Last Thursday, Austin city leaders marked the 30th anniversary of a program that provides free vaccines to children as Texas faces its worst measles outbreak in over three decades. Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can spread through coughing, sneezing and contaminated surfaces and can lead to complications such as pneumonia and swelling […]
Public Health
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Central Health opens long-awaited Del Valle Health Center
Last week, Central Health announced at a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting that it has finally opened its Del Valle Health Center, the long-awaited collaboration with CommUnityCare that will expand access to health care for low-income Eastern Travis County residents. The new facility has been a long time coming, with many frustrating delays – last […]
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City IDs progress, funding needs to carry out area food plan
A pair of recent city memos shows progress and the need for additional funding sources to implement the first comprehensive food plan for the Austin area. The two memos were released last week, outlining nine goals and 61 strategies aimed at strengthening the local food system, addressing food insecurity and improving food resilience. The plan, […]
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Council adds funding to bolster Integral Care’s mental health efforts
Responding to the need for more mental health workers to staff Integral Care’s Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, City Council on Thursday voted to allocate additional funding to the program. The action will inject more than $1.4 million into the diversion program, drawing dollars from the city’s 2025 budget stabilization reserve fund. Council initiated the […]
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Travis County outlines the next year of opioid overdose prevention strategy
Even as the Trump administration attempts to gut every kind of federal grant bolstering local services, from transportation to public health and beyond, Travis County is still managing to continue its long-term investments in opioid recovery services and harm reduction. It’s largely aided by a national settlement with the producers of opioids, from which the […]
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Amid ongoing measles concerns, Austin ISD’s vaccination rate is below target for its youngest students
As a measles outbreak in West Texas continues to raise concerns throughout the state, Austin ISD’s vaccination rate for incoming kindergarteners remains well below pre-pandemic levels. Public health experts say around 95 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated against measles to ensure “herd immunity” and prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease, which […]
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Federal cuts slash more than $2M from Foundation Communities’ health navigator program
The Foundation Communities nonprofit is facing a substantial financial setback after the Trump administration announced a 90 percent reduction in funding for health insurance navigator grants. The cuts, revealed last Friday, eliminate nearly all funding for 56 programs nationwide that help Americans enroll in affordable health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Foundation Communities’ […]
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APD won’t enforce SB 14 as Paxton and Trump further attack gender-affirming health care
Last week, two federal judges issued temporary restraining orders on an executive order by the Trump administration that would have blocked federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors. That means that – for now – any health care provider or entity that provides that care can still operate with federal funding. In Texas, however, doctors […]
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After shutting off mental health care for Austin musicians, SIMS Foundation restarts services
The SIMS Foundation, which has provided low-cost and free mental health care to Austin musicians for decades, is connecting clients to services again after a three-month pause. SIMS Foundation CEO Derrick Lesnau said the organization reached its fundraising goal of a half-million dollars after a late push last year. “We just couldn’t be more thankful for […]
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Austin’s Sobering Center expands to increase rehab services
Travis County opened the Sobering Center in 2018 with a goal to reduce the congestion of the county’s jail and hospitals with folks who were publicly intoxicated. Instead, they would be sent to a quiet building downtown on Sabine Street. They could eat a snack, drink some water, sleep it off and leave the next […]
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Travis County awarded $1.6 million federal grant to combat overdose crisis
On Monday, Travis County Judge Andy Brown announced a new resource for combating the opioid overdose crisis in the county – and reported new numbers that suggest current public health strategies are working. The county was awarded a $1.6 million federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance through the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance […]
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County renews opioid overdose crisis declaration, funds more harm reduction
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to extend its opioid overdose crisis declaration to October 2026 and to authorize $100,000 worth of naloxone, a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, as well as $100,000 – and possibly another $300,000 soon – toward new harm reduction services. However, they also learned that the opioid settlement […]