transportation grants throughout the State of Texas.
Texas Education Agency: Special Education (TEA)
State government
Provides leadership, guidance, and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
State government
Provides leadership and direction, and fosters the spirit of innovation needed to achieve an efficient and effective health and human services system for Texans.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Office for the Elimination of Health Disparities (OEHD)
State government
Texas Hospital Association (THA)
State/regional organization
An advocate for Texas hospitals representing the interests of Texas hospitals and health systems.
Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA)
State government
Serves as the primary state resource in planning, coordinating, and advocating statewide efforts to ensure continued access to rural health care services.
Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA)
State/regional organization
Works to improve the health of rural Texans. Composed of individuals and organizations dedicated to providing leadership on rural health care issues through advocacy, communication, and education.
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
State government
The state government agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Texas
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
University of Texas School of Public Health
Academic/Research
Part of the Texas Medical Center, Houston.
USDA Rural Development Texas State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
Border Health Information and Education Network
Web site
A health education network designed to provide health information free of charge for the people of the border region, both healthcare consumers and healthcare providers.
Borderland Information Center
Web site
A central clearinghouse and referral center for information about the Texas/Mexico border region. BIC is a section of the Texas Water Development Boards' Texas Natural Resources Information System Division and has access to all of its geospatial data and mapping products.
EMS Trauma Systems
Web site
Provides a variety of information, funding announcements, contacts and other resources related to emergency medical services and trauma.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Texas
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Texas
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
State Profiles- Texas: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Texas QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Texas Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Texas Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Texas Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Texas State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Border County Health Workforce Profiles: Texas
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides information on the health workforce, relevant population characteristics, and basic health indicators for the U.S.-Mexico Border region in the State of Texas.
Date: 05 / 2007
Border Report: A Status Report On The Health Of People In El Paso County, Texas And Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Sponsoring organization: Paso del Norte Health Foundation
Presents selected health information on two communities in the U.S. - Mexico border region. Information is based on the 2005 Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone-based survey of randomly-selected adults. The survey gathered information about many health conditions and personal behaviors that affect health across the United States.
Date: 2005
Demographic and Economic Profile: Texas
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Presents demographics, economics, and research on Texas. Includes statistics, data, maps, charts, and graphs.
Date: 04 / 2006
Mujer Y Corazon: Community Health Workers and Their Organizations in Colonias on the US-Mexico Border An Exploratory Study
Author(s): Marlynn May, Ricardo Contreras
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Describes and evaluates a Comprehensive Community Initiative operating in communities on the Texas-Mexico border. The outreach program involves Community Resource Centers and para-professional outreach workers (Promatoras), who work to connect health care to the community.
Date: 09 / 2004
Small Business Profile: Texas
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006
Spatial and Economic Access to Acute Care Facilities for Rural Women Along the Texas-Mexico Border
Author(s): Cruz C. Torres
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Women's Health Conference
Study of economic and spatial inequity in access to health care for rural women along the Texas-Mexico border. Transcript and audio file available.
Date: 09 / 2002
State Profiles - Texas: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
Status of Rural Texas: Winds of Change
Author(s): Kim White, Eric Beverly, Travis Brown, Dave Dcarnell
Sponsoring organization: Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs
Highlights some of the complex and diverse issues affecting rural Texas.
Date: 12 / 2007
Texas at Work: Today and Tomorrow
Author(s): Jason Sabo, Carlos Romo, Patrick Bresette, Chris Pieper
Examines the Texas' workforce: the living conditions and public policies affecting hard working, but
low-income, workers.
Date: 08 / 2003
Texas Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Date: 2003
Texas State Office of Rural Health Rural Health Work Plan
Sponsoring organization: Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs
Provides an overview of rural health in Texas includes defining "rural", healthcare access, rural health infrastructure, and rural healthcare workforce,
Date: 03 / 2007
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Texas - Rural Health Focus
Newsletter containing legislative information, conferences, news and more.
Texas - Rural Texan
Newsletter containing information on events, news, publications, funding, and more for rural Texans.
Success Stories
Call For Health
Call For Health is a national, bilingual, toll-free health
information and referral resource created for the nation's four million migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents.
CareLink Initiative
CareLink Initiative was formed to improve access to comprehensive health screening and treatment for victims of interpersonal violence in a nine county area of east Texas.
Coalition of Health Services, Inc.- Regional Liaison Services
The primary purpose for the development of a regional liaison services project was to ensure coordination of services and information between the two acute care hospitals in Amarillo and rural health care facilities throughout the upper 26 counties for the Texas Panhandle.
East Texas Border Health Consortium Project
The goal of this project is to deliver integrated primary and mental health care to isolated, chronically ill population groups in Harrison and Marion counties.
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Lower Rio Grande Promotora Collaboration Project
This project provides individual health educators who work at a grassroots level to provide basic health education and referrals to primary health care.
Matagorda-Wharton Health Access Consortium
This project addresses the all-around need for better care and care access in a medically underserved area of Texas.
Prenatal Care Project: Cuidado Prenatal
A county hospital, a state department of health, and a Fortune 500 corporation have joined forces through this outreach project to provide much needed prenatal care to a growing immigrant population in central Texas.
Project SCOUT
Project SCOUT was created to provide basic health care;
referrals to health, social, and human services; provider training; health promotion and disease prevention education; in-home parenting education; and prenatal care to expectant mothers or well-baby care to at-risk families with infants.
Rural Emergency Education Network Telecommunications (REENT)
The Rural Emergency Education Network Telecommunications (REENT) project uses distance learning technology to provide monthly continuing education (CE) programs for rural emergency providers in 59 East Texas counties.
Rural Health Outreach Demonstration Program (Terlingua, TX)
An isolated Texas community near the Mexican border has made widespread improvements in its rural health clinic, emergency medical systems, and fire department.
Rural Health Outreach Demonstration Project (Jasper, TX)
Throughout four counties in east Texas, a community based
network of trained volunteers gives presentations in minority churches to increase awareness of available health and social services.
Texas Independence Program
The Texas Independence Program (TIP) is designed to reduce the need for long-term institutional placement and increase options in the community for the 1,842 frail elderly and disabled residents of Texas' Colorado, Lavaca, and Jackson Counties.
Trans-Pecos Rural Health Initiative
This initiative is a four organization, two-site collaborative who designed a program to address the health needs of local residents, travelers, and adolescents by providing disease prevention and health promotion training to health professionals and school personnel, offering ambulatory and mental health care for underserved populations and local residents, enhancing the quality of emergency medical services, and increasing access to health care through outreach.
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