Report: Almost 47% of Texas counties are ‘maternity care deserts’

[Zincwarrior]

Nearly half of Texas counties have problems providing adequate healthcare. I would bet they have similar problems providing healthcare in general. Many of these counties are deep deep rural - Permian Basin and East Texas.

Report: Almost 47% of Texas counties are ‘maternity care deserts’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report by the charity March of Dimes and healthcare insurer Amerigroup Foundation claims that 46.5% of Texas counties are “maternity care deserts” that lack …

www.kxan.com

Report: Almost 47% of Texas counties are ‘maternity care deserts’​

by: Cora Neas
Posted: Aug 1, 2023 / 06:00 AM CDT
Updated: Jul 28, 2023 / 05:27 PM CDT
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report by the charity March of Dimes and healthcare insurer Amerigroup Foundation claims that 46.5% of Texas counties are “maternity care deserts” that lack adequate health care for those who can become or are pregnant.
The report, titled “Where you Live Matters: Maternity Care in Texas” categorized the state’s counties by looking at the following:

• How many hospitals and/or birth centers offer obstetric care;
• How many obstetric care providers work there; and,
• Proportion of women between the ages of 18-64 lack health insurance.

A breakdown of how the counties were evaluated for each category:

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A map of maternity care deserts in Texas. (Courtesy: March of Dimes)
“More than 2 million women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts, areas without access to birthing facilities or maternity care providers,” the report’s introduction reads. “Access to maternity care is essential for preventing poor health outcomes and eliminating health disparities.”
To put Texas into a national context, the report states that 32.6% of counties in the U.S. are maternity care deserts. The national situation has improved slightly from March of Dimes’ 2022 report (34.9%).
“All women deserve health care which is safe, effective, timely, efficient and equitable,” the report concludes. “Consistent and equitable access to maternity care helps women maintain optimal health as well as reduce the risk of experiencing complications during pregnancy and the postpartum period.”

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The report also examined Texans’ distance to maternity care, the availability of family planning services, disparities in prenatal care, and chronic health conditions and preterm births.

Texans have shorter drives to the hospital​

A longer drive to a birth center or hospital leads to worse outcomes for an infant and higher risk of maternal death.
In a Texas maternal care desert, that distance is 4.5 times farther, the report claims. On average, maternity care is farther than 30 miles for someone in a maternity care desert. Limited access averages 17 miles to care, and full access is around 6.7 miles.

(Courtesy March of Dimes)
Still, Texans have a shorter drive than the national average: 8.2 miles in Texas is 1.5 miles closer than the national average.

 

[DGS49]

So...it would appear that if you are a family with the possibility of having (more) children, you have to make provisions to get to the nearest hospital when the time arrives.

Shocking. Just shocking.

 

[martybegan]

Nearly half of Texas counties have problems providing adequate healthcare. I would bet they have similar problems providing healthcare in general. Many of these counties are deep deep rural - Permian Basin and East Texas.

Report: Almost 47% of Texas counties are ‘maternity care deserts’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report by the charity March of Dimes and healthcare insurer Amerigroup Foundation claims that 46.5% of Texas counties are “maternity care deserts” that lack …

www.kxan.com

They are probably "deserts" for all sorts of specialists, due to their rural nature.

 

[1srelluc]

As rich as TX makes itself out to be you would think that they would have only the best in mind for their residents.

Oh wait, the poors are not part of the energy cabal that TX politicians depend on to stay in power.

 

[Polishprince]

Most hospitals , clinics and OB/GYN practices set up shop where there are a lot of available patients as well as enough people around to staff the joint.

It isn't really that surprising that in Texas, it would be a lot harder to find health care in Barnhart and Mentone, than it would be in Dallas or Houston.

 

[Zincwarrior]

So...it would appear that if you are a family with the possibility of having (more) children, you have to make provisions to get to the nearest hospital when the time arrives.

Shocking. Just shocking.

Some of those sections are hundreds of miles across. Thats not where you want to be if you are expecting.
Much of that is the same for all healthcare. When the MIL had to go to the hospital they would have to go fifty miles. I literally have three hospitals within five miles of the house.

 

[martybegan]

Some of those sections are hundreds of miles across. Thats not where you want to be if you are expecting.
Much of that is the same for all healthcare. When the MIL had to go to the hospital they would have to go fifty miles. I literally have three hospitals within five miles of the house.

And yet people live like that, successfully, they just have to understand travel may be involved to get some specialist services, or they rely on their local jack of all trades doctor or clinic.

