City Council postponed a decision on appointing a new member to the Central Health Board of Managers amid concerns over diversity and potential conflicts of interest. The nine-member board of managers oversees the public health authority, which provides a variety of medical services, including two dozen health clinics, aimed at low-income and uninsured people in […]
Public Health
Posted inPublic Health
Nancy Pelosi discusses impact of Affordable Care Act on Austin
U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Lloyd Doggett hosted a roundtable with a group of Austin-based medical professionals, musicians and technology experts Thursday morning. Discussion at the meeting, held at the Clinical Education Center at Brackenridge, addressed the impacts of the Affordable Care Act in Austin, personal stories of survival and ways to […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Monitor Radio: What’s next for local users of the Affordable Care Act?
Insure Central Texas Director Elizabeth Colvin joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to chat about the Affordable Care Act and potential local implications of a repeal. Kanin is also joined by Health Alliance for Austin Musicians Chief Operating Officer Rachel Blair to chat about her impressions in the wake of the change in federal administrations. […]
Posted inPublic Health
Critics call foul on medical school’s spending
The activists who last year hounded Central Health with claims that the hospital district was being less than transparent have now turned their focus on the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, accusing the school of improperly spending millions in taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, Dell Medical officials quickly responded on Wednesday afternoon with vociferous […]
Posted inPublic Health
Medical school outlines spending, outreach for care in eastern ‘Austin crescent’
With Travis County putting more scrutiny on one of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas’ largest financial contributors – specifically Central Health and the $35 million in taxpayer dollars it provides the school annually – leaders of the still-new school issued an in-person community progress report on Monday that focused on its […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Austin/Travis County Central Health
Travis County Central Health president and CEO Patricia Young Brown joins Austin Monitor reporter Caleb Pritchard to chat about her organization, the University of Texas Dell Medical School and the organizations’ role in the community. Post is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298485223″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inPublic Health
Medical school seeks solutions to boost community health
The Dell Medical School is on the lookout for ideas big and small that may improve the health of Austin’s vulnerable communities concentrated in East Austin. The school’s Center for Place-Based Initiatives (CPBI) put out the call for ideas and hopes to bring local nonprofits, researchers, business investors and many other resources to bear in an […]
Posted inPublic Health, Travis County
County changes oversight rules for Central Health
The Travis County Commissioners Court has voted to beef up the financial policies it uses to maintain oversight of Central Health. Tuesday’s decision capped off another extended discussion about the hospital district and the transparency concerns raised in recent months by a small but enthusiastic group of activists. The same crew was on hand Tuesday […]
Posted inPublic Health, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Austin/Travis County Sobriety Center
Attorney and former Travis County Democratic Party Chair Andy Brown talks with Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin about the Austin/Travis County Sobriety Center. Audio is embedded below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/291788450″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inPublic Health
Court faces more pressure over Central Health transparency concerns
Activists have turned up the heat on the Travis County Commissioners Court to take a closer look at millions of dollars paid out by the county’s health district in the last two years. Attorney Fred Lewis sent out on Monday afternoon a detailed report that castigates Central Health for not adequately producing accountable proof that […]
Posted inPublic Health
No big changes to mosquito protocol, says city
Despite two confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne virus Zika in Travis County, the city of Austin says it will not make any big changes to its mosquito-control strategy as the warm season begins – a time ripe for insect breeding. “We have not had any reason to believe that there’s any infected mosquitoes in the […]
Posted inPublic Health, Public Safety
Forum updates on community health initiatives
City and county health officials and health services organizations provided an update last Wednesday night on a five-year comprehensive community health planning initiative that will end in June. About 86 residents attended the community forum at the George Washington Carver Museum to learn about the Community Health Assessment/Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHA/CHIP, which outlines […]