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Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Center takes another step

Last week, Travis County kicked off the design portion of its long-awaited mental health diversion center and central intake project. The lead architectural firms, Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, Kirksey Architecture, and Pulitzer Bogard, will work with county staff and UT’s…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Jun 24, 2025

CommUnityCare announces new CEO following leadership conflict with Central Health

CommUnityCare, a chain of clinics that serve low-income Austinites, has a new CEO after a monthslong leadership conflict with its public partner, Central Health. With the hiring announcement, the two organizations signaled they had come to a common understanding of…

Public Health • By Olivia Aldridge, KUT • Jun 3, 2025

Austin’s fight against gun violence: A public health-based strategy in uncertain times

Three years after the tragedy in Uvalde, Austin is doubling down on a different approach to gun violence: treating it like a public health crisis. With the third anniversary of the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24 and an…

Public Health • By Mina Shekarchi • May 30, 2025

City, county moving ahead with long-range local food plan

The city will implement the joint Austin/Travis County Food Plan under a new interlocal agreement approved by City Council last week, formally launching a 42-month process to build a more sustainable and equitable local food system. Under the agreement, Travis…

Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • May 13, 2025

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Austin Public Health urges Council to prioritize frontline jobs amid federal funding cuts

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) continued slashing of federal funding for critical services is coinciding with and compounding an already dire budget crunch for Austin, which will force Council to make tough decisions on where to tighten the…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • May 9, 2025

Second measles case reported locally, Austin Public Health says

A Travis County adult is isolating after testing positive for measles, Austin Public Health officials announced Friday. It is the second confirmed local case of the virus this year. APH representatives said the sick individual may have been exposed to the virus…

Public Health • By Olivia Aldridge, KUT • Apr 28, 2025

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UT Austin professors fear Trump administration's funding cuts will derail life-saving research

Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at UT Austin, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a scientist. She said she always loved watching birds and bugs. “Even as a kid, I would watch the…

Public Health • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Apr 21, 2025

716,000 meals canceled for Austin-area food bank as federal funding is cut

The Central Texas Food Bank is feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s funding cuts after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed more than a billion dollars in funding for programs that support food banks and help schools buy goods from local…

Public Health • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Apr 17, 2025

Public Health Commission looks at curbing heat illnesses, promoting drug counselor training

The Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission is fine-tuning recommendations on two initiatives aimed at expanding harm reduction services and protecting outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. During the latest meeting, commissioners reviewed draft recommendations on both issues but took no votes,…

Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 8, 2025

Council gets early look at public health cuts caused by federal funding losses

Austin Public Health leaders are working to manage an ongoing budget crisis caused by federal funding cuts that have destabilized programs across the city. City Council’s Public Health Committee heard last week that APH has already lost approximately $15 million…

Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 7, 2025

Audit throws shade at city's efforts to mitigate extreme heat

A new report from the Office of the City Auditor concludes that, while the city has made notable progress in preparing for extreme heat, challenges in coordination, funding and measurable planning continue to undermine long-term resilience. The audit, released this…

Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 1, 2025

City intensifies efforts to encourage vaccination amid state’s worst measles outbreak in decades

Last Thursday, Austin city leaders marked the 30th anniversary of a program that provides free vaccines to children as Texas faces its worst measles outbreak in over three decades.  Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can spread through…

Public Health • By Madeline de Figueiredo • Mar 31, 2025

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