You also probably live in a place with a population density an order of magnitude greater than the places we are talking about.

 

[1srelluc]

Some of those sections are hundreds of miles across. Thats not where you want to be if you are expecting.
Much of that is the same for all healthcare. When the MIL had to go to the hospital they would have to go fifty miles. I literally have three hospitals within five miles of the house.

It's funny, I grew-up within sight of our hospital.....When I built my current home they built a new hospital....Within sight of my home.

 

[Zincwarrior]

It's funny, I grew-up within sight of our hospital.....When I built my current home they built a new hospital....Within sight of my home.

Its good to be near hospitals, fire stations or major shopping malls in Texas. Those are the first up when the power goes out and the least likely to have a rolling power outage.

Also the AIR IS ON FIRE HERE! about 3 more weeks before the temperature historically starts to shift.

 

[1srelluc]

Its good to be near hospitals, fire stations or major shopping malls in Texas. Those are the first up when the power goes out and the least likely to have a rolling power outage.

Also the AIR IS ON FIRE HERE! about 3 more weeks before the temperature historically starts to shift.

We are enjoying the best Summer weather in years here. It's 67 degrees out with moderate humidity for 0912 in the morning. It's supposed to get into the mid-80s.....Not bad for 8/1.

 

[Zincwarrior]

We are enjoying the best Summer weather in years here. It's 67 degrees out with moderate humidity for 0912 in the morning. It's supposed to get into the mid-80s.....Not bad for 8/1.

Yea the daughter just came from Wisconsin. The lows were in the mid fifties. So jelly. Lava comes here to heat up.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

They are probably "deserts" for all sorts of specialists, due to their rural nature.

.

And how few idiots will get what this actually means?

Not many.

You need "health care", move close to it.

.

 

[martybegan]

.

And how few idiots will get what this actually means?

Not many.

You need "health care", move close to it.

.

Or be willing to travel to get it.

People in urban areas are also spoiled by the plethora of specialists available to them. Small population counties have local doctors that can probably handle much of what they need to deal with, and know when they gotta send someone to "the city" for more specialized care.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Nearly half of Texas counties have problems providing adequate healthcare. I would bet they have similar problems providing healthcare in general. Many of these counties are deep deep rural - Permian Basin and East Texas.

Report: Almost 47% of Texas counties are ‘maternity care deserts’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report by the charity March of Dimes and healthcare insurer Amerigroup Foundation claims that 46.5% of Texas counties are “maternity care deserts” that lack …

www.kxan.com

Still almost certainly better healthcare than Canadas.

My two visits to the E.R and doctors recognition that it "could be a brain aneurysm, you should set up a doctors appointment with your wifes doctor" is evidence enough.

 

[Flash]

47% of Texas counties have more rattlesnakes than people.

 

[Zincwarrior]

Or be willing to travel to get it.

People in urban areas are also spoiled by the plethora of specialists available to them. Small population counties have local doctors that can probably handle much of what they need to deal with, and know when they gotta send someone to "the city" for more specialized care.

The problem of course is time critical care - unexpected maternity issues, and of course good old heart attacks and such for general medical. Again, we had real issues with the MIL getting hospital care. A good hospital but at a certain point - everything is an emergency.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

Or be willing to travel to get it.

People in urban areas are also spoiled by the plethora of specialists available to them. Small population counties have local doctors that can probably handle much of what they need to deal with, and know when they gotta send someone to "the city" for more specialized care.

.

I was so lucky to work for a couple of doctors who could do just about anything in their offices, until the medical industry started telling them they couldn't. They were very versatile guys. Real "country doctors".

.

 

[odanny]

Rural areas have a hard time keeping hospitals open, they close in Illinois as the city hospitals continue to grow and enlarge. I can imagine in parts of West Texas that it would be hard to find a hospital.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

Rural areas have a hard time keeping hospitals open, they close in Illinois as the city hospitals continue to grow and enlarge. I can imagine in parts of West Texas that it would be hard to find a hospital.

.




So stay out of West Texas. It probably won't be hard. I spent six months there one week. Not an experience I'd recommend.




.

 

[bodecea]

Nearly half of Texas counties have problems providing adequate healthcare. I would bet they have similar problems providing healthcare in general. Many of these counties are deep deep rural - Permian Basin and East Texas.

Report: Almost 47% of Texas counties are ‘maternity care deserts’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report by the charity March of Dimes and healthcare insurer Amerigroup Foundation claims that 46.5% of Texas counties are “maternity care deserts” that lack …

www.kxan.com

Welcome to a red state world.