The Death Divide in Texas

It is an alarming statistic: rural Texans are twice as likely to die of COVID than their urban counterparts.  While the pandemic has heightened the mortality disparity, the reasons behind it go much deeper than the disease itself.  Secret vaccinations and remote healthcare are helping some of these communities pull through.  But not all.  In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons go on the road to Mount Pleasant and visit Titus Regional Medical Center, the last independent hospital in northeast Texas.  There were more deaths at that hospital in September than at any point in its 70-year history.  And the CEO says closing this mortality gap will not be easy, or fast.  The Jasons are also joined by John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH), who recently testified before lawmakers in Austin as they debated how to spend billions in federal COVID relief funding and discusses the “breathing room” those dollars will provide rural hospitals. 

 

Guests:

Terry Scoggin, CEO/Titus Regional Medical Center

John Henderson, CEO/Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals