Healthcare Accessibility
Health care is accessed throughout the region via physician's offices and six federally qualified Health Care Centers. In addition, residents are served by the Ballinger Memorial Hospital, Brownwood Regional Medical Center, Comanche County Medical Center, Haskell Memorial Hospital, Hendrick Center for Extended Care (Abilene), Hendrick Medical Center (Abilene), Knox County Hospital, North Runnels Hospital, Rolling Plains Hospital (Sweetwater), Stonewall Memorial Hospital, and Throckmorton County Memorial Hospital.
Telemedicine, a promising business model for patient-physician interaction, where individuals communicate with healthcare providers via video conferencing, has the potential to expand access and revolutionize healthcare in rural communities throughout the region. The application of telemedicine technologies, however, has been slowed by decisions from the Texas Medical Board in recent years, requiring face-to-face visits.
Telemedicine, a promising business model for patient-physician interaction, where individuals communicate with healthcare providers via video conferencing, has the potential to expand access and revolutionize healthcare in rural communities throughout the region. The application of telemedicine technologies, however, has been slowed by decisions from the Texas Medical Board in recent years, requiring face-to-face visits.
Health StatisticsEvaluating health statistics for the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as a proxy for the region, provides insight into the relative health of the region’s population. The Abilene MSA covers the Counties of Taylor, Jones, and Callahan.
According to data published by the Texas Department of Health Services, the percentage of residents without health insurance is slightly lower than that of Texas. Among residents age 0-17 years, 11.6% within the MSA are without health insurance versus 12.7% in Texas. Among residents 0-64 years of age, the percentage without health insurance rises to 22.8%, but remains below the 24.8% of Texas residents. Analysis of mortality statistics reveals notably higher rates of mortality overall for the Abilene MSA, as well as from Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke), Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Influenza/Pneumonia, Liver Disease, Septicemia, and Suicide. Reported cases of communicable diseases, however, hedge lower than Texas. From 2011-13, 82,666 total inpatient events were recorded. Among those admitted, 17.2% were Medicaid patients, 41.8% were Medicare patients, 26.3% were privately insured, and 7.6% were uninsured. |
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