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Public Health

 A ‘Politically Motivated Cover-Up’: Why the State’s Maternal Death Report Was Pushed Until After Midterms

Advocates and lawmakers warn the state health agency's decision to delay releasing the annual report will further harm women—and make it harder to enact necessary laws in 2027.

by Mary Tuma

Keep Reading

Texas Is Trying to Punish Its Way Out of a Prison Overdose Crisis

by Michelle Pitcher

What the Data Says About Electricity Shutoffs During Sweltering Texas Summers

by Mezabahnur Masum

Texas Maternal Mortality Committee’s Next Report Will Skip Post-‘Roe’ Deaths. Lawmakers Suspect Political Influence.

by Mary Tuma

Ernie Stevens (left) and Joe Smarro. Jan 13, 2020

How the San Antonio Police Are Rethinking Mental Health

A new documentary on policing in San Antonio makes a simple suggestion: Instead of arresting mentally ill people, listen to them.

by Rose Cahalan

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, speaks to reporters outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 2, 2016, after the court heard arguments over Texas abortion clinic regulations in its biggest abortion case in nearly a quarter-century. Texas State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, listens, third from left. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Jan 10, 2020

Ken Paxton Says New Anti-Abortion Law Bars State Employees from Donating to Planned Parenthood

Advocates warn that the attorney general’s new opinion indicates how far efforts to implement a vague new law could go.

by Sophie Novack

Sabrina Salas and her baby, Xavier, at Ozona High School. Jan 06, 2020

This West Texas Town is a Reproductive Health Void

Family planning clinics and abortion clinics across Texas have been closing at an alarming rate. Rural hospitals are shuttering their maternity wards. For many Texans, this means traveling hundreds of miles just to access basic reproductive health care services.

by Sophie Novack and Christopher Collins

Dec 26, 2019

A Decade of Texas Health Care By The Numbers

What do 2010 vs. 2019 comparisons tell us when it comes to lawmakers’ priorities on health care?

by Sophie Novack

A radiography room in a hospital. Dec 11, 2019

Everyone Wants to End Surprise Medical Billing in Texas, but No One Wants to Pay for It

New patient protections go into effect January 1, but a last-minute rulemaking controversy illustrates how hard it is to fix even a relatively narrow health care problem.

by Sophie Novack

Carole Ward, a former nurse practitioner, ran the Memphis health clinic until she retired in 2017. Dec 02, 2019

The Last Nurse in Memphis, Texas

Carole Ward, a former nurse practitioner, ran the only health clinic in a small town in the Panhandle until she retired in 2017.

by Christopher Collins and Sophie Novack

Nov 20, 2019

The Rural Health Care Crisis, Mapped

Texas is facing a rural health care crisis. How many doctors are in your county?

by Rolando Hernandez

The Memphis health clinic shuttered in 2017, making it harder for Yolanda Narvaez, right, and her husband, Angel, to access care. Nov 18, 2019

Driving My Life Away

As physicians leave small towns, rural Texans must travel farther and farther for health care.

by Christopher Collins and Sophie Novack

The clinic attached to the hospital is staying open for now. Nov 11, 2019

Scenes from a Rural Hospital’s Final Day

Chillicothe Hospital closed its doors on July 22. Its closure reverberated through the community in both expected and surprising ways.

by Christopher Collins and Sophie Novack

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