Rep. Erin Zwiener (D – Driftwood) has been representing Texas’s 45th Legislative District since 2019. She currently sits on the House Public Health, Administration, and Appropriation Committees. In this Q&A, Rep. Zwiener discusses how she will prioritize Medicaid expansion, expanding access to medical cannabis for non-terminal patients, and ensuring the state’s renal care facilities are … Read more
On Feb. 21, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a nonbinding, formal opinion declaring the performance of certain gender-affirming care procedures on children, including the prescribing of hormonal therapies, is “child abuse” under Texas law. Shortly after, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) calling for “prompt and … Read more
The College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) at The University of Texas at Arlington has launched a new center to enhance access to health care for Texas’ rural communities. The Center for Rural Health and Nursing is funded by a $4 million legislative appropriation by the state of Texas. The funding will support the … Read more
Ahead of the March 21 deadline for staff in qualifying health care facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or exempted, the Texas Hospital Association (THA) cautioned that the vaccine mandate announced by CMS in November could exacerbate workforce shortages in Texas hospitals. The association discussed recent efforts they’ve been taking to support the health … Read more
The Detailed Agenda for our 2022 Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference on March 10 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin is now available! Our team has carefully crafted these panel topics after a long process of stakeholder engagement, where we identified the most critical health policy topics and conversations taking … Read more
The Texas Nurses Association is joining with the American Nurses Association in calling for Congress to “address the chronic causes of cyclical nursing shortages.” ANA’s statement is in response to outcry over a letter submitted by Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) to the White House COVID-19 Task Force calling for an investigation … Read more
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) newly-released 2022 statewide strategic plan for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) services provides a roadmap to improve access to care in the state. In the plan, HHSC names strategies to make IDD services more accessible and more user-friendly, as well as to improve workforce shortages. … Read more
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is offering up to $5,000 in hiring bonuses for certain health care positions at state supported living centers and state hospitals across Texas. “We want to recruit qualified, motivated health care professionals to help support residents in our state supported living centers and patients at our state hospitals,” … Read more
The Department of State of Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas A&M University Health Science Center are partnering to increase the number of fully vaccinated people in Texas, awarding more than $8.6 million to local organizations across the state to promote COVID-19 vaccine outreach and education activities. DSHS and Texas A&M Health announced … Read more
With total COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas surpassing 10,000 for the first time since September, Carrie Kroll, vice president of advocacy, quality, and public health at the Texas Hospital Association (THA), said Texas hospital staff are dealing with all of the exhaustion and anxiety you’d expect two years into the pandemic. Recent sharp and quick rises … Read more