Welcome
2014 Crossroad Conference
THANK YOU
• Speakers and participants
• Crossroads Committee – Becky Conditt,
Chris Felton, Briana Vela, Silvia Ballejo,
Carson Scott, Kenneth Stewart, Don
Nicholson, Carolyn Witherspoon and Erin
Gregg.
• F. Marie Hall Staff
The Top 10
Rural Issues for Health Care Reform
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10.
Economy Based on Self-Employment & Small Businesses
Public Health Insurance Plans: Dependence and Need
A Stressed Health Care Delivery System
Health Care Provider and Workforce Shortages
An Aging Rural Population
A Sicker, More At-Risk Population
More Preventive Care, Health and Wellness Resources
More Mental Health Services
Increasing Dependence on Technology
Effective Emergency Medical Services
Hat tip to: Rx - A series Examining Health Care Issues in Rural America, Jon M. Bailey,
Center for Rural Affairs, 145 Main Street, P.O. Box 136 Lyons, Nebraska, USA 68038,
March 2009.
ACA enrollment
• ~6 million uninsured
(~25% of population)
• 733,757 (9.4%) eligible
Texans purchased health
insurance through the
federal Marketplace from
October 1, 2013 to April
19, 2014.
• Rural disparities continue
Mike Cline, PhD and Steven H Murdock, PhD.
Estimate of the Impact of the Affordable Care
Act on Texas Counties Hobby Center for the
Study of Texas – Rice University, 2012.
West Texas, 1970:
Population/Doctor = 1,350:1
West Texas, 2013:
Population/Doctor = 650:1
West Texas Challenge: “Shrinking” the Service Area
Of the 108 counties in West Texas:
• 22 have no physicians
• 10 have no physicians, physician
assistants or nurse practitioners
• 21 have no pharmacy
• 32 have no hospital
• 75 percent of the region is more than
90 miles from a comprehensive trauma
hospital
• TTUHSC (Lubbock) is the only burn
center between Dallas and Phoenix
TTUHSC Service Area (108 Counties)
• 50% of the land mass and 11% of the
population of the total state (2.7 million
people)
• Larger than 46 of 50 states in U.S.
• 54 counties considered “Frontier” (<7
people/sq. mile)
• Fuel - $100 billion investment to produce
7.5 million barrels / year – 6.9 % of all
wages in Texas
• Fiber – 35% of world market produced
by China, India and Texas (US = 15.7
million bales and Texas = 14.8 million
bales; bale = 480 lbs.
• Food – 15% of world market $8 billion
Challenges
Health Reform remains essential and it’s about
more than insurance! It’s about:
• Innovation
• Collaboration
OUTSIDE THE BOX
• Perseverance
We hope you enjoy the 2014 Crossroads
Conference – we hope you will learn, network, and
most especially think. Take up the challenge – that
is the only real reform…