Thriving Together: Two Decades of Transforming Healthcare in Travis County

On May 15, 2004, Travis County voters made a commitment to care for the health and well-being of everyone in our community, regardless of income. As Central Health marks its 20th anniversary, we are showing why and how those voters made the right choice.??

Our work ensures that healthcare is getting better in Travis County, especially for our neighbors with low income. According to the Texas Constitution, a hospital district takes “full responsibility for the medical and hospital care of the county’s needy inhabitants.” We are doing just that.?

Let me share a story with you to illustrate what this means. An 86-year-old woman had a life-threatening infection in her foot and needed surgery. This was the week we stood up Central Health’s podiatry practice at Capital Plaza, Dr. Brett Vessell and their team. Late on a Friday afternoon, we got her the care she needed. She did lose one of her toes, but saved her foot and saved her life.??

She’s alive and walking because we knew that the care she needed, podiatric surgery, was critically underserved in Travis County and that we should invest in it now. Our history and our planning told us so.???

Now, Central Health is growing quickly to address Austin’s chronic shortage of specialty care providers, especially within the safety net system. By April 1, our direct practice of medicine will include nearly a dozen critically needed services – gastroenterology, pulmonology, podiatry, palliative care, behavioral health, and more – that simply did not exist in Travis County for patients with low income.???

Most of all, we want to be a place of trust for the people of Travis County, whether they need our care or not. We never forget that the people own Central Health. When our patients trust us, and when the community trusts us as Travis County does, we will reach our fullest potential and do the most good.?

Earlier this month, I had a chance to personally connect with Central Health's dedicated staff – more than 400 people – where I had the privilege of introducing Jaeson Fournier, president & CEO of CommUnityCare, and Sharon Alvis, president & CEO of Sendero Health Plans. You can watch the video of the presentation below.?