The purpose of this study is to get a more expansive understanding of
behavioral health services available in Harris County, where behavioral health services are understood to include mental health services, substance use treatment and prevention, and integrated health care. The goal is to identify agencies that provide these services in Harris County and describe the services they offer, the population they serve, and their
organizational capacity.
Investments in certain social services in Texas were associated with improvements in health outcomes, as measured by improvements in the County Health Rankings, in the years subsequent to spending increases. Similar analyses in other states and regions may yield actionable avenues for policy makers to improve population health.
The number of community clinics in Harris County providing primary care to low-income and uninsured patients has more than doubled in the past 10 years, which in turn has tripled patient volume, but difficulty connecting those patients with specialty care is a significant concern. Those are just a few of the conclusions of a new report that examines 10 years of community health clinic trends based on data and surveys from dozens of clinics across Houston and Harris County. Five Houston-area philanthropic institutions that provide funding for health-related initiatives and projects sponsored the report: The Cullen Trust for Health Care, Episcopal Health Foundation, Houston Endowment, Rockwell Fund and The Simmons Foundation.
An overwhelming majority of Texans support health insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions and say state government should play a role in making sure the health care system works. Those are just some of the results of a new statewide Episcopal Health Foundation survey on Texas health policy issues.
A majority of Texans say that reducing the number of women who die from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth should be a top priority for state lawmakers, even though few correctly knew about a recent increase in the state’s maternal mortality rate. That’s one of the findings of a newly released report based on a statewide Episcopal Health Foundation/Kaiser Family Foundation survey of Texas health policy issues.
Affording health care ranks at the top of Texans’ financial concerns, with more than half (55%) say it is difficult for them and their families to afford health care, including a quarter (25%) who say it is “very difficult,” finds a new Kaiser Family Foundation/Episcopal Health Foundation poll of Texas residents.
