Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The newest Bexar County Community Health Needs Assessment Report was revealed Wednesday by the Bexar County Health Collaborative.
It’s considered the most comprehensive snapshot of health in Bexar County. The report shows persistent health inequities in mental health, maternal health, chronic disease and housing and food insecurity.
The report is used as a baseline for city and county health planning and grant priorities. Recommendations will come in the form of The Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHIP sometime next year.
Mental health needs also emerged as a dominant theme in the report. Depression, anxiety, and other conditions affect people across demographics.
You can read more about the report here.
Elizabeth Lutz is CEO of the Health Collaborative.
“The biggest takeaways I would say is that as a community, we're continuing to have some serious inequities when it comes to the rates of chronic disease, housing burdens, and, of course, access to food all the way across," she told TPR.
“Right now, especially pending some of the changes that we're experiencing and, and hopefully, you know, we are able to make some resolution, but if not, we'll be looking at hundreds and thousands of families that will be affected by the cuts to food benefits in the next couple of days."
According to the report, over 50 percent of households face financial insecurity, while 46% live above the poverty line but can’t afford necessities. 15 percent of residents live below the poverty line.
The report also showed a decline in preventative care and vaccine hesitancy and distrust in science remain pressing concerns.
This is the 11th CHNA, which is released every three years. The Health Collaborative coordinates the information from the report with hospitals, the City of San Antonio, and other local agencies.
