Travis County commissioners approved an $875 million annual budget for local public hospital district Central Health, along with an increased tax rate that local officials said was influenced by federal funding changes. Around 5% of a Travis County homeowner’s property tax bill goes to Central Health. Those taxes must support health care for low-income and […]
Travis County Central Health
Health organization that provides care and improves service for uninsured individuals in Travis County.
Posted inPublic Health
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 Dell Medical School to conceptualize the physical diversion center, which will take approximately 18 months […]
Posted inPublic Health
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 their complex working partnership, which some 134,000 patients in the Austin area rely on for […]
Posted inPublic Health
Central Health opens long-awaited Del Valle Health Center
Last week, Central Health announced at a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting that it has finally opened its Del Valle Health Center, the long-awaited collaboration with CommUnityCare that will expand access to health care for low-income Eastern Travis County residents. The new facility has been a long time coming, with many frustrating delays – last […]
Posted inPublic Health
Travis County outlines the next year of opioid overdose prevention strategy
Even as the Trump administration attempts to gut every kind of federal grant bolstering local services, from transportation to public health and beyond, Travis County is still managing to continue its long-term investments in opioid recovery services and harm reduction. It’s largely aided by a national settlement with the producers of opioids, from which the […]
Posted inPublic Health
County renews opioid overdose crisis declaration, funds more harm reduction
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to extend its opioid overdose crisis declaration to October 2026 and to authorize $100,000 worth of naloxone, a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, as well as $100,000 – and possibly another $300,000 soon – toward new harm reduction services. However, they also learned that the opioid settlement […]
Posted inBudget
Travis County approves 6.5% tax rate increase for Central Health budget amid financial controversy
Travis County commissioners unanimously approved a 6.5 percent tax rate increase and a $888 million Fiscal Year 2025 budget for the county’s health care district, Central Health, on Tuesday – amid uncertainty about a potential conflict between Central Health’s mission and exactly how the district spends its tax dollars. Last week, the Commissioners Court postponed […]
Posted inCourts
Attorney files complaint about consultant’s statements on Central Health
On Monday, attorney Fred Lewis filed a complaint alleging the unauthorized practice of law by Steve Herbst, the lead consultant on a contract with Forvis Mazars to review the performance of Central Health for Travis County. The complaint was based on the fact that Herbst told the Travis County Commissioners Court, “We are happy to […]
Posted inBudget
Travis County commissioners postpone tax rate increase for Central Health amid financial transparency concerns
After last week’s confusing and concerning audit report on Travis County’s health care district Central Health, the Commissioners Court this week put off voting on the district’s budget and a 6.5 percent tax rate increase for Fiscal Year 2025 amid more concerns from the community – including from Central Health’s own board of managers and […]
Posted inPublic Health
Central Health audit raises more questions than answers
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, the Travis County Commissioners Court received a troubling and confusing report on an audit it authorized in 2022 of the county’s health care district, Central Health. Audit consultant Mazars found that Central Health has committed no legal wrongdoing and has improved transparency – though there are areas in which it could […]
Posted inBudget
Central Health sends 2025 fiscal year budget to Travis County for final approval
Central Health leadership gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a $884 million budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The budget will go before Travis County commissioners for a final vote in September. As Travis County’s public hospital district, Central Health is tasked with funding health care for low-income and indigent residents, primarily through tax revenue. The […]
Posted inPublic Health
Central Health board considers improvements to reaching target communities
Members of the Central Health Board of Managers turned their attention Wednesday to how well the organization is doing at finding those who need health care and other services in a number of areas throughout East Austin. The discussion came during a managers’ meeting prior to the public hearing on Central Health’s next budget, which […]